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Rollercoaster

Name: Rollercoaster
Director: James Goldstone
Released: 1977
Duration: 119 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

1977

Director

James Goldstone

Runtime

119 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Rollercoaster is a conventional high-stakes survival thriller that reflects its era. It relies on standard Hollywood archetypes to create suspense and maintain a high-concept plot. The film does not intentionally challenge social, racial, or gender hierarchies. Instead, it emphasizes restoring order and preserving life through traditional narrative structures. Overall, the production reflects the mainstream American landscape of the late 1970s, presenting a limited view of identity and social complexity.

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Category Breakdown

Does Rollercoaster have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The story revolves around a group focused on survival, reflecting traditional 1970s social norms.

How does Rollercoaster portray gender?

Limited

The narrative follows typical disaster genre clichés. Characters follow traditional gender roles and archetypes common to action films of that time.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Rollercoaster?

Limited

The cast appears fairly uniform, typical of mainstream 1970s American films. There are no high-profile characters of color or actors playing roles outside their traditional backgrounds.

How does Rollercoaster represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film sticks to traditional Western thriller clichés. The storyline centers on criminal activity without critiquing broader societal issues.

Does Rollercoaster include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any characters with visible or invisible disabilities. The plot focuses on physical survival during a technical malfunction.

Present on Screen

The film effectively delivers a high-concept thriller based on mechanical suspense and survival.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks complexity in addressing multiple aspects of identity and fails to challenge established social or gender hierarchies.
The cast and character dynamics are uniform, offering minimal representation of diverse racial or LGBTQ+ identities.
There is a noticeable absence of characters with disabilities or neurodivergent traits integrated into the story.

Official Synopsis

A young terrorist kills and injures patrons of a Norfolk amusement park by placing homemade explosives on the track of one of its roller coasters. After staging a similar incident in Pittsburgh, he sends a tape to a meeting of major amusement park executives in Chicago, demanding $1 million to make him stop.

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