novel by the African American au-
thor Alice Walker. The film traced
the devastating effects of segrega-
tion and employed an almost en-
tirely African American cast. He fol-
lowed withEmpire of the Sun(1987),
based on the novel by J. G. Ballard
and set in the late 1930’s in Shang-
hai, during the Japanese military
takeover.Empire of the Sunfollowed
the adventures of a young boy in
an internment camp during World
War II and the emotional effects
wrought on him by his imprison-
ment. Both films garnered critical
attention not before received by
Spielberg’s films.
Impact Steven Spielberg helped re-
energize American films of the 1980’s
with his technical skill, his reverence for the tradi-
tions of Hollywood, and his innovative reworking of
standard themes of American cinema.
Further Reading
Brode, Douglas.The Films of Steven Spielberg. New
York: Carol, 1995.
McBride, Joseph.Steven Spielberg: A Biography. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Perry, George.Steven Spielberg. New York: Thunder’s
Mouth Press, 1998.
Silet, Charles L. P., ed.The Films of Steven Spielberg: Criti-
cal Essays. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2002.
Charles L. P. Silet
See also Academy Awards; Action films;Color Pur-
ple, The; Epic films;E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial; Ford,
Harrison; Jewish Americans;Raiders of the Lost Ark;
Science-fiction films;Twilight Zoneaccident.
Sports
Definition Athletic contests, both team and
individual
In the final full decade before the cable and Internet revolu-
tions, sports fans relied on “old” media (newspapers, radio,
and television) to learn about the highlights from the sports
world, and in the 1980’s there were many.
In the 1980’s, going to bed before a favorite team’s
game had ended often meant that discovering the fi-
nal score was difficult. There was no Internet accessi-
ble from home computers. One likely could not turn
on the television and check ESPN; cable at this point
was only just fully integrating itself into most Ameri-
can homes. The 1980’s were a time in which infor-
mation about sports stars, games, and highlights had
to be garnered from a printed newspaper or from
the radio or a local television station. The Internet,
the iPod, and other sources that allow for instanta-
neous tracking and relaying of information were not
yet available.
Today, it is taken for granted that a game, regard-
less of how unimportant it is, can be found on cable
television. It also is widely known that anytime an
athlete or team approaches an important milestone
that ESPN or some cable entity will be airing it live.
Furthermore, information about teams, players, and
events can now easily be gathered “in real time” from
various news agencies. In short, immediate informa-
tion is available. In such an environment, athletes
can become instant stars and events can become in-
stant classics. Whether the athlete or the game actu-
ally deserves such a label often is doubtful. While
many people often did not learn about stars and
classic moments as quickly or have the certainty of
seeing them live as they do today, many events, peo-
ple, and moments captivated the nation during the
1980’s.904 Sports The Eighties in America
Steven Spielberg in 1985.(AP/Wide World Photos)