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Like Father Like Son

Name: Like Father Like Son
Director: Rod Daniel
Released: 1987
Duration: 96 min

Representation Score

2.9/10

Limited

1987

PG-13

Director

Rod Daniel

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Like Father Like Son is a traditional high-concept comedy that upholds the social and demographic norms of its time. The story revolves around a male-centric body-swap dynamic that prioritizes comedic disruption over meaningful exploration of identity or systemic power structures. The film adheres to a homogeneous cast and a conventional framework, aligning with late-80s mainstream American cinema rather than challenging it.

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Category Breakdown

Does Like Father Like Son have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a typical 1980s teen comedy structure, focusing on heterosexual relationships and assuming everyone is cisgender. It doesn't include non-binary gender identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Like Father Like Son portray gender?

Limited

The story centers around a male-dominated dynamic, emphasizing father-son relationships. While the body swap temporarily disrupts the father's authority, it doesn't significantly challenge traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Like Father Like Son?

Limited

The film features a mostly white cast, reflecting a suburban, Western-centric setting. There is no effort to include actors from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

How does Like Father Like Son represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film presents a conventional Western perspective, using disruptions in professional and academic authority as standard comedic devices without deeper critique.

Does Like Father Like Son include disability representation?

Minimal

The brain-exchanging serum serves as a fantastical plot device, treating neurodivergence as a whimsical inconvenience rather than a serious topic.

Present on Screen

The body-swap mechanic offers a temporary, comedic disruption of traditional paternal authority.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks meaningful roles for female characters.
It fails to challenge traditional gender hierarchies or patriarchal structures.
The cast is predominantly white, lacking racial and ethnic diversity.
The identity shift is treated as a whimsical cliché rather than a serious examination of lived experiences.

Official Synopsis

Dr. Jack Hammond has best chances to become medical superintendent in the clinic. So he's completely absorbed in his work and has no understanding for his teenage son Chris' problems with school. By accident one of them drinks a brain-exchanging serum, and it switches their identities. This leads of course to extraordinary complications in school and at work, but also to insight in the problems and feelings of each other.

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