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Strictly Business

Strictly Business

1991

PG-13

Director

Kevin Hooks

Runtime

84 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Waymon has a great job in real estate and a promising future, but he's also trapped in a loveless longterm relationship. He meets Natalie, a beautiful club-hopping hipster, and quickly falls in love. Realizing he's just not cool enough to attract her on his own, he seeks the help of his friend Bobby, a free-spirited smooth talker who works in the mail room at Waymon's firm and utilizes the predicament as leverage to advance in the company.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

4.2/10

Fair

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The story follows a heteronormative romantic arc between Waymon and Natalie. It operates within the traditional romantic tropes of the early 1990s without exploring non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Fair

The narrative centers on a male protagonist's professional and romantic pursuits. Natalie serves primarily as a catalyst for Waymon's evolution rather than an independent agent of her own story.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The film provides meaningful representation by featuring a Black protagonist in a corporate real estate setting. It explores identity through the lens of navigating professional social hierarchies.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The plot examines social class and the friction between corporate ambition and urban lifestyle. It focuses on comedic explorations of status rather than deep institutional critiques.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the narrative. No representation of disability is present in the provided context.

Strengths

  • Features a Black protagonist navigating a professional corporate environment.
  • Explores nuanced themes of social class and urban identity.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks diverse LGBTQ+ identities and non-cisnormative perspectives.
  • Female characters function primarily as catalysts for male character development.
  • Does not address disability or broader intersectional social critiques.

AI Analysis

Strictly Business functions as a standard genre piece of its era. While it offers moderate racial representation through its lead character, it largely adheres to conventional romantic and social hierarchies. The film lacks the intersectional complexity or systemic deconstruction of institutions required for a higher progressive score. It relies heavily on traditional tropes regarding gender and social status. Ultimately, the film's themes are driven more by 1991 genre conventions than by an intentional effort to subvert social structures.

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