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Hourglass

Name: Hourglass
Director: C. Thomas Howell
Released: 1997
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

4.4/10

Fair

1997

Director

C. Thomas Howell

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Hourglass functions as a genre-driven thriller that utilizes underrepresented identities to drive its central conflict. By centering a lesbian relationship and making female characters the primary architects of a corporate takeover, the film avoids many traditional gendered clichés. The narrative successfully inverts power dynamics, placing a male executive in a position of vulnerability to women's ability to drive the story. This shift moves away from the 'damsel in distress' archetype common in the genre. However, the film's diversity profile is incomplete. The lack of information regarding racial and ethnic representation, as well as disability, prevents a more comprehensive assessment of its inclusivity.

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Category Breakdown

Does Hourglass have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film centers a lesbian relationship as a primary driver of the plot's tension. These characters are integrated into the central conspiracy rather than being sidelined.

How does Hourglass portray gender?

Excellent

Female characters act as the primary aggressors and architects of the plot. This subverts traditional clichés by positioning women as calculating forces seeking to usurp male professional standing.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Hourglass?

Minimal

There is insufficient information available to evaluate the racial or ethnic composition of the cast. No specific details regarding the backgrounds of the characters are provided.

How does Hourglass represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative explores themes of corporate instability and the subversion of professional hierarchies. It examines the pursuit of power within the capitalist structure of the fashion industry.

Does Hourglass include disability representation?

Minimal

The film provides no evidence of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities. There is no mention of disability representation in the available context.

Present on Screen

Centers LGBTQ+ identities as a core component of the central plot conspiracy.
Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by portraying women as dominant, calculating aggressors.
Inverts traditional power dynamics by placing the male protagonist in a vulnerable position.

Limited or Absent

Lacks verifiable information regarding racial and ethnic diversity within the cast.
Provides no evidence of representation for characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A business executive gets mixed up with a killer female and her lesbian roommate, who plot to take over his fashion business.

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