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29 Palms

Name: 29 Palms
Director: Leonardo Ricagni
Released: 2002
Duration: 93 min

Representation Score

3.7/10

Limited

2002

Director

Leonardo Ricagni

Runtime

93 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

29 Palms adheres to the conventions of early 2000s crime cinema. The narrative centers around a character-driven chase involving a missing bag of money, using well-known genre elements without challenging them. While the film includes some diversity through casting choices, it lacks a multi-layered approach to diversity. The story prioritizes the mechanics of a thriller over progressive social themes or diverse character perspectives. Overall, the film functions as a standard genre piece. It offers some representation in specific roles but does not integrate a wide range of diverse identities into its core structure.

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Category Breakdown

Does 29 Palms have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film follows a traditional crime-thriller storyline without any explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that question straight relationships. There are no queer characters or stories that challenge the idea that everyone is straight.

How does 29 Palms portray gender?

Fair

The story is mainly driven by male characters such as the Hitman, Drifter, and Cop. A waitress is also part of the plot, but she plays a less significant role compared to her male counterparts.

How racially and ethnically diverse is 29 Palms?

Fair

Keith David's role as the Sheriff provides some representation by placing a Black character in a position of authority. However, the overall ethnic makeup of the cast remains unclear.

How does 29 Palms represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film uses typical Western crime storylines involving casinos and law enforcement. It does not offer a deeper look into these institutions or provide a broad critique of them.

Does 29 Palms include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the film. Therefore, the movie does not address or include any narratives about disability.

Present on Screen

Keith David's role as the Sheriff provides meaningful representation of a Black character in a position of authority.

Limited or Absent

The narrative relies heavily on male-driven plotlines and traditional genre archetypes.
The film lacks visible LGBTQ+ characters or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
There is no representation of characters with disabilities.
The story does not engage with systemic critiques or diverse cultural perspectives.

Official Synopsis

When a bag filled with money goes missing from a casino, the Hitman (Chris O'Donnell) must retrieve it. While he tracks the stash down, the bag changes hands numerous times, finding its way to the Drifter (Jeremy Davies) and the Waitress (Rachael Leigh Cook), among others. As the bag's journey continues, more characters, including the Cop (Michael Rapaport) and the Sheriff (Keith David), get drawn into the winding crime tale, and the search becomes increasingly desperate.

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