7.7
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Beginners (2011)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Viewer Rating
Rating: 7.7
Overview
Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal Fields has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 44 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Positive
Overview
Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal Fields has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 44 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
The film's left-leaning rating is primarily driven by its positive portrayal of LGBTQ+ identity and its celebration of individual authenticity and emotional vulnerability, which implicitly challenges conventional societal norms.
The film features a predominantly white cast without intentional race or gender swaps for traditional roles. Its narrative explores personal identity and relationships, including a character's journey of coming out as gay, but it maintains a neutral to positive portrayal of traditional identities without explicit critique.
Secondary
Beginners offers a deeply affirming portrayal of an elderly man coming out as gay, celebrating his journey of self-discovery and love. The film depicts his queer identity as a source of joy and fulfillment, ultimately validating the worth of LGBTQ+ lives with empathy and respect.
Beginners explores themes of love, identity, and grief through the story of a man whose elderly father comes out as gay. The narrative focuses on the father's newfound gay relationship and its impact on his son. The film does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film "Beginners" is an original screenplay by Mike Mills, inspired by his personal life. It does not adapt pre-existing source material with established characters whose genders could be swapped. The characters based on real individuals maintain their historical gender.
Beginners is an original film, not an adaptation of pre-existing material, a biopic of a historical figure, or a reboot of legacy characters. Therefore, no characters had a canonically or historically established race prior to this film's creation.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.2
6.8
Critic Ratings
8.6
8.1
More Like This
Leans Progressive
6.7
I Love You Phillip Morris
(2010)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.3
Moulin Rouge!
(2001)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.7
The New World
(2005)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
7.4
Boy Meets Girl
(2014)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.9
Stormy Weather
(1943)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Progressive
8.0
Love, Simon
(2018)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.5
Carnal Knowledge
(1971)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.3
Antz
(1998)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
6.6
Tortilla Soup
(2001)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.4
Cooley High
(1975)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.6
Torch Song Trilogy
(1988)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.7
Chocolat
(2000)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Center
8.0
Silver Linings Playbook
(2012)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.4
Out
(2020)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
9.0
Modern Times
(1936)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Leans Progressive
7.6
Love & Basketball
(2000)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.7
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
(2008)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.7
Hairspray
(2007)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Center
6.8
Sweet Charity
(1969)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.6
The Threesome
(2025)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive