Civil Servants on the Silver Screen

Hollywood’s Depiction of Government and Bureaucrats

Michelle C. Pautz

In the movies, government often finds itself in a variety of roles from villain to supporting cast, and rarely, if ever, the hero. A frequent component of that role is the bureaucracy and as documented in Civil Servants on the Silver Screen: Hollywood’s Depiction of Government and Bureaucrats, bureaucrats are routinely found on screen. This book investigates how government bureaucrats are portrayed in the top ten box office grossing films from 2000 through 2015. Perhaps unsurprisingly, government is generally portrayed poorly, while individual government bureaucrats are typically depicted positively. These images of government on screen are particularly important given the ability of movies to influence the attitudes and perceptions of its audiences. The nature of these depictions and potential implications are considered as bureaucrats in film are categorized.

Lexington Books

Pages: 266 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-4985-3912-8 • Hardback • December 2017 • $123.00 • (£95.00)

978-1-4985-3914-2 • Paperback • October 2019 • $50.99 • (£39.00)

978-1-4985-3913-5 • eBook • December 2017 • $48.00 • (£37.00)

Series: Politics, Literature, & Film

Subjects: Political Science / History & Theory, Art / Art & Politics, Art / Film & Video, Political Science / General, Social Science / Media Studies

Civil Servants on the Silver Screen

Hollywood’s Depiction of Government and Bureaucrats

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

In the movies, government often finds itself in a variety of roles from villain to supporting cast, and rarely, if ever, the hero. A frequent component of that role is the bureaucracy and as documented in Civil Servants on the Silver Screen: Hollywood’s Depiction of Government and Bureaucrats, bureaucrats are routinely found on screen. This book investigates how government bureaucrats are portrayed in the top ten box office grossing films from 2000 through 2015. Perhaps unsurprisingly, government is generally portrayed poorly, while individual government bureaucrats are typically depicted positively. These images of government on screen are particularly important given the ability of movies to influence the attitudes and perceptions of its audiences. The nature of these depictions and potential implications are considered as bureaucrats in film are categorized.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 266 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-4985-3912-8 • Hardback • December 2017 • $123.00 • (£95.00)

978-1-4985-3914-2 • Paperback • October 2019 • $50.99 • (£39.00)

978-1-4985-3913-5 • eBook • December 2017 • $48.00 • (£37.00)

Series: Politics, Literature, & Film

Subjects: Political Science / History & Theory, Art / Art & Politics, Art / Film & Video, Political Science / General, Social Science / Media Studies

Author

Michelle C. Pautz is associate professor of political science and assistant provost of the Common Academic Program at the University of Dayton.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
Tables
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Intersection of Film and Government
Chapter 2: The History and Economics of Hollywood
Chapter 3: Audiences, the Influence of Film and Socialization
Chapter 4: Popular Film and its Depiction of Government
Chapter 5: Celluloid Civil Servants
Chapter 6: Prominent Civil Servants on Screen: Cops and Intelligence Officers
Chapter 7: Film, Policy, and Audience Attitudes
Chapter 8: Are They Ready for their Close-Up? Themes and Implications
Appendix I: Films Included in Study
Appendix II: Specific Types of Government Characters
Appendix III: Cop Films Included in Chapter 6
Appendix IV: Total Box Office Receipts, 1929–2016
Appendix V: Number of Cinemas and Screens in the U.S.
Bibliography
About the Author

Reviews

In this lively and well-researched book, Dr. Pautz tells us much about how we view the government through the stories we tell. I strongly recommend this book to those students, teachers, and writers who are interested in the intersection of politics and film.
— Daniel P. Franklin, Georgia State University

Michelle Pautz brings her life-long passion for films and the movie-going experience, along with her considerable insights concerning public administration, to help us understand how civil servants and government workers are portrayed on the screen. The implications of how these individuals and their jobs are portrayed, a reflection of the public’s attitudes, fears, and hopes about government and civil servants, have implications for public sector support and efficacy. In Civil Servants on the Silver Screen, Pautz utilizes a conversational tone to challenge readers to think about their preconceived ideas and biases regarding government. She also demonstrates how films shape and reinforce audience perceptions. This invaluable text highlights the role of government workers, who are often overlooked. This type of book, research, and inquiry is long overdue.
— Mark Sachleben, Shippensburg University