Cowboys and kings: The coming of age film in 1990s Irish cinema

Authors

  • Carlos Menendez-Otero University of Oviedo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2015.123

Keywords:

coming of age film, Irish cinema, Hollywood, teen, Celtic Tiger, 1990s

Abstract

The article explores why in the 1990s many Irish filmmakers chose precisely a coming of age narrative to attempt to take the international box office by storm, and assesses some of the films that resulted from the attempt. First, it discusses the cultural roots and generic conventions of the Hollywood teen film, especially the rites of passage it has reified and its idealization of small-town, mid-century America. Second, it studies the economic and cultural reasons behind the (over)production of coming of age films in Ireland over the 1990s. Finally, we tackle how these films alternatively deviate from and rely on the conventions of the Hollywood coming of age film to meet investor demands and engage global audiences with Irish concerns.

References

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Downloads

Published

2016-02-17

How to Cite

Menendez-Otero, C. (2016). Cowboys and kings: The coming of age film in 1990s Irish cinema. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 5(1), 5–33. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2015.123

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2015): Fall 2015

Section

Articles

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