ReFocus: The Films of Richard Linklater

Abstract

The first edited collection of critical essays on American filmmaker Richard Linklater Analyses both Linklater’s celebrated and understudied work in dialogue with ongoing debates in film studies Considers the impact of Linklater’s oeuvre in industrial and cultural contexts, with a focus on gender, identity politics, American politics, and animal rights Connects Linklater to relevant American political and cultural events and institutions Richard Linklater is a popular American filmmaker who is widely celebrated for the breadth of his oeuvre. Over the past three decades, Linklater has directed more than twenty features, ranging from non-linear independent films to Hollywood genre entertainment. Despite the popularity of Linklater’s rich and varied body of work—and perhaps also because of this generic diversity—he remains under-represented in critical and scholarly fora. ReFocus: The Films of Richard Linklater addresses this oversight, bringing together twelve original essays attending to Linklater as a filmmaker whose work engages with contemporary debates in American politics, gender, youth, and activism as well as significant concepts in film studies, including time and duration, rhythm, and movement. Together these essays form a dialogue on Linklater’s ongoing role in contemporary American popular culture, and the impact his work has on discussions within (and beyond) film studies.