You are here:

The Dinner

Name: The Dinner
Director: Menno Meyjes
Released: 2013
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

6.3/10

Good

2013

Director

Menno Meyjes

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Dinner functions as a claustrophobic critique of Western social cohesion and the fragility of traditional structures like family and class. It avoids easy moral resolutions, focusing instead on the corruption inherent in maintaining social reputation. The film's strength lies in its sophisticated deconstruction of the 'stable' household. By framing character actions through situational ethics, it challenges the singular morality often found in conventional family dramas. While the film lacks significant LGBTQ+ or racial diversity, it compensates with a deep, nuanced exploration of cultural institutions and the systemic pressures of the European landscape.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Dinner have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film adheres to a traditional framework that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender. It avoids negative stereotypes and maintains a neutral stance towards non-cisgender identities.

How does The Dinner portray gender?

Good

Female characters play significant roles in driving the story and navigating complex power dynamics. They challenge traditional masculine leadership roles within a high-stakes social environment.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Dinner?

Fair

The cast remains relatively homogeneous, yet the narrative explores identity through the lens of European social standing. It examines the tension of belonging within established social hierarchies.

How does The Dinner represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film excels by deconstructing the family unit as a source of dysfunction. It prioritizes moral relativism and situational ethics over traditional Western moral certainties.

Does The Dinner include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of visible or invisible disabilities being used as central plot devices or thematic elements in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Sophisticated deconstruction of traditional family institutions and social hierarchies.
Strong female roles and complex portrayal of gendered power dynamics.
Nuanced exploration of moral relativism and situational ethics.

Limited or Absent

Lack of diverse LGBTQ+ representation or non-cisgender identities.
Relatively homogeneous cast regarding racial and ethnic diversity.
Absence of disability representation within the character arcs.

Official Synopsis

Two brothers and their wives have dinner in a fancy restaurant to discuss their teenage children's misdeeds. An excoriating assessment of Europe’s contemporary social ills.

How are these scores produced? →