You are here:

Tempted

Name: Tempted
Director: Maggie Greenwald
Released: 2003
Duration: 120 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

2003

PG-13

Director

Maggie Greenwald

Runtime

120 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Tempted offers a nuanced look at female empowerment and cross-cultural connection. By centering a professional woman's journey to resolve emotional ties in Hawaii, the film moves beyond standard domestic clichés. The film succeeds in presenting a protagonist with significant autonomy. The intersection of her Boston life and her Hawaiian heritage through surrogate kinship provides a rich, non-Anglo-centric perspective. However, the narrative lacks diversity in other key areas. There is no visible representation of LGBTQ+ identities or disability, leaving the film's social breadth somewhat limited.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Tempted have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film explores unconventional familial bonds through the lens of surrogacy. However, there is no explicit evidence of queer identity or non-straight relationships.

How does Tempted portray gender?

Good

Emma Burke is a high-functioning professional navigating the pressures of career and motherhood. The story centers her personal role and her pursuit of emotional independence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tempted?

Good

The narrative facilitates cross-cultural engagement by placing a Bostonian protagonist in Hawaii. Her connection to Kala, a character of Hawaiian descent, provides meaningful representation.

How does Tempted represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story prioritizes personal emotional truth over rigid institutional mandates. It focuses on individual promises and finding meaning outside of conventional societal expectations.

Does Tempted include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of visible or invisible disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Strong focus on female empowerment and professional identity.
Meaningful cross-cultural engagement through Hawaiian characters.
Exploration of non-traditional family structures and surrogate kinship.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ representation or queer narratives.
Absence of characters representing visible or invisible disabilities.
Limited engagement with religious or institutional critiques.

Official Synopsis

The strain of juggling her responsibilities as wife, mother, and successful paralegal have worn Emma Burke out. Thus it is that Emma welcomes the opportunity to briefly take leave of her Boston home and head for sunny Hawaii. It is not, however, a pleasure trip: Having promised to honor the dying wishes of her Hawaiian-born surrogate mother. Leaving her husband, Mike, behind to care for their two children, Emma arrives in Hawaii for the first time since childhood, where she is reunited with her childhood friend Kala, the handsome son of her late surrogate parent.

How are these scores produced? →