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The Safety of Objects

Name: The Safety of Objects
Director: Rose Troche
Released: 2002
Duration: 121 min

Representation Score

9.0/10

Excellent

2002

Director

Rose Troche

Runtime

121 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Rose Troche’s ensemble drama succeeds in breaking down traditional social structures by prioritizing queer identity and women's ability to drive the story. By focusing on the emotional lives of women and exploring non-traditional relationships, the film moves beyond conventional suburban narratives to offer a nuanced view of modern intimacy. While the film excels in its exploration of identity and moral relativism, it remains somewhat limited in its handling of disability and diversity. The portrayal of a medical crisis serves more as a narrative tool for character development than a deep examination of the lived experience of disability. Ultimately, the film is a sophisticated study of the fragmentation of the modern family. It avoids simplistic moral conclusions, opting instead to challenge the stability of Western institutions through a complex, character-driven lens.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Safety of Objects have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film challenges traditional expectations by focusing on queer identity and non-traditional relationships. It delves into the fluidity of desire and emotional intimacy rather than treating these themes as secondary elements.

How does The Safety of Objects portray gender?

Good

The narrative emphasizes the internal emotional landscapes of its female protagonists and critiques traditional masculine hierarchies. It highlights how professional dedication can lead to domestic neglect.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Safety of Objects?

Fair

A diverse cast reflects the complexity of modern urban life. However, the narrative focuses more on psychological and romantic intricacies than on explicit racial or ethnic diversity.

How does The Safety of Objects represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film adopts a postmodern stance, favoring moral relativism over strict religious or institutional norms. It portrays the traditional nuclear family as a source of conflict rather than an ideal.

Does The Safety of Objects include disability representation?

Fair

A comatose child serves as a significant plot element and emotional catalyst for the mother. However, the character lacks independent ability to act, limiting the depth of the disability representation.

Present on Screen

Strong focus on queer identity and non-traditional relationships.
Emphasizes women's ability to drive the story and complex emotional landscapes.
Challenges traditional masculine hierarchies and social norms.
Uses a sophisticated, postmodern approach to morality and ethics.

Limited or Absent

Lacks deep, character-driven exploration of disability and independent ability to act.
Less focus on explicit racial and ethnic diversity within the ensemble.
Relies on medical crises primarily as catalysts for other characters' arcs.

Official Synopsis

In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

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