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The Grown-Ups

The Grown-Ups

2017

Director

Maite Alberdi

Runtime

82 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

A group of friends with Down Syndrome have been attending the same school for 40 years, and they are tired of being treated like children, they are grown-ups and want to live as such.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.1/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film does not explicitly center queer romantic narratives or LGBTQ+ identities. The social dynamics focus on the group's shared neurodivergence rather than non-heteronormative relationship structures.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative emphasizes emotional independence and complex social navigation. It subverts traditional hierarchies by centering the subjects' own desires and their rejection of being treated like children.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

By centering a Chilean social group, the film offers a localized, non-Anglo-centric perspective. This organic representation avoids the tokenism often found in Western-dominated narratives.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film critiques how institutional hierarchies categorize individuals based on cognitive profiles. It prioritizes the lived experiences of the subjects over standardized clinical or religious frameworks.

Disability Representation

Excellent

This is a profound study of agency that avoids 'inspiration porn.' The subjects are protagonists who drive the narrative through their friendships and demands for adult respect.

Strengths

  • Exceptional portrayal of disability through total subject agency and autonomy.
  • Subverts infantilization tropes by focusing on the subjects' desire for adult dignity.
  • Provides a non-Anglo-centric, organic cultural perspective centered in Chile.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer romantic narratives.
  • Does not explore specific non-heteronormative relationship structures within the group.

AI Analysis

Maite Alberdi’s documentary is a powerful reclamation of adulthood for individuals with Down Syndrome. It successfully disrupts the common media trope of infantilizing neurodivergent people, instead presenting them as complex adults with significant social agency. The film excels by treating neurodivergence as a facet of identity rather than a deficit. By focusing on a long-standing social bond in Chile, it provides a culturally specific perspective that avoids Western-centric clichés. While the film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ themes, its strength lies in its refusal to use disability as a mere plot device for neurotypical growth. It centers the subjects' struggle for dignity and social integration.

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