Movie review
March 12, 2017 · 104 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Disaster Artist is a 2017 biographical comedy-drama directed by and starring James Franco. It follows the real-life friendship between aspiring actor Greg Sestero and the eccentric, wealthy outsider Tommy Wiseau as they meet in acting class and set out to make the infamously bad cult film The Room in early 2000s Los Angeles. The story centers on male friendship, Hollywood ambition, creative chaos, and the odd joy of passionate failure, told through straightforward comedy and drama without identity-driven messaging or activist framing.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Disaster Artist.
Woke representation / casting
The central roles of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero are played by white male actors matching the real people portrayed. Supporting and cameo parts include incidental ethnic diversity typical of ensemble casts, but without audience-visible emphasis, signaling, or quota-style placement in prominent positions.
Woke political dialogue
The dialogue and script contain no activist language, political lectures, social justice discussions, or identity-based messaging of any kind.
Identity-driven story themes
The core narrative follows male friendship, artistic dreams, and the absurd process of making a bad movie. Tommy Wiseau’s mysterious background serves eccentricity and enigma rather than explorations of immigration, identity politics, or cultural grievance. Peripheral comedic suggestions around sexuality stay minor and non-central.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Hollywood receives light comedic ribbing for rejecting odd outsiders and enabling chaotic productions. The tone stays affectionate toward personal passion and cult success, without modern activist framing around patriarchy, capitalism, toxic masculinity, or systemic bias.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The film adapts real events and the source memoir with comedic dramatization for pacing and humor but introduces no ideological or identity-driven alterations to characters or history.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No public complaints or backlash accused the film of pushing woke, DEI, representation, or left-wing identity politics. Reception stayed focused on its entertainment and biographical qualities.
Creator track record context
James Franco shows a low activist profile across projects. Seth Rogen has voiced separate liberal opinions outside his comedy work. Writers Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter and producer Vince Jolivette lack documented patterns of identity-driven or social-justice-focused creative output.
Production
