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How to Build a Girl

How to Build a Girl

Representation Score

7.6/10

Good

2020

R

Director

Coky Giedroyc

Runtime

102 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

How to Build a Girl is a sophisticated deconstruction of the celebrity industrial complex. It effectively examines how the music industry commodifies youth and strips individuals of their ability to act. The film excels at subverting the cliché of the passive female star by focusing on the protagonist's intellectual reclamation. However, the film's scope is narrow. It lacks significant racial diversity and explicit LGBTQ+ representation, remaining largely centered on the performance of gendered archetypes within a predominantly white, Anglo-centric setting. Ultimately, the film is a powerful anti-capitalist critique. It succeeds in portraying the pursuit of fame as a direct conflict between personal authenticity and oppressive corporate structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does How to Build a Girl have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on identity construction rather than explicit LGBTQ+ narratives. While it explores non-conformity through the protagonist's persona, it lacks specific LGBTQ+ character arcs or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does How to Build a Girl portray gender?

Good

The story offers a robust critique of patriarchal structures within the music industry. It highlights power imbalances between female artists and male authority figures, portraying the industry as a predatory mechanism.

How racially and ethnically diverse is How to Build a Girl?

Limited

The cast and setting are predominantly white and Anglo-centric. While the film explores class struggle, it lacks significant racial diversity or characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity to challenge historical norms.

How does How to Build a Girl represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative provides a deep critique of Western capitalist institutions. It frames the music industry as a corrupting force that prioritizes profit over human authenticity and individual ability to act.

Does How to Build a Girl include disability representation?

Fair

The film touches on the psychological toll of fame and identity fragmentation. However, these elements serve the protagonist's arc rather than providing a dedicated exploration of neurodivergence or physical disability.

Present on Screen

  • Provides a robust critique of patriarchal power dynamics in the music industry.
  • Effectively deconstructs the commodification of identity and the 'spectacle' of fame.
  • Offers a strong anti-capitalist narrative framework regarding institutional exploitation.

Limited or Absent

  • Lacks significant racial diversity and characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity.
  • Provides limited explicit LGBTQ+ character arcs or queer narratives.
  • Does not offer a dedicated exploration of neurodivergence or physical disability.

Official Synopsis

The journey of Midlands teenager Johanna Morrigan, who reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde: fast-talking, lady sex-adventurer, moves to London, and gets a job as music critic in the hope of saving her poverty stricken family in Wolverhampton. Based on Caitlin Moran's bestselling semi-autobiographical novel.

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