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Who's Who

Name: Who's Who
Director: Mike Leigh
Released: 1979
Duration: 73 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

1979

Director

Mike Leigh

Runtime

73 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Mike Leigh’s work serves as a sociological study of class and social performance rather than a showcase of demographic diversity. The film excels at examining the friction between different social strata and the performative nature of status. However, the narrative is limited by its homogeneity. The focus on the British peerage and brokerage culture results in a significant lack of racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ+ representation. Ultimately, the film’s progressive value lies in its critique of traditional authority and class hierarchies rather than its inclusion of diverse identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Who's Who have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include any explicit representations of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships. The story focuses on the social interactions of brokerage employees and the aristocracy, without providing any clear non-straight or non-cisgender representation.

How does Who's Who portray gender?

Fair

Women navigate social expectations through various archetypes, from the timid Caroline to the provocative Samantha. April’s domestic life contrasts with the male-dominated professional world, but traditional power structures persist.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Who's Who?

Minimal

The setting emphasizes a highly homogeneous, Anglo-centric social hierarchy. There is no indication of racial or ethnic diversity among the cast or described social circles.

How does Who's Who represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques Western institutions by highlighting the instability of the aristocracy. It deconstructs the idea of the upper class through the lens of flattery and financial struggles.

Does Who's Who include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or mentioned depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the provided narrative details.

Present on Screen

Effective examination of the British class system and aristocratic authority.
Nuanced exploration of social hierarchies and the performative nature of status.
Subtle subversion of gender roles through domestic and professional spheres.

Limited or Absent

Significant lack of racial and ethnic diversity within the social setting.
Absence of overt LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight/cisgender identities.
Minimal focus on disability or neurodivergent perspectives.

Official Synopsis

Slice-of-life look at class divisions among employees of a brokerage house. Alan, with his portrait of the Queen and love of the peerage; his wife April, who raises cats; youthful and pretentious friends Nigel, Giles, and Anthony, who gather for a wine-soaked dinner party with the chatty and risque Samantha and the mousy Caroline; the plummy Lord and Lady Crouchurst, in a spot of bother needing the help of Francis, a senior partner, to assist with the family's cash flow. Alan comes home from work to find Mr. Shakespeare doing a photo shoot of one of April's cats and a wealthy stranger, Miss Hunt, waiting to purchase one. His instincts for sycophantic palaver kick in.

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