Review by Choice Review
Mackey-Kallis (communication, Villanova Univ.) examines the mythic dimensions of some of the most popular US films: the "father" quest in Field of Dreams; the "sacred marriage" quest in Bull Durham; the "Grail" quest in The Lion King; and the "universal quest for home" in Depression-era films The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life. The penultimate chapter examines the Star Wars trilogy in the light of these and other cultural myths. In taking this approach, the author follows on the heels of a movement toward "audience based" criticism, wherein critics dispense with their own biases and instead analyze the audience appeal of popular cultural artifacts--an appeal based, in turn, on perceived constructions of various archetypes of the heroic quest. Citing thinkers like Huxley, Jung, and Campbell and archetypes like the Odyssey and The Aeneid, the author identifies the heroic quest paradigm as essentially circular in outward trajectory and inner growth, beginning with separation from the world, continuing with penetration to some source of power, and concluding with life-enhancing return. Discussions of psychological, philosophical, and literary contexts tend to overwhelm the analyses of the individual films. This is a book for graduate students and researchers, not for the casual reader or beginning students interested primarily in film history. J. C. Tibbetts University of Kansas
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
