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I Think We're Alone Now

I Think We're Alone Now

2008

R

Director

Sean Donnelly

Runtime

64 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Every celebrity deals with his or her share of obsessed fans. "I Think We're Alone Now" is a documentary that focuses on two individuals, Jeff and Kelly, who claim to be in love with the 80's pop singer Tiffany. Jeff Turner, a 50-year-old man from Santa Cruz, California has attended Tiffany concerts since 1988. Diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, he never had a girlfriend. Jeff spends his days hanging out on the streets of Santa Cruz, striking up conversations with anyone who has a moment to spare. Kelly McCormick is a 38-year-old hermaphrodite from Denver, Colorado, who claims to have been friends with Tiffany as a teenager. She credits Tiffany as the shining star who has motivated her to do everything in her life. Both Jeff and Kelly have been labeled stalkers by the media and other Tiffany fans. This film takes you inside the lonely lives these two characters, revealing the source of their clinging obsessions...

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.2/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Good

The film centers on Kelly McCormick, an intersex woman, integrating her identity into her personal history. This approach avoids treating her existence as a mere spectacle, offering a nuanced look at non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Fair

The documentary subverts traditional masculine tropes through Jeff Turner's vulnerability. His struggle with social scripts disrupts conventional expectations of assertive, dominant male performance.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The subjects inhabit a predominantly white, Western social landscape. The narrative focuses on celebrity obsession within a localized American context rather than utilizing diverse ethnic ensembles.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film critiques rigid media judgments by reframing 'stalkers' through an empathetic lens. It prioritizes the subjects' subjective truths over standardized social norms and institutional moralism.

Disability Representation

Excellent

Jeff Turner's Asperger's syndrome is presented as a fundamental part of his worldview. The film grants him agency and dignity, avoiding the pitfalls of 'inspiration porn.'

Strengths

  • Provides a nuanced, non-spectacular portrayal of an intersex woman's lived experience.
  • Grants neurodivergent subjects agency and dignity rather than using them for pity.
  • Subverts traditional masculine tropes by highlighting vulnerability and social friction.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, focusing on a predominantly white social landscape.
  • The narrow demographic scope limits the breadth of cultural representation.

AI Analysis

Sean Donnelly’s documentary succeeds as a sophisticated character study that challenges the boundaries of normalcy. By centering on neurodivergent and intersex individuals, the film moves away from judgmental frameworks to explore complex human connections. The strength of the film lies in its refusal to treat marginalized identities as plot devices. Jeff Turner and Kelly McCormick are granted agency, allowing their internal logic and lived realities to drive the narrative rather than serving as mere objects of curiosity. However, the film remains limited by its narrow demographic scope. The focus on a specific, predominantly white social landscape results in a lack of racial and ethnic diversity within the presented environment.

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