The Fantasy Film

The Fantasy Film provides a clear and compelling overview ofthis revitalized and explosively popular film genre. Oftenoverlooked by scholars who feel it unworthy of seriousconsideration, the fantasy genre is also troubled by the difficulty of classifying films that often bear little resemblanceto one another and that straddle related genres like horror andscience fiction. The recent success of Hollywood blockbuster andindependent films alike has sparked critical interest in thefantasy film and re–invigorated discussions of its unique genericqualities.

Providing in–depth historical and critical overviews,The Fantasy Film explores the boundaries of fantasythroughout history and the expansion of this important genre incontemporary film. Covering early classics such as The Wizard ofOz and Harvey, recent entries like Spider–Man andShrek, and blockbuster series such as The Lord of theRings and Harry Potter, this clear and definitiveintroduction is the ideal companion for film students and scholarsalike.

List of Plates ix

Acknowledgements xi

1 What′s in a Name: Defining the Elusive Fantasy Genre 1

2 Once upon a Time: A Brief Historical Overview 15

3 A Brief Critical Overview: Literary and Film Fantasy, ScienceFiction and Horror 38

4 The Wizard of Oz (1939): Over the Rainbow 55

5 Harvey (1950): A Happy Hallucination? 68

6 Always (1989): Spielberg′s Ghost from the Past 81

7 Groundhog Day (1993): No Time Like the Present 92

8 Big (1988): Body and Soul/"Hearts and Souls" 104

9 Shrek (2001): Like an Onion 114

10 Spider–Man (2002): The Karmic Web 124

11 The Lord of the Rings (2001 3): Tolkien′sTrilogy or Jackson′s Thrillogy? 134

12 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and theWardrobe (2005): A Joyful Spell 145

13 Harry Potter I–VI (2001–9): Words are Mightier thanthe Sword 156

14 Conclusion: Imagine That! 171

References 175

Index 186

Katherine A. Fowkes is the 2011 Ruth Ridenhour Distinguished Scholar at High Point University where she is a Professor of Media Studies. She is the author of Giving Up the Ghost: Spirits, Ghosts and Angels in Mainstream Comedy Films (1998).

"In true reflection of its straightforward ifgeneric title, The Fantasy Film presents a useful foundationfor deeper reflection on the complexities of the fantastic infilm."  (Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 1February 2014)

"Written in prose that is careful and cogent, the book provides adefence of what Fowkes calls the "orphan" genre (unloved;neglected; even, perhaps, of questionable legitimacy), one whichshe argues has long been excluded from serious analysis by "dogmasof realism" that privilege "codes of . . . mimesis." (TimesLiterary Supplement, 18 February 2011)