Frances Ha, Denaturalisation, and Queering the Bildungsroman

Narrative, Cinematography, and Choreography

Abstract

This essay examines how Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha denaturalises and queers the literary coming-of-age genre by rejecting chrononormative models of adulthood in favour of non-linear, affective, and relational modes of living. Utilising queer theory – particularly Elizabeth Freeman’s concept of chrononormativity and Jack Halberstam’s continuation of queer time – the essay argues that Frances Ha subverts the conventions of the Bildungsroman, a genre historically invested in linear progression, heterosexual coupling, and economic productivity as markers of maturity. To come to this conclusion, this essay conducts an interrelated close reading of the film’s narrative, cinematography, and choreography. Together, they evidence that meaning is not defined by chrononormativity, but rather can emerge through typically underrepresented bonds, improvisation, and temporal moments of joy. The film ultimately reimagines the natural not as a fixed destination governed by institutional milestones, but as an ongoing, improvisational process shaped by intimacy, affect, and alternative temporalities.