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Little Boxes

Name: Little Boxes
Director: Rob Meyer
Released: 2017
Duration: 84 min

Representation Score

4.0/10

Limited

2017

Not Rated

Director

Rob Meyer

Runtime

84 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Little Boxes provides a sophisticated look at the complexities of identity by centering a biracial family navigating a predominantly white suburban landscape. It moves beyond simple fish-out-of-water clichés to explore the intricacies of performative identity and social expectations. The film excels in its nuanced examination of racial identity and the performance of Blackness. It also effectively critiques suburban social structures and provincial norms. However, the film's scope is limited in other areas of representation. It lacks engagement with LGBTQ+ or disability narratives, focusing primarily on race and cultural friction.

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Category Breakdown

Does Little Boxes have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or storylines. The narrative focuses solely on the racial and cultural experiences of the central family.

How does Little Boxes portray gender?

Fair

Female leads Mack and Gina are portrayed as urban intellectuals who play significant roles in driving the story. This challenges traditional domestic hierarchies, although the film does not fully subvert the idea of masculinity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Little Boxes?

Excellent

The story centers around a biracial protagonist and a Black intellectual family living in a predominantly white suburb. It explores how race is performed and the struggle for authenticity in a homogeneous environment.

How does Little Boxes represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques Western suburban structures by highlighting the tight-knit community as a systemic obstacle. It emphasizes the tension between urban intellectual values and rigid provincial norms.

Does Little Boxes include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible or invisible disabilities playing central roles in the narrative arc.

Present on Screen

Nuanced exploration of racial identity and the performance of Blackness
Strong portrayal of female roles as intellectual, non-traditional parents
Effective critique of suburban social structures and provincial norms

Limited or Absent

Lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities or storylines
Absence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities
Limited engagement with the subversion of traditional masculinity

Official Synopsis

It's the summer before 6th grade, and Clark is the new-in-town biracial kid in a sea of white. Discovering that to be cool he needs to act 'more black,' he fumbles to meet expectations, while his urban intellectual parents Mack and Gina also strive to adjust to small-town living. Equipped for the many inherent challenges of New York, the tight-knit family are ill prepared for the drastically different set of obstacles that their new community presents, and soon find themselves struggling to understand themselves and each other in this new suburban context.

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