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The Better Angels

Name: The Better Angels
Director: A.J. Edwards
Released: 2014
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

2014

Director

A.J. Edwards

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a traditional biographical drama centered on Abraham Lincoln's early life. Set in the 1817 Indiana frontier, it focuses on historical authenticity and classical storytelling. While it lacks multi-layered diversity, it offers a nuanced portrayal of gender roles through the stepmother's influence. However, the narrow demographic focus limits its scope for broader social critique or diverse representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Better Angels have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on a family structure that assumes everyone is straight. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or critiques of this assumption.

How does The Better Angels portray gender?

Fair

The stepmother plays a crucial role in Lincoln's growth and development, offering a complex alternative to the strict father figure and disrupting traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Better Angels?

Limited

Set in the 1817 Indiana wilderness, the story centers on a white pioneer family. There is no racial diversity or inclusion of different racial backgrounds.

How does The Better Angels represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative follows traditional Western stories of frontier life and family struggles. It presents the individual's fight against nature as a classic American experience.

Does The Better Angels include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not provide any information about characters with disabilities, visible or invisible. Therefore, there is no assessment of disability representation.

Present on Screen

The stepmother's role as a catalyst for Lincoln's intellectual growth adds complexity to the traditional family dynamic.
The film provides a character-driven look at the formative years of a key American figure.

Limited or Absent

The story focuses almost entirely on a white pioneer family, lacking racial diversity.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ characters or perspectives within the domestic setting.

Official Synopsis

At an isolated log cabin in the harsh wilderness of Indiana circa 1817, the rhythms of love, tragedy, and the daily hardships of life on the developing frontier shaped one of our nation’s greatest heroes: Abraham Lincoln. Abe is a thoughtful and quiet boy who spends his days at the side of his beloved mother while learning to work the land from his stern father. When illness takes his mother, Abe's new guardian angel comes in the form of his new stepmother, who sees the potential in the boy and pushes for his further education.

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