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Working Man

Name: Working Man
Director: Robert Jury
Released: 2019
Duration: 109 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2019

Director

Robert Jury

Runtime

109 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Working Man is a social realist drama that prioritizes a critique of systemic power over demographic variety. It challenges traditional masculine roles and the stability of the industrial provider model, offering a somber look at class-based vulnerabilities. However, the film remains demographically traditional. The casting is largely homogeneous, and the narrative lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or neurodivergence. While the setting feels authentic to the Rust Belt, it does not seek to expand its scope through diverse casting. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its narrative engagement with socioeconomic hierarchies rather than progressive identity politics. It uses industrial tragedy to examine how corporate negligence impacts individuals and families.

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Category Breakdown

Does Working Man have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres to a structure that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender. There are no characters with same-sex relationships or queer-coded storylines.

How does Working Man portray gender?

Fair

The movie challenges the traditional provider role by focusing on the emotional impact of a fatal accident. It shifts the focus to female characters like Iola as they deal with the crisis.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Working Man?

Limited

The cast is predominantly white and reflects the specific context of the Rust Belt. It does not include diverse racial backgrounds or use race-bent casting.

How does Working Man represent religion and culture?

Good

The film provides a nuanced critique of Western industrial institutions and systemic failures. It highlights the tension between individual survival and corporate responsibility among the working class.

Does Working Man include disability representation?

Limited

The film includes the physical and psychological consequences of industrial accidents but treats them as plot devices rather than exploring disability ability to act.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional masculine roles by examining the breakdown of masculine stability.
Provides a nuanced critique of Western industrial institutions and systemic corporate failure.
Shifts narrative focus to female characters navigating the aftermath of industrial accidents.

Limited or Absent

Lacks diverse racial backgrounds or varied casting.
Does not represent LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth character arcs.
Uses disability primarily as a plot device rather than exploring disability ability to act.

Official Synopsis

When the last factory in a small Rust Belt town closes its doors, an unlikely hero emerges in dutiful, quiet Allery Parkes. A career employee of the factory, the aging Allery can't reconcile how to live a life simply sitting at home doing nothing. Against the advice and pleas of his loving wife Iola, he forms an unlikely friendship with his charismatic neighbor Walter Brewer in order to revive the defunct factory.

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