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Suburban Wives

Name: Suburban Wives
Director: Derek Ford
Released: 1972
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

1972

Director

Derek Ford

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Suburban Wives serves as a social satire that challenges traditional gender roles. By centering the plot on the internal desires of women rather than the stability of husbands, it questions the era's standard of submissive femininity. However, the film lacks diverse representation. Its focus on a specific middle-class, suburban archetype results in limited racial and LGBTQ+ representation, reflecting the demographic norms of the early 1970s. Ultimately, while the film successfully critiques mid-century Western social structures through its female-led perspective, its narrow demographic scope limits its progressive impact.

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Category Breakdown

Does Suburban Wives have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on traditional heterosexual marriages and infidelity. There are no representations of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender narratives.

How does Suburban Wives portray gender?

Good

The movie challenges traditional gender roles by highlighting the dissatisfaction of wives. By focusing on a female protagonist, it emphasizes women's ability to drive the story rather than maintaining patriarchal stability.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Suburban Wives?

Limited

The setting is centered around middle-class suburban housewives, implying a homogeneous, Anglo-Saxon demographic. The film lacks multicultural storylines.

How does Suburban Wives represent religion and culture?

Good

The satire targets established social institutions and questions the sanctity of the nuclear family. It portrays domestic life as a source of boredom rather than fulfillment.

Does Suburban Wives include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible or invisible disabilities mentioned in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional domestic hierarchies by emphasizing women's ability to drive the story.
Uses a female protagonist to critique the patriarchal household structure.
Provides a sharp satire of mid-century Western social manners and mores.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender narratives.
Focuses on a homogeneous, Anglo-Saxon demographic typical of its era.
Does not include characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Seven stories of marital infidelity, told from the women's point of view. A spicy satire of modern manners and mores. Newspaperwoman Sarah relates the separate stories of eight married couples. The husbands are satisfied with their lot, but the wives are not. Sarah describes a situation in which dissatisfied and bored middle-class housewives seek excitement and adventure outside their marital homes and beds.

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