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Smashed

Name: Smashed
Director: James Ponsoldt
Released: 2012
Duration: 85 min

Representation Score

4.8/10

Fair

2012

Director

James Ponsoldt

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Smashed is a character-driven drama that centers on the personal crisis of the protagonist. While it successfully highlights the complexities of subjective morality and the active choices of the female protagonist, it falls short in providing broader characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity. The film's setting and cast are primarily white and middle-class, limiting its demographic breadth. Additionally, it lacks a systemic critique of the social structures it presents.

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Category Breakdown

Does Smashed have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a traditional storyline focused on the relationship between the protagonist and her partner, without exploring other LGBTQ identities.

How does Smashed portray gender?

Fair

The narrative highlights the active role of the female protagonist, emphasizing her intellectual and emotional journey rather than portraying her as a passive figure.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Smashed?

Limited

The film features a predominantly white, middle-class cast and setting in Los Angeles, without incorporating diverse ethnic perspectives.

How does Smashed represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film examines moral relativism through the lens of personal trauma, critiquing the breakdown of marriage and professional stability but lacking a broader systemic critique.

Does Smashed include disability representation?

Fair

Addiction is shown as a psychological consequence of trauma, but the portrayal may fall into the cliché of depicting addiction as a result of behavior.

Present on Screen

Focuses on the active choices of the female protagonist, highlighting her role in driving the story.
Explores addiction as a psychological and invisible disability, offering a nuanced perspective.
Shifts power dynamics away from traditional gender roles, challenging conventional gender hierarchies.

Limited or Absent

Maintains a narrow sociological focus, lacking racial and ethnic diversity.
Stays within a traditional storyline centered around heterosexual relationships, excluding other LGBTQ identities.
Does not offer a broader systemic critique of the social structures presented in the film.

Official Synopsis

Kate and Charlie like to have a good time. Their marriage thrives on a shared fondness for music, laughter… and getting smashed. When Kate’s partying spirals into hard-core asocial behavior, compromising her job as an elementary schoolteacher, something’s got to give. But change isn’t exactly a cakewalk. Sobriety means she will have to confront the lies she’s been spinning at work, her troubling relationship with her mother, and the nature of her bond with Charlie.

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