Contesting Identities: Sports in American Film [Hardcover]

Aaron Baker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0252028163 | ISBN-13: 978-0252028168 | Publication Date: February 26, 2003

Since the earliest days of the silent era, American filmmakers have been drawn to the visual spectacle of sports and their compelling narratives of conflict, triumph, and individual achievement. In "Contesting Identities", Aaron Baker examines how these cinematic representations of sports and athletes have evolved over time - from The Pinch Hitter and Buster Keaton's College to White Men Can't Jump, Jerry Maguire, and Girlfight. He focuses on how identities have been constructed and transcended in American society since the early twentieth century. Whether depicting team or individual sports, these films return to that most American of themes, the master narrative of self-reliance. Baker shows that even as sports films tackle socially constructed identities like class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender, they ultimately underscore transcendence of these identities through self-reliance.Looking at films from almost every sporting genre - with a particular focus on movies about boxing, baseball, basketball, and football - "Contesting Identities" maps the complex cultural landscape depicted in American sports films and the ways in which stories about 'subaltern' groups winning acceptance by the mainstream majority can serve to reinforce the values of that majority. In addition to discussing the genre's recurring dramatic tropes, from the populist prizefighter to the hot-headed rebel to the 'manly' female athlete, Baker also looks at the social and cinematic impacts of real-life sports figures from Jackie Robinson and Babe Didrikson Zaharias to Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.'A must-read for cinephiles and sports fans alike, "Contesting Identites" is a knock-out. Aaron Baker cogently combines previous work on identities, sports, and media and moves discussion to new levels. His analysis of how race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class are represented in feature sports films are consistently thought-provoking and intriguing' - Chris Holmlund, author of "Impossible Bodies: Femininity and Masculinity" at the Movies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must-read for cinephiles and sports fans alike. Aaron Baker cogently combines previous work on identities, sports, and media and moves discussion to new levels." -- Chris Holmlund, author of Impossible Bodies: Femininity and Masculinity at the Movies

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (February 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252028163
• ISBN-13: 978-0252028168
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #991,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth study of the films that had as their primary focus or theme sports and athletic competition, June 2, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Contesting Identities: Sports in American Film (Paperback)

Contesting Identities: Sports In American Film by Aaron Baker (Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Arizona State University) is an in-depth study of the films that had as their primary focus or theme sports and athletic competition. Guiding readers through a complete understanding of the film industry's sports movies from the era of silent movies through the blockbuster productions of today, Contesting Identities provides an informative review of sports films elements and issues such as race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and more. A seminal contribution to Film & Cinema Studies supplemental reading lists and academic library reference collections, Contesting Identities is very strongly recommended for film students and sports enthusiasts searching for a comprehensive and intelligible grasp of the historical progression, identity, ideals, and production of sports-oriented films.