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When Mom Is Away... With the Family

Name: When Mom Is Away... With the Family
Director: Alessandro Genovesi
Released: 2020
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

5.0/10

Fair

2020

Director

Alessandro Genovesi

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film challenges traditional masculine competence by focusing on a father's struggle with household duties. It places the mother's professional advancement at the forefront, disrupting conventional gender roles. However, this disruption is limited. The film remains culturally localized and homogeneous, lacking engagement with racial, LGBTQ+, or disability diversity. It primarily comments on gendered labor rather than broader multi-layered issues. Ultimately, while the film successfully disrupts gendered expectations, it falls short in expanding its scope beyond a traditional, localized demographic.

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Category Breakdown

Does When Mom Is Away... With the Family have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on a traditional nuclear family structure without featuring any LGBTQ+ characters or exploring non-straight relationships.

How does When Mom Is Away... With the Family portray gender?

Good

The story shifts the focus to a father dealing with domestic responsibilities, challenging traditional gender roles. The mother's career aspirations drive the plot, moving away from the male provider stereotype.

How racially and ethnically diverse is When Mom Is Away... With the Family?

Limited

The narrative centers around a homogeneous Italian family unit without showcasing diverse ethnic backgrounds or multi-layered casting.

How does When Mom Is Away... With the Family represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film depicts the home environment as chaotic rather than idealized, highlighting the tension between modern professional demands and traditional family cohesion.

Does When Mom Is Away... With the Family include disability representation?

Minimal

Characters are portrayed within typical physical and neurotypical archetypes, with no visible or invisible disabilities represented in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Disrupts conventional domestic hierarchies by focusing on a father's household responsibilities.
Highlights the mother's career ambitions as a key driver of the narrative.
Challenges traditional masculine competence within the domestic sphere.

Limited or Absent

Does not provide multi-layered depth regarding racial and ethnic diversity.
Lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight themes.
Does not include characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Carlo and Giulia are grappling with new problems regarding the division of their respective tasks within the family. Since Giulia has started working again, it is Carlo who takes care of the children and the household chores. However, he starts to find the role of “Mr. Mom” a bit tight-fitting. Just when he decides to get back into the game and look for a job, Giulia reveals to him that she is up for a promotion that would lead her to move to Sweden. As if that weren’t enough, she will have to take the interview on December 24 in Stockholm. Everything seems to threaten the family unity. What should they do? Carlo comes up with a "brilliant" idea… To recover the old camper and drag the family into an adventure that will lead them on a journey to the North to spend Christmas all together lovingly. Unexpected events along the way and a hilarious encounter/confrontation with a self-styled Santa Claus will make the trip unforgettable.

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