ReFocus: The Films of Lawrence Kasdan
By (Author) Brett Davies
Edinburgh University Press
Edinburgh University Press
9th April 2026
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Paperback
248
Width 156mm, Height 234mm
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: "I'm making this up as I go": Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference
Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay
Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s)
Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir
Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill
Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation
Chapter 5. Altruism and Otherness in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon
Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films
Part IV: Influences, Without and Within
Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films
Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance
Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back
Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi
Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens
Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond
Chapter 13. An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits
Filmography
Bibliography