Film has had a revolutionary impact on American society, transforming culture, revising attitudes toward sexuality and cementing the myth of the American dream. This definitive, richly illustrated book examines film as an art form, technological innovation, big business, and shaper of American values. It examines genres from the screwball comedy of the 1930s to the "hard body" movies of the 1980s to the independents films of the 1990s.