You are here:

Time at the Top

Name: Time at the Top
Director: Jimmy Kaufman
Released: 1999
Duration: 96 min

Representation Score

1.4/10

Minimal

1999

Director

Jimmy Kaufman

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Time at the Top operates as a conventional science fiction adventure aimed at families. It excels in providing a female protagonist who play a significant role in driving the story and scientific curiosity within a genre that often sidelines women. However, the film remains narrow in its scope, lacking representation for LGBTQ+ individuals, diverse racial groups, or people with disabilities. The historical setting adheres to a traditional Western framework, limiting its diversity profile.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Time at the Top have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories related to non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities. The story centers on a period-themed adventure with young protagonists.

How does Time at the Top portray gender?

Fair

Susan Shawson is a capable female protagonist who navigates time shifts and scientific concepts. Her role provides her with significant influence and problem-solving skills, which are often missing in traditional adventure stories.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Time at the Top?

Minimal

The narrative follows a typical Western historical framework set in Philadelphia. There is no indication of a diverse cast or representation of different racial backgrounds.

How does Time at the Top represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story explores moral relativism through changing history. It touches on family instability but does not critique institutional or Western power structures.

Does Time at the Top include disability representation?

Minimal

Characters are defined by their roles in the time-travel plot rather than any physical or neurodivergent conditions. There is no representation of disabilities.

Present on Screen

The film offers a female protagonist with significant influence and scientific curiosity.
Susan Shawson actively drives the plot rather than being a passive character.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks racial and ethnic diversity in both its historical and modern settings.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
The story does not include characters dealing with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

14-year old Susan Shawson travels back in time in her building's elevator. As altered by a retired physicist living in her building, it transports her from Philadelphia of 1998 back to the same place in 1881. There she meets Victoria Walker, a girl her own age in need of assistance with her own family problems. Gradually discovering the power of her time machine, Susan, Victoria, and her young brother Robert travel back and forth in time and succeed in changing both the past and the future.

How are these scores produced? →