Daniel Smith-Rowsey interviews Timothy Shary, Author of 'Teen Movies: A Century of American Youth' (Wallflower Press, 2023)

Daniel Smith-Rowsey interviews Timothy Shary about the second edition of his book Teen Movies: A Century of American Youth (Wallflower Press, 2023), which examines American cinema’s representation of teenagers. The thoughtful and expansive conversation covers a wide group of American teen films, ranging from Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955) to CODA (Sian Heder, 2021). The lengthy time period allows the discussion to touch on changes in depictions of gender, sexuality, and race in the films during this period, as well as ways in which the film industry has (and has not) responded to changes in teens themselves. Both Shary and Smith-Rowsey show their extensive knowledge of American film throughout: Teen Movies complements Shary’s Generation Multiplex: The Image of Youth in American Cinema Since 1980 (University of Texas Press, 2014), and Smith-Rowsey has published Star Actors in the Hollywood Renaissance: Representing Rough Rebels (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and Blockbuster Performances: How Actors Contribute to Cinema’s Biggest Hits (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018).