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Has Beans

Name: Has Beans
Director: Andrew Tamandl
Released: 1998
Duration: 9 min

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Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

1998

Director

Andrew Tamandl

Runtime

9 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Has Beans is a stylized allegory that uses anthropomorphic legumes to explore power dynamics and systemic intervention. While it lacks traditional demographic representation, it effectively uses species and scale to mirror social hierarchies and exclusion. The narrative challenges typical heroic combat clichés. Instead of a triumphant victory, the characters' actions are overshadowed by the sudden, indifferent intervention of a human cook, highlighting the futility of their localized conflict. Ultimately, the film operates as a micro-allegory of survival. It replaces explicit human identity with symbolic storytelling, using visual language to critique how smaller groups navigate landscapes controlled by larger, dominant forces.

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Category Breakdown

Does Has Beans have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses solely on physical survival and group retaliation. It does not depict any non-straight relationships or same-sex intimacy.

How does Has Beans portray gender?

Fair

The characters, as anthropomorphic legumes, do not have explicit gender markers. The story focuses on bullying and dominance rather than gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Has Beans?

Fair

The film uses different species as a metaphor for social stratification. The kidney bean's struggle against larger beans mirrors a underrepresented group navigating a dominant environment.

How does Has Beans represent religion and culture?

Good

The introduction of a human cook serves as a deconstructive force. This external power halts tribal warfare, critiquing localized power struggles.

Does Has Beans include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no visible or hidden disability representation. The characters do not show signs of neurodiversity or use disability as part of the story.

Present on Screen

Uses species as a sophisticated metaphor for social stratification and exclusion.
Challenges traditional combat clichés through the introduction of an indifferent systemic power.
Employs a unique visual language inspired by the structural compositions of John Bracks.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of human identities, gender, or sexual orientation.
Provides no engagement with disability or neurodivergent perspectives.
Relies on highly abstracted character profiles that limit direct demographic connection.

Official Synopsis

The world is full of war and where can we hope to escape it? Home? - Certainly not by a stretch of this little computer animation. A lone kidney bean is being given the rough treatment by two much larger, bullying lima beans. In a number of fancy manoeuvres the kidney bean tricks the bullying two into believing they’ve killed him. When the kidney bean reaches his kin a battle of revenge is planned. The plan is foiled once ensconced in battle by the true ruler - the one who cooks beans in the kitchen. The battle scenes are stylistically similar to and remniscent of the battle scenes in the paintings of Australian artist, John Bracks, where he used pencils and decks of cards symbolically and as structural elements to recreate battle scenes.

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