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Tricks of the Trade

Name: Tricks of the Trade
Director: Jack Bender
Released: 1988
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

5.0/10

Fair

1988

PG-13

Director

Jack Bender

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Tricks of the Trade disrupts traditional gender roles by giving the female lead investigative ability to act. The partnership between a Beverly Hills homemaker and a sex worker shifts the narrative focus from patriarchal loss to active female empowerment. However, the film lacks depth in terms of LGBTQ+ representation or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. Additionally, the focus remains largely on class distinctions within a white-centric Los Angeles, offering limited representation of racial or ethnic diversity. Ultimately, it serves as a moderately progressive text for its time, prioritizing gendered subversion over broader social or identity-based representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Tricks of the Trade have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not explicitly include LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender expressions. It features an unconventional female bond but lacks specific queer symbols or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Tricks of the Trade portray gender?

Good

The story challenges traditional gender roles by giving the female lead investigative ability to act. Catherine transitions from a grieving widow to an active protagonist, defying typical domestic stereotypes.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tricks of the Trade?

Fair

The narrative focuses on class differences within a predominantly white Los Angeles setting. There is no indication of a diverse or non-Anglo-Saxon majority cast.

How does Tricks of the Trade represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film avoids a purely moralistic perspective by focusing on a partnership involving a sex worker. It critiques the polished appearance of high society through a more nuanced, situational viewpoint.

Does Tricks of the Trade include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no documented evidence of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by giving the female lead investigative ability to act.
Defies domestic stereotypes through an unlikely partnership between different social classes.
Avoids a purely judgmental or moralistic lens regarding underrepresented characters.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.
Shows insufficient evidence of racial or ethnic diversity within the narrative.
Fails to provide multi-layered depth regarding identity beyond class and gender.

Official Synopsis

After her picture perfect husband is murdered in a prostitute's apartment, Beverly Hills homemaker Catherine is devastated. But she doesn't spend too long mourning, because she's soon on a mission to put her husband's killer behind bars. To do so, she forms an unlikely partnership with Marla, the Hollywood hooker who serviced the deceased. Under Marla's guidance, the pair navigate the seedier side of Los Angeles to put this mystery to rest.

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