The makeover in movies

"An obsession with all kinds of makeovers pervades current pop culture: Trading Spaces remodels rooms, Queer Eye makes over geeky men, Extreme Makeover hacks and polishes its participants into new forms. Hollywood has long understood this fascination and the plot of many a film pivots on the moment when a dowdy girl with bad hair, ill fitting clothing, and thick glasses is changed into an almost unrecognizable glamour girl." "This study identifies the makeover film as a specific genre with a history and conventions of its own. Groupings of films emerge: Cinderella films; teen transformations, like She's All That (1999) and Clueless (1995); films cut to fit the Pygmalion pattern, like Shampoo (1975) and Up Close and Personal (1996); and films that feature more mature, wiser heroines, like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). This study closely considers the handling and cultural implications of the makeovers. Most importantly, the authors explore why female viewers respond so enthusiastically to a genre that implies women need to be transformed."--Jacket.