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Flying By

Name: Flying By
Director: Jim Amatulli
Released: 2009
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

2.7/10

Limited

2009

PG-13

Director

Jim Amatulli

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Flying By is a conventional character-driven drama centered on a mid-life crisis and the tension between personal desires and societal roles. The narrative emphasizes individual emotional journeys while neglecting multi-layered or systemic issues. The film revolves around a middle-class, heterosexual family unit, avoiding engagement with diverse identities. It focuses on the protagonist's internal conflicts and external pressures, such as balancing business, marriage, and a renewed interest in music.

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Category Breakdown

Does Flying By have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on traditional heterosexual marriages and does not include any characters with non-binary gender identities or LGBTQ+ backgrounds.

How does Flying By portray gender?

Fair

The story examines the conflict between traditional masculine roles and personal satisfaction. The wife's role is portrayed as a source of domestic restraint, reflecting a patriarchal power dynamic.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Flying By?

Limited

The narrative aligns with a typical Western, middle-class demographic. There is no indication of a diverse cast representing various ethnicities or cultural backgrounds.

How does Flying By represent religion and culture?

Limited

Themes revolve around personal struggles such as business and marriage, without critiquing broader Western societal institutions.

Does Flying By include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or hidden disabilities in the characters' stories. The film does not address neurodivergence or physical disabilities.

Present on Screen

Examines the tension between traditional masculine roles and personal fulfillment.
Challenges the idea of a perfectly stable traditional household through marital conflict.

Limited or Absent

Does not engage with LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
Relies on homogeneous, Western, middle-class archetypes.
Women's roles are often reactive or constrained by patriarchal structures.

Official Synopsis

A real estate developer goes to his 25th high school reunion without his wife, and finds his old teenage band playing. They get him up on stage for a couple of songs, and convince him come to a rehearsal. His wife is outraged that he played. His daughter thinks it's kind of cool. His Mother, in a retirement home, encourages him to enjoy life. He feels some temporary relief from the pressures of business complexities and the stress of marriage tensions. The band gets booked at a popular bar, which leads to a last minute booking to open for a reunion tour, with the possibility of additional tour dates. But the band has internal conflicts. He faces a tough decision to give it a shot even though it will affect his marriage, his family, particularly his daughter, and his business.

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