Sunday, October 07, 2018

favorite movie #66 - halloween edition: the stepford wives

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #66 - The Stepford Wives (1975) - I already included this as my #4 pick, but considering the events of the last few hours, week, couple of years, decades ... it seems eerily appropriate to focus once again on this film, which is more of a horror film to me than any movie that features a zombie, vampire, etc.

Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) can't figure out why all the women of Stepford sound like they are walking cleaning products commercials and look like they stepped out of another century. An aspiring photographer, Joanna is smart, beautiful, opinionated — a great gal, and one would say, the perfect wife. But the men of Stepford don't seem too fond of women with ideas.

There seem to be men in our current times who also don't seem to want women to have their own agency. The Stepford Wives could be dismissed by some as a cheesy horror flick, but it is not only entertaining, but a warning that should not be ignored.

Joanna (Katharine Ross) isn't thrilled about leaving the city (and her leopards in the jungle wallpaper) behind
Foreshadowing on the way out of town
At least Bobby (Paula Prentiss) doesn't seem to be obsessed with housework
"I'll just die if I don't get this recipe!"
"I'm also an ex-Gothamite, who's been living here in Ajax country for just over a month now, and I'm going crazy. You see doctor, my problem is that given complete freedom of choice, I don't WANT to squeeze the goddamn Charmin!"
Joanna and Bobbie try to get the Stepford Wives to join a consciousness raising group, but it quickly devolves into comparing cleaning products
Joanna at her happiest
Patrick O'Neal as  Diz: "I like to watch women doing little domestic chores."
Joanna: Why do they call you Diz?
Diz (Patrick O'Neal): I used to work in Disneyland.
Joanna: No, really!
Diz: No. Really.
Joanna: I don’t believe you.
Diz: Why not?
Joanna: You don’t seem to be the kind of person that likes to make other people happy.
The Men's Association meeting is so boring ...
Joanna is surreptitiously sketched ...
Just a few more details ...


Lost in the Supermarket
Joanna finally gets to see what's happening at the men's association

Related:

favorite movie #4: the stepford wives

down the rabbit hole with ira levin

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