Book Review: Life Moves Pretty Fast

Journalist Hadley Freeman delves into the movies of the eighties – the movies she loved growing up – and explores not only what made them work at the time, but how movie-making culture has changed since then. Drawing on a mix of interviews, academic research and personal anecdotes, she discusses a variety of movies and the issues they addressed – for example, Dirty Dancing and its handling of abortion and female sexuality, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the treatment of class within American cinema, When Harry Met Sally… and the smart rom-com.

The essays are interspersed with more light-hearted lists, like the most memorable quotes or best rock songs from eighties’ movies. This is a thoughtful but accessible look at the stories that are told and how the increasing corporatisation of the film industry has impacted on what’s made for mainstream audiences today. For anyone who loves pop-culture analysis that doesn’t get overly-academic, this is a delightful read.