Refocus: The Films of Lawrence Kasdan

Lawrence Kasdan has created some of the most influential films in Hollywood history. He is the screenwriter of beloved blockbusters such as The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Bodyguard (1992) and The Force Awakens (2015). Simultaneously, he has gained critical acclaim as the director of pictures that dissect contemporary American society: Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), The Accidental Tourist (1988) and Grand Canyon (1991). Frequently experimenting in different genres, Kasdan's filmography defies easy classification. Taking an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to examine all aspects of his eclectic canon, ReFocus: The Films of Lawrence Kasdan reveals a filmmaker who has helped shape modern American cinema, both through his screenplays for popular classics, and as the writer-director of films synonymous with the largest demographic in US history. Brett Davies is Associate Professor of English at Meiji University, Tokyo.