Includes filmography: p. [177]-180.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [171]-175) and index.

Literacy in everyday life, literacy on the screen -- Representations of literacy and identity -- The pragmatic and the sentimental : literacy and gender roles -- Who's allowed to read and write? literacy and social class -- Writing others : images of race and literacy -- Literacy and social contexts -- Control and action : literacy as power -- The perils of misreading : literacy as danger -- Literacy myths in the movies -- The passions of the romantic author : literacy as individualism -- The triumph of the word : literacy as salvation and commodity -- Life is not like the movies (or is it?) : literacy on film and in our lives.