Stellar Transformations: Movie Stars of the 2010s

by Steven Rybin (Editor), Steven Rybin (Contribution by), Brenda Austin-Smith (Contribution by), Karen Hollinger (Contribution by), Rick Warner (Contribution by)

Overview

Stellar Transformations: Movie Stars of the 2010s circles around questions of stardom, performance, and their cultural contexts in ways that remind us of the alluring magic of stars while also bringing to the fore the changing ways in which viewers engaged with them during the last decade. A salient idea that guides much of the collection is the one of transformation, expressed in these pages as the way in which post-millennial movie stars are in one way or another reshaping ideas of performance and star presence, either through the self-conscious revision of aspects of their own personas or in redirecting or progressing some earlier aspect of the culture. Including a diverse lineup of stars such as Oscar Isaac, Kristen Stewart, Tilda Swinton, and Tyler Perry, the chapters in Stellar Transformations paint the portrait of the meaning of star images during the complex decade of the 2010s, and in doing so will offer useful case studies for scholars and students engaged in the study of stardom, celebrity, and performance in cinema.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781978818316
Publisher:	Rutgers University Press
Publication date:	01/14/2022
Series:	Star Decades: American Culture/American Cinema
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

STEVEN RYBIN is an associate professor of film studies in the Department of English at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is the author of several books, including Geraldine Chaplin: The Gift of Film Performance and Gestures of Love: Romancing Performance in Classical Hollywood Cinema.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Stardom in the 2010s Steven Rybin 1

1 Joaquin Phoenix: Ascendant Brenda Austin-Smith 17

2 Amy Adams and Emma Stone: Escaping the Ingénue Karen Hollinger 34

3 Oscar Isaac: Brooding by Degrees Rick Warner 53

4 Armie Hammer: The Elusive Appeal of an Ever-Emergent Star David Greven 70

5 The Multiple Trajectories of Transnational Hollywood Stars: Marion Cotiltard, Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger Celestino Deleyto 88

6 Tilda Swinton: From Avant-Garde Androgyne to The Avengers Jennifer O'Meara 108

7 Tyler Perry: The Multihyphenate Lane Changer Danielle E. Williams 125

8 Jessica Chastain and Michelle Williams: Open Windows Daniel Varndell 139

9 The Predicaments of Queer Stardom: Ben Whishaw, Zachary Quinto, Ezra Miller Kyle Stevens 156

10 Timothée Chalamet: Refashioning Hollywood Masculinity Matt Connolly 176

11 Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan: Twenty-First-Century Stars Cynthia Baron 194

12 Natalie Portman: Smart Star Steven Rybin 214

In the Wings Steven Rybin 232

Acknowledgments 241

Works Cited 243

Contributors 249

Index 251

Editorial Reviews

"This illuminating volume examines a diverse selection of contemporary stars with varied career paths and personas, exploring how stardom is constructed, negotiated, and maintained in a rapidly changing industry."

author of Turning the Page: Storytelling as Activism in Queer Film and Media - David R. Coon

"Taking up stardom in the tumultuous teens, this volume shows that as 'the pictures got small' and film stars were experienced via streaming services and social media as much if not more than on cinema screens—and as the death of cinema was proclaimed again and again—stardom enlarged to include more diverse actors who could speak to both niche and global audiences in well-crafted actorly performances in films ranging from small independent features to global blockbusters."

co-editor of Media Crossroads: Intersections of Space and Identity in Screen Cultures - Pamela Robertson Wojcik

This is a brilliant collection featuring important performances during the 2010s, a decade marked by the emergence of an astounding number of ambiguously gendered and varied characters and performances. With readable, insightful analysis this volume strikes a balance between readability and in-depth analysis of celebrity, stardom and performance. A pleasure to read, this work is bound to attract both scholars and students who are fascinated with celebrity culture and its connection to the mysterious processes of embodiment and acting.

author of Transgender Cinema - Rebecca Bell-Metereau