Acknowledgements; PART I: Humanist Hermeneutics; Introduction; CH1: Reading the Human Drama in Film and Fiction; PART II: Social Narratology; CH2: Foundational Functions of Fiction; CH3: Affective Functions of Fiction; CH4: Connectedness and Character; CH5: Mental Work and Memory; CH6: Ethics and Conclusions; PART III: Genre Case Study: The Suburban Ensemble Dramedy; CH7: An Introduction to the Millennial Suburban Ensemble Film; CH8: Discussions: Affect, Sociopolitics and the Ensemble Narrative; PART IV: Close Reading Case Study: Parenthood; CH9: Parenthood: A Humanistic Close Reading; Afterword; Bibliography