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Loyalties

Name: Loyalties
Director: Anne Wheeler
Released: 1987
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

5.4/10

Fair

1987

Director

Anne Wheeler

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Loyalties offers a nuanced look at social integration by centering a cross-cultural female friendship. It avoids total homogeneity by placing an English family in a remote Canadian setting, allowing for intersections of class and ethnicity. The film excels in depicting female autonomy, particularly through Rosanne's rejection of domestic violence, which provides a layer of strength beyond typical domestic drama archetypes. However, the film remains limited by a traditional framework that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender, and lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities. The racial diversity is present but remains somewhat tied to domestic roles.

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Category Breakdown

Does Loyalties have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film adheres to a traditional framework that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender. There is no explicit depiction of same-sex relationships or non-cisgender identities within the main family.

How does Loyalties portray gender?

Fair

The story emphasizes the bond between Lily and Rosanne, highlighting themes of female autonomy and solidarity. Rosanne's decision to leave an abusive partner underscores the theme of independence over passivity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Loyalties?

Good

The narrative introduces racial complexity through Rosanne, a half-Native character. Her relationship with the English protagonist provides a cross-cultural connection within the isolated Alberta setting.

How does Loyalties represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores the impact of colonial displacement and social integration. The tension between the English protagonists and the Canadian frontier highlights a critique of outsider status and social stability.

Does Loyalties include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no visible evidence of characters navigating physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities in this narrative.

Present on Screen

Strong focus on female autonomy and solidarity.
Nuanced exploration of cross-cultural connections in an isolated setting.
Challenges traditional depictions of female passivity through character choices.

Limited or Absent

Lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender characters.
Absence of characters navigating physical or mental disabilities.
Reliance on a traditional framework that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender.

Official Synopsis

Lily and her three youngest children join her husband David Sutton, a doctor in an isolated northern Alberta town. Their eleven-year-old son arrives later from boarding school. David conceals a dark secret which caused the family to leave England without telling anybody. They befriend a neighbor Rosanne, who throws out her boyfriend after he beats her up in a bar. Lily, who is very English and out of place in the town, hires the half-Native Rosanne as a housekeeper, and eventually the two women become good friends, until the secret emerges again.

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