Hollywood High: A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of Teen Movies [Hardcover]

From a longtimeVanity Fairwriter and editor, a delightfully entertaining, intelligent, and illuminating history and tribute to teen movies—fromRebel Without a CausetoFast Times at Ridgemont High,and on to John Hughes,Mean Girls,The Hunger Games, and more.

What influence did Francis Ford Coppola have on George Lucas’sAmerican Graffiti? And Lucas on John Singleton’sBoyz n the Hood? How does teenage sexuality inFast Times at Ridgemont Highcompare toTwilight? Which teen movies pass the Bechdel test? Why isMean Girlsactually the last great teen film of the 20th century?

In the same way that Peter Biskind’sEasy Riders, Raging Bullsconnects the films of the 1970s to the period’s cultural upheaval, and David Hadju’sPositively 4th Streettells the story of the sixties through the emergence of folk music, Bruce Handy’sHollywood Highsituates iconic teen movies within their times and reveals the intriguing stories, artists, and passions behind their creation. These films aren’t merely beloved stories; they reflect teens’ growing economic and cultural influence, societal panics, and shifting perceptions of youth in America.

Much more than a nostalgia trip,Hollywood Highis a lively, provocative, and affectionate cultural history, spanning nearly one hundred years. Handy, an acclaimed journalist and critic who spent two decades atVanity Fair, examines the defining films of each generation and builds connections between them. From the Andy Hardy classics (1937–1946) to the iconicRebel Without a Cause(1955); Beach Party series (1963–1968);American Graffiti(1973);Fast Times at Ridgemont High(1982); the John Hughes touchstonesSixteen Candles,The Breakfast Club,Pretty in Pink, andFerris Bueller’s Day Off(1984–1986);Boyz lS-