New Showbiz

You are here:
Ithaca

Ithaca

2015

PG

Director

Meg Ryan

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

In a small town in California's San Joaquin Valley, 14-year-old Homer Macauley is determined to be the best and fastest bicycle telegraph messenger anyone has ever seen. His older brother has gone to war, leaving Homer to look after his widowed mother, his older sister and his 4-year-old brother, Ulysses. And so it is that as spring turns to summer, 1942, Homer Macauley delivers messages of love, hope, pain... and death... to the good people of Ithaca. And Homer Macauley will grapple with one message that will change him forever - from a boy into a man. Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Saroyan's 1943 novel, The Human Comedy, ITHACA is the quintessential wartime tale of the Home Front. It is a coming-of-age story about the exuberance of youth, the sweetness of life, the sting of death and the modesty and sheer goodness that lives in each and every one of us.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

2.8/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film follows a traditional coming-of-age arc set in the 1940s. It adheres to heteronormative social structures without exploring non-cisnormative identities or same-sex intimacy.

Gender Representation

Fair

Female characters are essential to the family unit, particularly the widowed mother. However, the story reinforces era-specific hierarchies, focusing on nurturing roles rather than subverting power dynamics.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The narrative reflects a homogeneous demographic typical of a 1942 rural California town. Characters of color are not integrated into positions of high agency.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

The film emphasizes universalist morality and traditional Western values. It prioritizes communal resilience and the sanctity of the family unit over institutional critique.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no indication of characters with visible or invisible disabilities within the narrative.

Strengths

  • Provides an authentic portrayal of 1940s domestic life and wartime family responsibilities.
  • Focuses on universal humanistic themes like resilience, goodness, and the transition from youth to adulthood.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks representation of diverse gender identities or non-heteronormative relationships.
  • Does not include characters of color in positions of agency or significant narrative importance.
  • Reinforces traditional gender roles rather than exploring modern or subversive power dynamics.

AI Analysis

Ithaca is a period-specific character study that prioritizes historical realism and traditional narrative structures. It functions as a conventional wartime drama, operating within the established social hierarchies of the mid-20th century. The film focuses on the humanistic elements of a coming-of-age story. While it captures the essence of the home front, it lacks contemporary intersectional depth or the subversion of social norms. Ultimately, the production mirrors the demographic and cultural homogeneity of its 1942 setting, offering a cohesive but traditional moral framework.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.