Life Moves Pretty Fast

Hadley Freeman brings us her personalised guide to American movies from the 1980s – why they are brilliant, what they meant to her, and how they influenced movie-making forever.

Reviews

‘She has written a book that transcends giggly nostalgia to map some confounding cultural shifts … Despite her chatty among-friends enthusiasm, Freeman is withering where needed … This book is more than an indulgent sigh over fleeting youth’ Sunday Times
‘Life Moves Pretty Fast emerges as not only a highly personal, witty love letter to 80s movies, but also an intellectually vigorous, well-researched take on the changing times of the film industry and how, sadly, they’re not changing for the better’ Guardian
‘A racy and highly entertaining love letter to 1980’s movies … On the appalling fashion sense of girls in 80s movies she is especially droll … The book astutely examines generational shifts … I can’t imagine a more passionate advocate for 80s movies than Freeman’ Guardian
‘As funny and sheerly enjoyable as it is subversive and critically insightful … For readers who grew up loving a lot of mainstream American movies, but became increasingly alienated from them as the ‘00s progressed, ‘Life Moves Pretty Fast’ will have a special appeal, as Freeman brilliantly and entertainingly elucidates both the roots of our enthusiasm and of our current discontent. Amusing, engaged, and infused with its author’s own infectious movie love, “Life Moves Pretty Fast” is a terrific piece of work, and Freeman overlooks enough movies to make a possible sequel an exciting prospect, too’ PopMatters