You are here:

That's What I Am

Name: That's What I Am
Director: Michael Pavone
Released: 2011
Duration: 101 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2011

Director

Michael Pavone

Runtime

101 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

That's What I Am is a period piece that uses the social constraints of 1965 to examine the friction between individual identity and systemic pressure. The film's strength lies in its nuanced handling of LGBTQ+ themes and its critique of institutional conformity. However, its impact is limited by its narrow focus on a localized social hierarchy, which results in a lack of multi-layered breadth, particularly regarding racial diversity and the subversion of gendered power dynamics. Ultimately, the film succeeds in disrupting the era's status quo by framing traditional community values as a mechanism for exclusion rather than stability.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does That's What I Am have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film centers on rumors surrounding Mr. Simon's sexuality in a 1965 setting. It critiques the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender through Mr. Simon's refusal to confirm or deny his identity during administrative confrontation.

How does That's What I Am portray gender?

Fair

The story focuses on male-dominated social dynamics, including bullying and peer pressure. It adheres to traditional mid-century hierarchies without challenging gendered power structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is That's What I Am?

Limited

The narrative appears to focus on a homogeneous social environment typical of 1960s California suburbia. There is no explicit evidence of a multi-ethnic cast or diverse racial perspectives.

How does That's What I Am represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques the rigidity of mid-century Western institutions by framing communal conformity as a source of conflict. It explores the tension between individual identity and oppressive social policing.

Does That's What I Am include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no discernible evidence regarding the inclusion or portrayal of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

Effectively critiques the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender and the social scrutiny faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the 1960s.
Challenges mid-century moral certainties by portraying communal conformity as a source of social conflict.
Provides a nuanced look at the tension between individual identity and oppressive institutional structures.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, focusing instead on a largely homogeneous social environment.
Relies on traditional gendered power structures and male-dominated social dynamics.
Provides no discernible representation or inclusion of characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A coming-of-age story that follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol, a bright student who, like most kids his age, will do anything to avoid conflict for fear of suffering overwhelming ridicule and punishment from his junior high school peers.

How are these scores produced? →