You are here:

Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings

Representation Score

7.3/10

Good

1987

Director

Pieter Verhoeff

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Count Your Blessings functions as a multi-perspective character study that uses the vertical architecture of an Amsterdam apartment building to explore social friction. The film avoids idealized domesticity by focusing on the vulnerabilities and economic struggles of its residents. While the narrative deconstructs social hierarchies through its focus on urban coexistence, it remains a localized study. The film lacks explicit evidence of diverse racial representation or multi-layered identities. Ultimately, the film succeeds as a realistic portrait of community, using the metaphor of the stairs to highlight the shared suffering and complexities of disparate social classes living in close proximity.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Count Your Blessings have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film examines non-traditional living situations, such as students and caregivers, suggesting an interest in domestic structures outside the nuclear family. However, there is no explicit confirmation of LGBTQ identities or romantic relationships.

How does Count Your Blessings portray gender?

Fair

Karin, an unemployed singer, offers a perspective on women's ability to drive the story that exists outside of traditional professional or domestic success. This focus on economic instability disrupts conventional clichés of idealized femininity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Count Your Blessings?

Fair

The narrative appears to be a localized portrait of Amsterdam life. While urban settings often imply a social cross-section, there is no specific evidence of diverse racial representation or multi-layered identities.

How does Count Your Blessings represent religion and culture?

Good

The film uses the staircase as a symbol of urban suffering to critique systemic pressures. It prioritizes the complexities of the human condition, such as dementia and unemployment, over idealized stability.

Does Count Your Blessings include disability representation?

Fair

The inclusion of a character dealing with a demented mother engages with the realities of cognitive decline. This provides a lens into the challenges of caregiving and aging.

Present on Screen

  • Uses urban architecture as a powerful metaphor for social stratification and human suffering.
  • Provides a realistic look at aging and cognitive decline through the lens of caregiving.
  • Challenges traditional femininity by centering a female character facing economic and professional failure.

Limited or Absent

  • Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ identities or non-straight romantic pairings.
  • Shows limited evidence of diverse racial or ethnic representation within its localized Amsterdam setting.
  • The depth of social subversion remains unconfirmed due to a lack of specific casting data.

Official Synopsis

Alternating comedy and drama this portrait of different families on three floors in an Amsterdam building where the stairs symbolizes the suffering of known urban living alongside each other. Upstairs live two students, including the failed and unemployed singer Karin with Harrie and Wouter down with his demented mother.

How are these scores produced? →

Where to Watch

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.