Movie review
November 17, 2016 · 118 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Paterson is a 2016 independent drama directed by Jim Jarmusch that follows one week in the life of a bus driver and amateur poet in his New Jersey hometown, alongside his creatively inclined wife who pursues her own home-based projects. The narrative unfolds through repetitive daily routines of driving routes, writing poems during breaks, shared meals, walks with their dog, and bar conversations, all drawn from small observations of ordinary surroundings. Its central story engine is the quiet discovery of poetry and meaning in routine existence and personal relationships, with no girl power dynamics, activist dialogue, identity-driven plots, or institutional critiques present.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Paterson.
Woke representation / casting
Casting and character backgrounds reflect the authentic multicultural demographics of Paterson, New Jersey, with no forced diversity, identity signaling, race swaps, or narrative emphasis on ethnicity or representation.
Woke political dialogue
Dialogue consists entirely of mundane conversations, overheard snippets, and personal exchanges about daily life, poetry, and relationships, containing zero political, activist, or ideological content.
Identity-driven story themes
Core story themes of creativity through routine observation, marital support, and finding beauty in the ordinary contain no identity politics, gender role subversions, queer elements, or representation-focused arcs.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film offers no critiques of institutions, capitalism, patriarchy, colonialism, traditional norms, or Western culture; it presents personal artistic fulfillment positively without any modern activist reframing.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; this is an entirely original story with no changes to established characters, historical figures, or source material.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Zero documented woke complaints, backlash, or accusations of pushing left-wing messaging, forced diversity, or propaganda; the film generated no such debate.
Creator track record context
Jim Jarmusch maintains a consistent record of apolitical, artistically driven independent films with no history of activist statements, diversity mandates, or social-justice themed projects in his filmography.
Production
