You are here:

The Crooked Hearts

Name: The Crooked Hearts
Director: Jay Sandrich
Released: 1972
Duration: 74 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

1972

Director

Jay Sandrich

Runtime

74 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film serves as a psychological character study rather than a platform for broad representation. It challenges mid-century gender roles by focusing on a protagonist driven by survival and manipulation, rather than domesticity. However, the film is limited by the era's lack of inclusivity. The predominantly white cast and the absence of LGBTQ+ identities restrict its social relevance. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its cynical deconstruction of social norms. It emphasizes individual impulse and moral ambiguity over the reinforcement of traditional societal stability.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Crooked Hearts have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender gender expressions. Relationships and dynamics stay within the confines of heterosexual norms.

How does The Crooked Hearts portray gender?

Fair

The story focuses on a widow who uses deception and strategic actions to navigate her economic situation. This disrupts traditional power structures, although male-dominated dynamics complicate her efforts.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Crooked Hearts?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly white and homogeneous. There is a noticeable absence of racial or ethnic diversity among the main characters.

How does The Crooked Hearts represent religion and culture?

Good

The film presents a world driven by flawed human behavior and moral relativism. It deconstructs the idealized stability of the nuclear family and traditional social norms.

Does The Crooked Hearts include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of physical or cognitive disabilities. Such elements do not play a central role in the characterizations.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by centering on a female protagonist who uses strategic deception and survival tactics.
Deconstructs mid-century moralism through a narrative that explores moral relativism and psychological complexity.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a homogeneous cast typical of its era.
Does not provide representation or visibility for LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender expressions.

Official Synopsis

A charming but somewhat larcenous widow attempts to snare a rich bachelor through a lonely hearts club, but her scheme boomerangs into a deadly cat-and-mouse game. This marked the TV-movie debut of both Rosalind Russell and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and was sadly also Russell's last film role.

How are these scores produced? →