The second edition of Movies and American Society is a comprehensive collection of essays and primary documents that explore the ways in which movies have changed—and been changed by—American society from 1905 to the present.

• Each chapter includes an introduction, discussion questions, an essay examining the issues of the period, primary documents, and a list of further reading and screenings
• Includes a new chapter on "American Film in the Age of Terror" and new essays for Chapter 9 ("Race, Violence, and Film") and Chapter 13 ("Hollywood Goes Global"), as well as updated Reading and Screenings sections
• Discusses all the major periods in American film history from the first nickelodeons to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the globalization of Hollywood
• Demonstrates the unique influence of movies on all aspects of American culture, from ideology, politics, and gender to class, war, and race relations
• Engaging and accessible for students, with jargon-free essays and primary documents that show social practices and controversies as well as the fun and cultural influence of movies and movie-going