You are here:

Smoke

Name: Smoke
Director: Mark D'Auria
Released: 1993
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

6.7/10

Good

1993

Director

Mark D'Auria

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Smoke is a gritty, character-driven drama that highlights underrepresented experiences. It avoids common movie clichés by showing queer identity and disability through a realistic and relatable lens. The film's strength lies in its challenge of traditional masculine and family archetypes. It replaces strong, stoic characters with ones that show vulnerability and instability. However, the lack of information about racial and ethnic diversity hinders a complete assessment of the film's inclusiveness. The narrative primarily focuses on the psychological and physical struggles of the main characters.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Smoke have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film focuses on male-to-male relationships and explores intimate connections and casual encounters. It challenges typical romance stories by emphasizing complex and often challenging interpersonal relationships.

How does Smoke portray gender?

Good

Masculinity is shown through vulnerability and dysfunction rather than traditional strength. The film breaks down the idea of a stable male leader by depicting men in emotional crises.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Smoke?

Minimal

The available information provides no specific evidence regarding the racial or ethnic composition of the cast or setting.

How does Smoke represent religion and culture?

Good

The story questions traditional family structures by highlighting non-traditional support systems. It prefers a modern, personal storytelling style over moralistic endings.

Does Smoke include disability representation?

Good

The film realistically portrays disability through the characters Joey and Michael, who face developmental and physical challenges. These issues are linked to shared childhood experiences rather than idealized stories.

Present on Screen

Detailed portrayal of queer identity and male-to-male intimacy.
Challenges traditional masculine roles through vulnerability.
Realistic depiction of developmental and physical disabilities.

Limited or Absent

More visible racial and ethnic diversity within the narrative.
Broader representation beyond the central queer and disabled characters.

Official Synopsis

Perhaps seeking a father figure as a result of childhood abandonment, Michael, who's about 35, carries on with older men a mix of affairs, one-night stands, and casual sex in public toilets. Joe, from whom he has recently broken, abuses him; his latest flame, a police detective, ignores him. His and his twin Joey's birthday approaches, and it triggers memories of their childhood and their illnesses at age seven, leaving Michael a bad heart and retarding Joey's mental development. He buys a birthday present for Joey, but in his melancholy, arrives late after his brother is sleeping. His mother still mourns her husband's leaving. A crisis and resolution ensue.

How are these scores produced? →