New Showbiz

You are here:
That Certain Age

That Certain Age

1938

NR

Director

Edward Ludwig

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Dashing reporter Vincent Bullit has just returned from covering the Spanish Civil War. His boss, newspaper magnate Fullerton, has more plans to send him off to China. However, first Fullerton invites Bullit to the peace and quiet of his own home to write a series of European affair articles. When Fullerton's adolescent daughter Alice develops a crush on Bullit, her suitor, boyscout Ken Warren, doesn't seem to stand a chance. Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton, Ken Warren, and even Vincent Bullit himself do their best to sway young Alice's feelings away from the older man. It's a difficult task though, as she is at 'that certain age.'

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

1.4/10

Minimal

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film adheres strictly to heteronormative social structures. There are no depictions of non-cisnormative identities or same-sex intimacy, focusing entirely on traditional courtship.

Gender Representation

Limited

The narrative reinforces conventional gender hierarchies. While Alice drives the emotional conflict, power dynamics are dictated by patriarchal figures like Fullerton, managing female desire rather than subverting authority.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Minimal

The film presents a homogeneous social environment. Set within high-society English manor life, the cast lacks racial diversity, reflecting the era's standard of depicting the upper class as ethnically uniform.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

The story celebrates the existing socioeconomic order without critiquing Western institutions or capitalism. It portrays the lifestyle of the capitalist elite as a stable, aspirational setting.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities portrayed. Characters are presented within a standard framework of physical and neurotypical ability.

Strengths

  • Provides a clear, cohesive depiction of 1930s high-society social mores and courtship rituals.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, presenting a homogeneous cast.
  • Reinforces traditional patriarchal power dynamics and gender tropes.
  • Offers no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities.
  • Fails to critique or explore socioeconomic or institutional structures.

AI Analysis

That Certain Age is a quintessential high-society comedy of manners that prioritizes the preservation of established social hierarchies. The film functions as escapist entertainment, focusing on the romantic entanglements of the affluent rather than exploring intersectional identities. The narrative reinforces the status quo of the 1930s. It centers on traditional courtship rituals and patriarchal authority, offering little room for the subversion of gendered or class-based power structures. Ultimately, the film lacks representation of marginalized groups, opting instead to depict a homogeneous, upper-class world that upholds the era's conventional social and cultural expectations.

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.