Steven Spielberg's America

Acknowledgments vi

Introduction: Culture, Politics, Film 1

1. The Formation of Spielberg’s Generation 18

2. Spielberg Gets His Break 39

3. The Shark and the Blockbuster 66

4. E.T. and All Things Private 101

5. Looking to the Past 137

6. The Historical Film 164

7. Spielberg and Dark Visions 193

Coda: Open Questions 215

Appendix 218

Notes 220

Works Cited 224

Index 232