In light of their tremendous gains in the political and professional sphere, why is it that most contemporary American films aimed at women still focus almost exclusively on their pursuit of a heterosexual romantic relationship?

American Postfeminist Cinema explores this question and is the first book to examine the symbiotic relationship between heterosexual romance and postfeminist culture. The book argues that since 1980, postfeminism's most salient tensions and anxieties have been reflected and negotiated in the American romance film. Case studies from a broad range of Hollywood and independent films and other media texts reveal how the postfeminist romance cycle is intertwined with contemporary women's ambivalence and broader cultural anxieties about their changing social and political status.

This accessible and engaging book offers a new perspective on both popular American romance films and postfeminist cultural criticism. It continues the tradition of feminist analysis of romance as a significant media genre for women and is essential reading for students and scholars in Film Studies, Cultural Studies, and Gender Studies.

About the series: Traditions in American Cinema explores a wide range of traditions in American cinema which are in need of introduction, investigation or critical reassessment. Each book emphasizes the multiplicity rather than the supposed homogeneity of studio era and independent filmmaking.