5.8
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Ode to Billy Joe (1976)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Traditional
Viewer Rating
Rating: 5.8
Overview
Set in sultry 1950s Mississippi, two teenagers grapple with surging hormones and the enticing promise of love, unknowing of the tragedy that looms ahead.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Negative
Christianity: Negative
Overview
Set in sultry 1950s Mississippi, two teenagers grapple with surging hormones and the enticing promise of love, unknowing of the tragedy that looms ahead.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Traditional
Primary
The film is left-leaning due to its sympathetic portrayal of a character struggling with a taboo identity and its implicit critique of the repressive societal norms that lead to his tragic end.
The movie 'Ode to Billy Joe' features a cast that is predominantly white, reflecting its setting in rural 1950s Mississippi, without explicit race or gender swaps of traditional roles. The narrative focuses on the personal struggles of its characters within a traditional community, exploring themes of societal expectations and individual secrets without explicitly critiquing traditional identities.
Secondary
The film portrays Billy Joe's homosexuality as a deeply shameful secret that leads to his despair and suicide. His identity is presented as a tragic flaw, resulting in a problematic depiction where queer identity is a source of unrelieved misery and a punitive outcome.
The film portrays the conservative Christian community as judgmental and repressive, with its rigid morality contributing to the tragic downfall of the protagonists. It critiques the hypocrisy and intolerance found within this specific religious environment.
Ode to Billy Joe does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes. The narrative's central mystery and character motivations are rooted in other aspects of identity and societal pressures, specifically homosexuality, rather than transsexual experiences.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film is an adaptation of the song "Ode to Billy Joe." All named characters whose gender was established or implied in the original song maintain the same gender in the film adaptation.
The film is based on the 1967 song by Bobbie Gentry. The main characters, Bobbie Lee and Billy Joe, are portrayed by white actors, consistent with the implied and widely understood racial context of the original song and its setting.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
6.6
6.3
Critic Ratings
4.4
N/A
More Like This
Leans Traditional
6.6
Enigma
(2001)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
8.0
Gilda
(1946)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Traditional
7.6
Cinderella Man
(2005)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
8.4
Sideways
(2004)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Traditional
8.7
Gone with the Wind
(1939)
Political: Strong Right
Diversity: Low
Traditional
8.4
My Darling Clementine
(1946)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Traditional
6.8
Closer
(2004)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Negative
Traditional
7.6
Risky Business
(1983)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
8.1
Little Women
(1994)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Traditional
6.5
The Journey
(1959)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
8.1
Cyrano
(1974)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Traditional
8.7
On the Waterfront
(1954)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
7.9
Big
(1988)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
7.1
Sleepless in Seattle
(1993)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
7.0
The Good Girl
(2002)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Traditional
7.3
Open Range
(2003)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
8.7
The Best Years of Our Lives
(1946)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
9.0
City Lights
(1931)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Leans Traditional
6.9
Where the Boys Are
(1960)
Political: Center
Diversity: Low
Traditional
8.2
Forrest Gump
(1994)
Political: Leans Right
Diversity: Low