New Showbiz

You are here:
Richard's Things

Richard's Things

1980

R

Director

Anthony Harvey

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Following her husband's death, a wife discovers and confronts her husband's lover. Their mutual pain, love, envy and jealousy bring them together in an unexpected emotional and physical relationship.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.8/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film explores queer-coded intimacy through an emotional and physical bond between the wife and the lover. This connection challenges traditional sexual hierarchies and explores non-heteronormative connections born of shared trauma.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative subverts traditional hierarchies by centering female agency following a male death. The focus shifts to the protagonists' autonomy and their ability to redefine relationships independently of the deceased patriarch.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Minimal

There is insufficient evidence to determine the racial composition of the cast or the presence of diverse ethnic narratives.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The film deconstructs the traditional nuclear family by prioritizing situational ethics over rigid moral codes. It moves away from black-and-white depictions of infidelity toward a complex, relativistic view of connection.

Disability Representation

Minimal

No specific information is available regarding the depiction of physical or mental disabilities within the film.

Strengths

  • Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by centering female agency and autonomy.
  • Explores non-heteronormative connections and queer-coded intimacy through shared trauma.
  • Challenges conventional morality by presenting a complex, relativistic view of human connection.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks visible evidence of racial or ethnic diversity within the narrative.
  • Provides no information regarding the representation of physical or mental disabilities.
  • The narrative focus remains narrow, centered primarily on the interpersonal dynamics of the leads.

AI Analysis

Richard's Things functions as a psychological drama that disrupts standard tropes of the grieving widow and the 'other woman.' By positioning these women as co-protagonists, the film explores the blurring of interpersonal boundaries and the complexities of shared loss. The narrative's strength lies in its departure from conventional morality and its focus on female autonomy. It replaces the traditional stabilizing male figure with a study of how women navigate grief and intimacy on their own terms. However, the film's scope is limited by a lack of information regarding racial, ethnic, or disability representation. The focus remains strictly on the psychological and relational dynamics of the central female characters.

How are these scores produced? →

Similar Movies

Movie poster for The Dying Gaul

The Dying Gaul

2005

No user ratings available yet
Diversity score: 5.6 out of 10

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.