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The Best of Everything

Name: The Best of Everything
Director: Jean Negulesco
Released: 1959
Duration: 121 min

Representation Score

1.6/10

Minimal

1959

Approved

Director

Jean Negulesco

Runtime

121 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film presents a period-specific melodrama that highlights the professional lives of women. While it offers more opportunities for women compared to many films of its time, it remains limited by the social and demographic homogeneity of the late 1950s. Its focus on career paths provides a progressive angle for the era, but it does not include diverse racial, ethnic, or LGBTQ+ identities. The production adheres closely to the social hierarchies of mid-century Hollywood.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Best of Everything have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a storyline where all characters are assumed to be straight and cisgender. It does not include any non-traditional gender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does The Best of Everything portray gender?

Fair

The story focuses on women's professional ambitions and their ability to drive the narrative despite facing male-dominated environments.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Best of Everything?

Minimal

The cast is primarily white, reflecting the homogeneous society of 1950s Madison Avenue. The film does not engage with perspectives outside Anglo-Saxon backgrounds.

How does The Best of Everything represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film portrays the pursuit of professional success within the context of mid-century Western values. It upholds traditional social orders without challenging established institutions.

Does The Best of Everything include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no representation of physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities. Characters are shown through a lens of typical physical abilities.

Present on Screen

The film centers on women's professional ambitions and career paths, providing more opportunities for female characters.
It moves beyond traditional domestic roles, allowing female protagonists to drive the narrative through personal autonomy.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks racial and ethnic diversity, presenting a largely homogeneous white cast.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender expressions.
The narrative fails to include characters with physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

An exposé of the lives and loves of Madison Avenue working girls and their higher-ups.

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