
Casting JonBenet
2017

2016
TV-14Director
Keith Maitland
Runtime
82 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Combining archival footage with rotoscopic animation, Tower reveals the action-packed untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors of America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.
Overall Score
Fair
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film functions as a historical record of the 1966 shooting. It lacks explicit focus on non-cisnormative identities or LGBTQ+ narratives, prioritizing chronological events over identity-based storytelling.
Gender Representation
The documentary presents a balanced view by documenting the experiences of both male and female students and faculty. It focuses on shared vulnerability rather than subverting gendered power dynamics.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The narrative disrupts a monolithic historical account by centering voices from various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. It acknowledges the intersectional realities of the University of Texas campus during that era.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The film maintains a traditional historical framework focused on the empirical reality of the tragedy. It avoids ideological critiques of Western institutions, religion, or capitalism.
Disability Representation
The film touches upon the psychological aftermath and invisible scars of trauma. However, it does not explicitly center neurodivergence or physical disability as primary narrative drivers.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Tower succeeds as a nuanced historical document that captures the diverse human experience during a moment of crisis. By utilizing rotoscopic animation to bring survivor testimonies to life, the film avoids a monolithic perspective and provides meaningful representation of the era's diverse student body. While the film avoids harmful stereotypes, its primary objective is chronological accuracy rather than the intentional subversion of social hierarchies. It documents the event through a lens of human agency and collective trauma rather than progressive identity-based storytelling. Ultimately, the work is inclusive within its historical context but does not actively seek to challenge traditional societal norms or provide deep visibility for specific marginalized identities.

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