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UglyDolls

Name: UglyDolls
Director: Kelly Asbury
Released: 2019
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

8.0/10

Good

2019

Director

Kelly Asbury

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

UglyDolls uses a fantastical setting to challenge traditional beauty standards and aesthetic hierarchies. By centering the narrative on the inhabitants of Uglyville, the film celebrates 'otherness' and disrupts the pressure to conform to idealized norms. The film excels at using non-human characters as metaphors for racial and ethnic diversity. However, it remains limited by a lack of explicit engagement with specific identity politics, such as LGBTQ+ representation. Ultimately, the film provides a progressive framework by subverting social hierarchies. It replaces the pursuit of perfection with a celebration of subjective morality and communal empowerment.

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Category Breakdown

Does UglyDolls have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include explicit depictions of non-straight relationships or same-sex intimacy. It also does not use specific LGBTQ+ coded subtext or character arcs to drive the plot.

How does UglyDolls portray gender?

Good

Moxy is portrayed as a determined female protagonist who drives the story forward. The narrative avoids clichés that depict women as submissive, focusing instead on her journey of self-discovery.

How racially and ethnically diverse is UglyDolls?

Good

The diverse shapes and colors of the UglyDolls represent a visual metaphor for a pluralistic society. This approach frames physical differences as assets rather than flaws.

How does UglyDolls represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques consumerist ideals by portraying 'Perfection' as a rigid, exclusionary institution. It highlights the social pressure to conform to mainstream, standardized expectations.

Does UglyDolls include disability representation?

Fair

The film's central theme of valuing physical imperfections aligns with themes of neurodivergence and physical difference. It emphasizes embracing non-normative bodies as a core systemic value.

Present on Screen

Moxy provides strong female leadership and ability to act as the story's primary catalyst.
The use of diverse character shapes and colors effectively represents racial and ethnic pluralism.
The narrative successfully critiques rigid, exclusionary societal standards of perfection.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks explicit representation or character arcs for LGBTQ+ identities.
The metaphorical approach to disability, while thematic, lacks specific, realistic depictions.

Official Synopsis

In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weirdness is celebrated, strangeness is special and beauty is embraced as more than meets the eye. After traveling to the other side of a mountain, Moxy and her UglyDoll friends discover Perfection -- a town where more conventional dolls receive training before entering the real world to find the love of a child.

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