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The Principal

Name: The Principal
Director: Christopher Cain
Released: 1987
Duration: 109 min

Representation Score

1.3/10

Minimal

1987

Director

Christopher Cain

Runtime

109 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Principal is a typical 1980s action drama that centers on restoring order and male confrontation. It prioritizes a binary morality of order versus chaos, focusing on a male protagonist's struggle to maintain authority. While the film includes a diverse cast of minority students to set an urban scene, these characters do not play key roles in driving the story's themes. The narrative follows conventional storytelling formulas, emphasizing the suppression of delinquency without delving into deeper systemic issues. The film does not engage with gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Instead, it upholds traditional social hierarchies without challenging them.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Principal have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities, operating within a framework that assumes everyone is straight.

How does The Principal portray gender?

Limited

Male characters dominate the story, holding positions of power and physical strength. Female characters are mostly in supporting roles with limited influence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Principal?

Fair

The film features a diverse student body reflecting an urban high school setting. However, these diverse characters do not have significant roles that drive the story's themes.

How does The Principal represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story emphasizes Western institutional values and the restoration of order. Delinquency is portrayed as a problem to be controlled, without exploring its underlying cultural or systemic causes.

Does The Principal include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible representations of physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities among the main characters or the student body.

Present on Screen

The film accurately reflects an urban high school environment with a multi-ethnic cast.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks representation for LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities.
Female characters are confined to secondary roles with limited physical ability to act.
The story reinforces traditional hierarchies without exploring systemic social issues.

Official Synopsis

Burglary. Drugs. Assault. Rape. The students at Brandel High are more than new Principal Rick Latimer bargained for. Gangs fight to control the school using knives - even guns - when they have to. When Latimer and the head of security try to clean up the school and stop the narcotics trade, they run up against a teenage mafia. A violent confrontation on the campus leads to a deadly showdown with the drug dealer's gang, and one last chance for Latimer to save his career... and his life.

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