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A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2017

Director

Casey Wilder Mott

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

A modern-day movie adaptation of William Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". The new version takes place in present-day Hollywood where fantasy and reality collide. It’s set in a world where glamorous stars, commanding moguls, starving artists and vaulting pretenders all vie to get ahead.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.0/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film reimagines Quince as a female character, creating a new romantic subplot with Nick Bottom. While this disrupts traditional pairings, the narrative lacks explicit confirmation of queer identities.

Gender Representation

Good

By gender-flipping Quince and recasting Theseus as a film producer, the film subverts classical patriarchal structures. It replaces ancient authority with the morally ambiguous power dynamics of the Hollywood industry.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

Casting Avan Jogia and a cosmopolitan ensemble helps move the production away from historically homogeneous Shakespearean traditions. The Los Angeles setting naturally supports a more diverse, modern cast.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film deconstructs traditional institutions by portraying nobility as corrupt film moguls. Reimagining fairies as forest bohemians shifts the focus from classical mysticism to counter-cultural lifestyles.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of visible or invisible disabilities. No characters are identified as navigating physical impairments or neurodivergence.

Strengths

  • Subverts classical patriarchal structures through gender-flipped roles and modern power dynamics.
  • Replaces traditional, homogeneous casting with a more cosmopolitan, Los Angeles-inspired ensemble.
  • Deconstructs institutional authority by framing nobility as corrupt, modern-day film moguls.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit confirmation or centering of non-heteronormative identities within the narrative.
  • Provides insufficient evidence or character depth regarding disability representation.
  • Intersectional depth remains tied to ensemble tropes rather than specific, nuanced character arcs.

AI Analysis

This adaptation successfully modernizes Shakespeare by transplanting his themes into the cynical landscape of the Los Angeles film industry. By replacing mythological authority with industrial influence, the film challenges traditional hierarchies of power and social standing. The production makes intentional moves to subvert classical norms, such as gender-flipping key roles and reimagining magical beings as bohemian outsiders. These changes allow for a more fluid exploration of agency and social dynamics. However, the film's approach to identity remains somewhat surface-level. While it avoids the homogeneity of traditional productions, it lacks explicit depth in certain areas of intersectional representation.

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