A review by belinda
Pursuits of Happiness: The Hollywood Comedy of Remarriage by Stanley Cavell

3.0

This book has been very influential in film theory and is definitely worthwhile reading if you have an interesting in the Classical Hollywood period. Cavell makes some really insightful points and identifies a number of common themes and ideas in the screwball comedies of the '40s. However, I found it pretty hard-going - the language is very flowery and Cavell approaches film theory from a philosophical and literary background, which is vastly different to the semiotic, ideological and psychoanalytical approaches more commonly used when analysing film. Pursuits of Happiness is a necessary read for those studying Classical Hollywood but not necessarily an enjoyable one.