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The Baby

Name: The Baby
Director: Guillaume Nicloux
Released: 2023
Duration: 93 min

Representation Score

5.8/10

Fair

2023

Director

Guillaume Nicloux

Runtime

93 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film provides a nuanced exploration of modern identity by focusing on a non-traditional family structure. By using a same-sex partnership as the catalyst for the plot, it avoids including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth and delves into the intricacies of queer legacy and contested guardianship. Despite its critique of traditional family structures, the film remains primarily set in a Western European context, limiting its scope in terms of racial and ethnic diversity. However, it excels as a character-driven story that validates fluid familial bonds and explores the psychological realities of modern reproductive technology and grief.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Baby have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film focuses on the emotional impact following a same-sex relationship and explores the legacy of a queer couple through their child. It critiques traditional family structures by highlighting the unique dynamics of a same-sex partnership.

How does The Baby portray gender?

Good

The Flemish surrogate mother is shown to play a significant role in driving the story, challenging traditional gender roles and shifting the focus from paternal authority to complex interpersonal relationships.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Baby?

Fair

The story seems centered on a Western European setting, introducing cross-border elements through the Flemish surrogate but keeping the main cast within a Western European demographic.

How does The Baby represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative examines the legal and moral complexities of surrogacy, prioritizing individualized moral choices over traditional views of family institutions. It questions rigid, traditionalist perspectives on kinship.

Does The Baby include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence provided to assess the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Focusing on the aftermath of a same-sex relationship as the primary source of narrative tension.
Giving the surrogate mother a strong, indomitable character.
Questioning traditional patriarchal structures and definitions of legitimate lineage.

Limited or Absent

Limited representation of racial and ethnic diversity among the main cast and setting.
No representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Joseph learns that his son and his companion have just perished in an accident. They were expecting a child via a surrogate mother in Belgium. What will become of their future baby? Is Joseph the legitimate grandfather? Carried by the promise of this birth which will prolong the existence of his son, the sexagenarian goes to meet the young Flemish woman with a fierce and indomitable character.

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