Between 1950 and 1969, Americans who were born in the late 1940s/1950s (the early Baby Boomers) experienced one of society’s epic transformations. Their parents and grandparents were eager to move on after World War II and put the war years behind them; to live a cozy life, free from strife. A two-car garage, modern appliances and a home in the suburbs were the defining symbols of having “made it.” Upwardly mobile was the name of the game. But as the ‘50s drew to an end, that feeling of tranquility began to fray.
As kids looked around their own homes, domestic harmony, as represented by Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and June and Ward Cleaver, was not evidenced. Teenagers began to rebel against the veil of conformity. A president was assassinated. Racial tension, the proliferation of drugs, the threat of a nuclear catastrophe, Vietnam, and radical feminism literally and figuratively set the country on fire.
This series will present four seminal movies, each illustrating how Boomers’ lives transformed from innocents of the ‘50s to ‘60s revolutionaries. There is no formal homework, but participants are encouraged to do their own reading and research and be ready to discuss ideas about the subject matter in class. We will view each film in its entirety, followed by a discussion of the movie’s theme within the context of the time it was produced. The movies are:

• Cinderella (1950)
• Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
• Easy Rider (1969)