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In Safe Hands

Name: In Safe Hands
Director: Jeanne Herry
Released: 2018
Duration: 112 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2018

Director

Jeanne Herry

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Jeanne Herry’s drama succeeds as a character-driven psychological study that challenges traditional gender hierarchies. By centering the plot on the intellectual and emotional resilience of women, the film elevates the domestic sphere into a site of intense struggle. However, the film lacks breadth in its demographic representation. The absence of LGBTQ+ narratives and a lack of multi-ethnic casting limits its exploration of diversity, keeping the scope narrow and socially homogeneous. Ultimately, the film is a rigorous examination of institutional frameworks. It trades broad social diversity for a deep, complex look at the psychological nuances of motherhood and state bureaucracy.

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Category Breakdown

Does In Safe Hands have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film lacks prominent LGBTQ+ characters or stories that go beyond straight relationships. The central conflict revolves around the legal and biological complexities of heterosexual maternity and traditional adoption frameworks.

How does In Safe Hands portray gender?

Good

The narrative centers on the emotional resilience and intellectual strength of women. It positions the biological and prospective adoptive mothers as the primary drivers of tension.

How racially and ethnically diverse is In Safe Hands?

Limited

The film focuses on a relatively homogeneous social stratum within contemporary France. There is no evidence of a diverse multi-ethnic cast driving the narrative or exploring racial diversity.

How does In Safe Hands represent religion and culture?

Good

The story offers a nuanced critique of Western institutional structures and state-run welfare services. It explores the fragility of the ideal family unit and the subjective morality of maternal choices.

Does In Safe Hands include disability representation?

Fair

While physical disabilities are not a focus, the film explores invisible neuro-psychological struggles. It treats mental health and emotional instability as central, dignified components of the human experience.

Present on Screen

Strong emphasis on women's ability to act and psychological resilience.
Nuanced critique of rigid Western institutional and child welfare structures.
Dignified portrayal of mental health and internal psychological struggles.

Limited or Absent

Lack of LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight perspectives.
Minimal racial and ethnic diversity within the cast and narrative.
Narrow focus on a homogeneous social and demographic stratum.

Official Synopsis

Théo is given up for adoption by his biological mother on the very day he is born. After this anonymous birth, the mother has two months to change her mind… Or not. The child welfare services and adoption service spring into action… The former have to take care of the baby and support it during this limbo-like time, this period of uncertainty, while the latter must find a woman to become his adoptive mother. She is called Alice, and she has spent the last ten years fighting to have a child.

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