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How to Be a Good Wife

Name: How to Be a Good Wife
Director: Martin Provost
Released: 2020
Duration: 108 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2020

Director

Martin Provost

Runtime

108 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Martin Provost’s film is a sophisticated exploration of institutional change. Set during the May 1968 protests, it captures the tension between strict domestic life and the rise of social liberation. The film excels by transforming domestic labor from a means of control into a vehicle for female empowerment. It effectively dismantles the 'ideal housewife' stereotype, emphasizing individual autonomy. However, the film is confined by its historical context. While it deeply examines gender dynamics, it lacks substantial representation of racial and LGBTQ+ diversity, reflecting the era’s limitations.

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Category Breakdown

Does How to Be a Good Wife have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not focus on LGBTQ+ identities. It avoids negative stereotypes and emphasizes female solidarity and evolving social roles.

How does How to Be a Good Wife portray gender?

Excellent

The narrative stands out by challenging traditional gender roles. It shifts from training 'perfect housewives' to showing women taking control of their intellectual and social lives.

How racially and ethnically diverse is How to Be a Good Wife?

Limited

The film mirrors the demographic makeup of 1968 Alsace. While historically accurate, the story does not explore a wide range of racial or ethnic backgrounds.

How does How to Be a Good Wife represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story offers a nuanced look at religious and domestic institutions. It portrays the breakdown of traditional social structures as a pathway to freedom.

Does How to Be a Good Wife include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant focus on visible or invisible disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by highlighting female empowerment.
Offers a sophisticated critique of historical patriarchy and domesticity.
Successfully connects personal development to broader societal changes in 1968.

Limited or Absent

Does not explore a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Does not include explicit LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight identities.

Official Synopsis

Paulette Van Der Beck and her husband have been running the housekeeping school of Bitche in Alsace for many years. Their mission is to train teenage girls to become the perfect housewives at a time when women were expected to be subservient to their husband. After the sudden death of her husband, Paulette discovers that the school is on the verge of bankruptcy and has to take her responsibilities. But while preparations are underway for the best housekeeping competition TV show, she and her lively students start questioning their beliefs as the nation-wide protests of May 1968 transform society around them. Reunited with her first love, André, and with the help of her eccentric stepsister Gilberte and strict nun Marie-Therese, Paulette joins forces with the schoolgirls to overcome their suppressed status and become liberated women.

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