You are here:

Saving Sally

Name: Saving Sally
Director: Avid Liongoren
Released: 2016
Duration: 94 min

Representation Score

8.3/10

Excellent

2016

Director

Avid Liongoren

Runtime

94 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Saving Sally offers a meaningful alternative to mainstream animation by rejecting Western-centric storytelling norms. Its strength lies in its cultural grounding in a Filipino urban setting, which provides a refreshing departure from the homogeneous environments typical in global animation. While the film does not explicitly engage with LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities, it achieves progressive value through its nuanced portrayal of gender roles and its refusal to adhere to traditional cinematic conventions.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Saving Sally have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on a traditional romance between Marty and Sally, emphasizing heterosexual relationships without depicting queer identities or same-sex intimacy. It functions as a conventional love story set in a fantasy world.

How does Saving Sally portray gender?

Good

Sally is portrayed as a highly capable gadget inventor who takes an active role in the story. Marty, on the other hand, is shown as emotionally vulnerable and passive, contrasting with traditional masculine dominance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Saving Sally?

Excellent

The film stands out by centering a vibrant, stylized Manila, providing Filipino characters with real ability to act within their own cultural and urban context. This avoids Western-centric perspectives.

How does Saving Sally represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative emphasizes individual ambition over strict institutional frameworks, presenting traditional domestic expectations and parental structures as obstacles to personal growth.

Does Saving Sally include disability representation?

Fair

There is no depiction of characters dealing with visible or invisible disabilities. The 'monsters' seem to represent metaphorical or fantasy elements rather than actual disabilities.

Present on Screen

Strong localized representation by focusing on a Filipino urban identity.
Effective portrayal of gender roles through Sally's active involvement.
Avoids Western-centric perspectives by using a culturally specific setting.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer expressions.
Does not depict characters navigating disabilities.
Focuses on traditional heterosexual relationships rather than diverse identities.

Official Synopsis

Marty is an aspiring comic-book artist who is secretly in love with his best friend, Sally, the gadget inventor. Like every love story, there are complications: Sally has monsters for parents and a literal dick for a boyfriend, while Marty has the innate ability to do nothing about everything despite his vivid fantasies of defending the love of his life from the big bad world.

How are these scores produced? →