What were the main aesthetic differences between independent and Hollywood cinema during the 1990s?
To receive credit for this week’s module’s question of “What were the main aesthetic differences between
independent and Hollywood cinema during the 1990s?” specify specific films from the reading and your own
research of the decade.
Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991) went outside the mainstream when it explored affection between
men in Portland.
Defying stereotypes and digging into individual stories, the film created three dimensional characters like this
heartbreaking scene between best friends Scott (Keanu Reeves) and Mike (River Phoenix). This was in
contrast to Elaine May & Mike Nichols hilarious comedy The Birdcage (1996) that played off of classic
stereotypes to explore a similar theme. The Birdcage is a Hollywood remake of Édouard Molinaro’s La Cage
aux Folles (1978) and incorporates slapstick antics between brilliant comedians Robin Williams (Armond) and
Nathan Lane (Albert). Without judging one as better than the other, please comment on how they each explore
their respective subject matters.
Links:
