Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: "I'm making this up as I go" Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s) Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation Chapter 5. Altruism and Otherness in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films Part IV: Influences, Without and Within Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond Chapter 13. An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits Filmography Bibliography