Cover; Contents; List of Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Chapter 1. Introduction: The American President in History and Criticism; Chapter 2. The Symbolic Presidency: Washington and Hollywood, 1932-1989; Chapter 3. The Post-Cold War Presidency in Hollywood Cinema; Chapter 4. ""The West Wing"": Continuity and Change from Clinton to Bush; Chapter 5. Predicting Obama? Hollywood's Black Presidency and the Creation of a Stereotype; Chapter 6. 'Having it Allen': Motherhood, Family and the Female Presidency in ""Commander in Chief""
Conclusion. Old Constructs in a New Era: The White House Invasion Narrative and the Return of Abraham LincolnBibliography; Index
Why are fictional US presidents everywhere on screen? How do these constructs relate to our understanding of the presidency as an institution and the United States as a nation? This book sheds new light on fictional representations of the leader of the United States by analysing key films and television series from the early 1990s to the present day. Combining textual analysis with close attention to political and historical contexts, it addresses the ways in which representations of the president have responded to a period of profound change in American politics and society, encompassing the
