Virginity on Screen
The First Time in American Teen Films
$49.95
In stock
About the Book
Virginity—a major adolescent rite of passage—has been explored in the coming-of-age film genre for many decades. This book examines the evolution of teen movies over the past 40 years, posing crucial questions about how film shapes our cultural understanding of virginity. By surveying more than 30 mainstream and independent coming-of-age films from the 1980s to the present, it considers what types of first-time sexual experiences are represented on screen, how they are different for men and women, and whether they are subverting or reinforcing gender stereotypes.
Drawing from notable teen movies such as Dirty Dancing (1987), American Pie (1999), Real Women Have Curves (2002), Lady Bird (2017), and Plan B (2021), the book identifies a progressive shift toward more sex-positive and feminist representations of first-time sexual experiences on screen. Each chapter studies how the political climate, sex education policies, and cultural norms specific to each era impact the film’s release and its teenage audience.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Caroline Madden
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 265
Bibliographic Info: 14 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8500-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5399-0
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Introduction 7
A Brief History of Virginity 7
A Teenager Is Born 11
The Teenager Reigns 15
Virginity Cinema in the 21st Century 20
The Future of Virginity Cinema 23
I. 1980s 25
Little Darlings (1980) 25
Private Lessons (1981) 32
Goin’ All the Way! (1981) 36
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) 41
My Tutor (1983) 45
Private School (1983) 50
Joy of Sex (1984) 55
Hot Moves (1984) 59
Vision Quest (1985) 62
Dirty Dancing (1987) 67
Say Anything (1989) 74
II. 1990s 79
Mermaids (1990) 79
Household Saints (1993) 84
Scream (1996) 89
Ripe (1996) 95
Whatever (1998) 99
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) 104
Cruel Intentions (1999) 108
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) 115
The Virgin Suicides (1999) 122
American Virgin (1999) 127
American Pie (1999) 132
III. 2000s 141
Love & Basketball (2000) 141
Real Women Have Curves (2002) 146
The Girl Next Door (2004) 153
Sex Drive (2008) 158
Wild Cherry (2009) 162
18-Year-Old Virgin (2009) 166
American Virgin (2009) 171
IV. 2010s 177
The First Time (2012) 177
The To Do List (2013) 182
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) 188
Lady Bird (2017) 195
Summer ’03 (2018) 200
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) 205
V. 2020s 211
Banging Laine (2020) 211
Plan B (2021) 216
Sex Appeal (2022) 223
Conclusion 233
Chapter Notes 237
Bibliography 249
Index 255
