Full Description
In the movies, government often finds itself in a variety of roles from villain to supporting cast, and rarely, if ever, the hero. A frequent component of that role is the bureaucracy and as documented in Civil Servants on the Silver Screen: Hollywood's Depiction of Government and Bureaucrats, bureaucrats are routinely found on screen. This book investigates how government bureaucrats are portrayed in the top ten box office grossing films from 2000 through 2015. Perhaps unsurprisingly, government is generally portrayed poorly, while individual government bureaucrats are typically depicted positively. These images of government on screen are particularly important given the ability of movies to influence the attitudes and perceptions of its audiences. The nature of these depictions and potential implications are considered as bureaucrats in film are categorized.
Contents
Illustrations
Tables
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Intersection of Film and Government
Chapter 2: The History and Economics of Hollywood
Chapter 3: Audiences, the Influence of Film and Socialization
Chapter 4: Popular Film and its Depiction of Government
Chapter 5: Celluloid Civil Servants
Chapter 6: Prominent Civil Servants on Screen: Cops and Intelligence Officers
Chapter 7: Film, Policy, and Audience Attitudes
Chapter 8: Are They Ready for their Close-Up? Themes and Implications
Appendix I: Films Included in Study
Appendix II: Specific Types of Government Characters
Appendix III: Cop Films Included in Chapter 6
Appendix IV: Total Box Office Receipts, 1929-2016
Appendix V: Number of Cinemas and Screens in the U.S.
Bibliography
About the Author
