Table of Contents

Introduction vii

1 From E/R to ER (Early Television Work) 1

2 Romantic Hero (What Women Want) 19

One Fine Day (1996), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Leatherheads (2008), Up in the Air (2009)

3 Action Hero (What Men Want) 49

Batman and Robin (1997), The Peacemaker (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000)

4 A Mixture of Several Genres 71

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), The Good German (2006)

5 Heist Movies 105

Out of Sight (1998), Three Kings (1999), Ocean's Eleven (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Ocean's Thirteen (2007), Welcome to Collinwood (2002)

6 State of the Nation 133

Fail Safe (2000), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), The Ides of March (2011)

7 Spies Like Us 151

Syriana (2005), Burn after Reading (2008), The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

8 Existential George 173

Solaris (2002), Michael Clayton (2007), The American (2010), The Descendants (2011)

9 Time for a Commercial Break: "What Else?" 197

Conclusion 207

Notes 213

Bibliography 217

Index 219