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Kid Blue

Name: Kid Blue
Director: James Frawley
Released: 1973
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

1.9/10

Minimal

1973

Director

James Frawley

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Kid Blue serves as a comedic take on the classic Western genre, questioning its rigid moral stance. It swaps the traditional hero-versus-lawman storyline for a cynical look at greed and deceit. Though the film doesn't advance representation in racial, LGBTQ+, or disability categories, it excels in dismantling the traditional Western focus on absolute justice. The story prioritizes situational ethics and skepticism towards legal authority. Overall, the film's strength lies in its move away from conventional moral standards, favoring a modern perspective on opportunistic, anti-social characters.

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Category Breakdown

Does Kid Blue have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or same-sex relationships. It follows traditional structures that assume everyone is straight and cisgender.

How does Kid Blue portray gender?

Fair

Women play important roles in the plot, but their influence is limited to supporting male-driven schemes. The film uses gender stereotypes to support con artistry without challenging male dominance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Kid Blue?

Minimal

The cast is mostly white, depicting a homogeneous frontier society typical of early 1970s Westerns. The story focuses on economic differences rather than racial diversity.

How does Kid Blue represent religion and culture?

Good

The film breaks away from the heroic epic cliché by focusing on con artists and outlaws. It emphasizes moral relativism and humor over strict moral judgment found in traditional Westerns.

Does Kid Blue include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible representations of physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities. Characters are shown as having standard physical abilities.

Present on Screen

The film effectively challenges the 'heroic epic' cliché by focusing on morally ambiguous con artists.
It presents a revisionist approach to the Western genre through its commitment to moral relativism and humor.

Limited or Absent

The cast lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a homogeneous frontier setting.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth gender identities.
The film does not depict physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Bickford Waner, an apparently naive young man from Fort Worth, arrives in the tiny Texas town of Dime Box and takes on a variety of menial jobs. He's befriended by Reese Ford and his wife Molly, but before long Molly has seduced Bickford. Only with the arrival of Bickford's former girlfriend Janet Conforto is it revealed that Bickford is actually the notorious train robber Kid Blue. Humiliated by a scandal arising from his affair with his friend's wife, Bickford gives up on going straight and plots a crime.

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