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Cheetah

Name: Cheetah
Director: Jeff Blyth
Released: 1989
Duration: 83 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

1989

Director

Jeff Blyth

Runtime

83 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Cheetah offers a moderate level of representation by focusing on cross-cultural character dynamics. The film's primary strength is the collaborative empowerment shown between the American children and the African goat herder. While the story adheres to traditional family structures and lacks LGBTQ+ visibility, it avoids being a purely Western-centric adventure. The inclusion of a local character as a key participant in the rescue mission adds a layer of multi-layered engagement. However, the film remains somewhat limited by its reliance on conventional narrative frameworks and a lack of information regarding disability or diverse identity representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Cheetah have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on a traditional nuclear family and a cross-cultural friendship. There is no visible representation of non-binary gender identities or narratives that question the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Cheetah portray gender?

Fair

The film includes a balanced gender dynamic with both an American boy and girl as protagonists. Their involvement in a high-stakes rescue mission suggests a degree of female empowerment.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Cheetah?

Good

The plot goes beyond Western-centric clichés by centering a collaborative mission between American children and a local African goat herder. This provides meaningful inclusion of local empowerment.

How does Cheetah represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores environmentalism and the tension between human control and natural autonomy. It frames the animal's freedom as a necessity over human ownership.

Does Cheetah include disability representation?

Minimal

The film provides no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

The inclusion of a local African goat herder as a key participant provides meaningful cross-cultural empowerment.
The film features a balanced gender dynamic through its dual American protagonists.
The narrative offers a subtle critique of human dominance over nature through its environmental themes.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks visible representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-binary gender narratives.
There is no evidence of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
The story relies heavily on a traditional nuclear family structure.

Official Synopsis

An American boy and girl, spending six months in Kenya with their scientist parents adopt a cheetah, only to realize that they must set it loose so that it can learn to hunt and be free. However, when the animal is captured by poachers planning to race it against greyhounds, the two city kids, together with a young African goat herder they befriended, head off into the wild to rescue the cheetah.

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