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Beaches

Name: Beaches
Director: Allison Anders
Released: 2017
Duration: 90 min

2017

Director

Allison Anders

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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Synopsis

Follows the serendipitous meeting of two young girls on the Venice Boardwalk, who, though worlds apart in lifestyle, embark on unexpected and lifelong friendship. CC is an aspiring singer trying to make it in Los Angeles. Hillary is the daughter of a prominent civil rights lawyer who struggles to find her own destiny. Their friendship—even with its ups and downs—sustains them for decades.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

4.7/10

Fair

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The story focuses on heteronormative life stages and traditional romantic arcs. It lacks explicit centering of queer identities or non-cisnormative themes within the primary plot.

Gender Representation

Excellent

The film excels by centering female autonomy and professional ambition. It disrupts traditional hierarchies by prioritizing the protagonists' personal agency over patriarchal or domestic stability.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The narrative remains largely focused on white protagonists within a homogeneous demographic. This lack of intersectional diversity limits engagement with broader multicultural dynamics.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The film adopts a secular, character-driven approach to morality. It deconstructs idealized lives by focusing on the nuanced struggles of adulthood and social standing.

Disability Representation

Fair

There is no prominent focus on physical disability or neurodivergence. The character arcs prioritize psychological and socioeconomic transitions over the lived experience of disability.

Strengths

Strong emphasis on female agency and professional ambition.
Subverts traditional gender hierarchies and domestic tropes.
Nuanced, non-idealized portrayal of adult struggles and social standing.

Areas for Improvement

Lack of racial and ethnic diversity among lead characters.
Absence of LGBTQ+ representation or queer romantic arcs.
Minimal focus on neurodivergence or physical disability.

AI Analysis

Beaches is a character-driven study that succeeds in its elevation of female agency. By centering the professional and emotional lives of its two female leads, the film effectively subverts traditional gender tropes and prioritizes women's autonomy. However, the film's impact is limited by a narrow demographic scope. The narrative lacks significant racial and LGBTQ+ intersectionality, remaining tethered to more conventional, heteronormative, and homogeneous social structures. Ultimately, while the film offers a progressive look at gender, its failure to engage with diverse racial or queer perspectives results in a more traditional, less inclusive social landscape.

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