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A Deal With The Universe

Name: A Deal With The Universe
Director: Jason Barker
Released: 2019
Duration: 92 min

Representation Score

5.4/10

Fair

2019

Director

Jason Barker

Runtime

92 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

A Deal With The Universe is a deeply intimate, micro-narrative that trades polished production for raw, unmediated human experience. By using a decade of home video footage, the film rejects traditional cinematic structures in favor of a subjective, personal truth. While the film excels at portraying individual roles and the complexities of biological reality, its scope is inherently narrow. The highly specific, personal subject matter limits its ability to engage with broader multi-layered or systemic social critiques. Ultimately, the documentary functions as a study of private resilience. It succeeds in its personal mission but lacks the breadth to address wider social or cultural diversity themes.

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Category Breakdown

Does A Deal With The Universe have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on a domestic journey toward conception. There is no explicit evidence of non-straight relationships or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight.

How does A Deal With The Universe portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on the shared roles of Jason Barker and his partner, Tracey. It follows a standard domestic partnership model without specific challenges to gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is A Deal With The Universe?

Minimal

The documentation provides no information regarding the racial or ethnic identities of the subjects. A score cannot be assigned due to a lack of data.

How does A Deal With The Universe represent religion and culture?

Fair

The DIY, found-footage style prioritizes personal truth over institutionalized storytelling. It centers on biological reality and resilience rather than traditional religious or capitalist family frameworks.

Does A Deal With The Universe include disability representation?

Fair

The theme of conception often intersects with reproductive health and medical intervention. The film may touch upon the physical and mental toll of these biological struggles.

Present on Screen

The DIY aesthetic provides a raw, unmediated look at human experience.
The film prioritizes personal truth over polished, institutionalized storytelling clichés.
It highlights individual roles and resilience within a private, domestic sphere.

Limited or Absent

The highly specific subject matter limits broader characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity.
The narrative lacks engagement with systemic critiques of social institutions.
There is a lack of visible data regarding queer identity or non-straight perspectives.

Official Synopsis

In his debut film, assembled entirely from home video footage which he and his partner Tracey shot over the course of a decade, Barker tells the fascinating story behind their journey to conceive.

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