What ‘Jaws’ Teaches Us About America—Fifty Years On

There is danger lurking just beneath the water, and many Americans are still searching for their Chief Brody.

A mass of people in swimsuits, many children run splashing in fright out of the ocean. August 22, 2025, 3:00 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

This summer marks the 50th anniversary for one of the most influential Hollywood films ever: Jaws . Besides the fact that almost everyone who has watched it forever gets a little chill when they hear John Williams’s frightening soundtrack, Jaws helped invent the modern summer blockbuster. Rather than opening in just a few major cities, the film appeared on hundreds of screens across the United States in 1975.

The release followed one of the most expensive and extensive mar

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