A critical study of the happy ending in classical and contemporary Hollywood cinemaThe Hollywood happy ending has long been considered among the most famous and standardised features in the whole of narrative filmmaking Yet while ceaselessly invoked this notorious device has received barely any detailed attention from the field of film studies This book is the first in depth examination of one of the most overused and under analysed concepts in discussions of popular cinema What exactly is the happy ending Is it simply a cliche as commonly supposed Why has it earned such an unenviable reputation What does it or can it mean Concentrating especially on conclusions featuring an ultimate romantic union the final couple this wide ranging investigation probes traditional associations between the happy ending and homogeneity closure unrealism and ideological conservatism testing widespread assumptions against the evidence offered by a range of classical and contemporary films Key FeaturesDefines key features of the Hollywood happy ending through detailed textual analysis and theoretical debateTraces the historical development of the scholarly approaches taken towards the cinematic happy ending Reassesses the concept of cinematic closure and its relationship to genre ideology and unrealism