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Hidden Diary

Name: Hidden Diary
Director: Julie Lopes-Curval
Released: 2009
Duration: 105 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

2009

Director

Julie Lopes-Curval

Runtime

105 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Hidden Diary is a character-driven drama that explores female lineage and autonomy. By following the lives of Louise, Martine, and Audrey, the film challenges traditional domestic hierarchies and examines the consequences of individual choice. However, the film's impact is limited by a lack of diverse representation. The narrative appears confined to a homogeneous social setting, offering little depiction of different racial or ethnic backgrounds. Ultimately, while the film excels in depicting women's ability to drive the story and the dismantling of the nuclear family, it falls short in terms of LGBTQ+ and racial inclusion.

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Category Breakdown

Does Hidden Diary have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not depict any LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships. The focus on female identity does not include any LGBTQ+ characters.

How does Hidden Diary portray gender?

Good

The story centers on three generations of women, emphasizing their ability to act and autonomy. It challenges patriarchal norms by highlighting a woman's choice to step away from her traditional domestic role.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Hidden Diary?

Limited

The mid-20th-century seaside setting suggests a homogeneous social environment. There is no indication of diverse racial or ethnic representation within the main family unit.

How does Hidden Diary represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques the strict social norms of the 1950s by portraying a mother's departure as a search for personal truth. It questions the sanctity of the traditional nuclear family.

Does Hidden Diary include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters dealing with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities.

Present on Screen

Emphasis on women's ability to drive the story and the continuity of the female experience across three generations
Subversion of traditional patriarchal hierarchies and domestic roles
Exploration of individual autonomy versus traditional familial duties

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight relationships
Limited racial and ethnic diversity within the primary cast and setting
Absence of characters navigating physical or neurodivergent disabilities

Official Synopsis

In the 1950s, Louise left her husband when their children were still little. She was never heard from again. Her daughter Martine stayed in the small seaside town, where she became a doctor. Martine's daughter, Audrey, a thirty-year-old independent woman, returns to visit her parents. By chance, she finds a notebook that belonged to her grandmother, a diary that may at last explain her departure. Will it reveal the things left unsaid, that have altered the relationships within the heart of the family ever since? In it, will Audrey find answers to the questions that she is asking herself about her own future?

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