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Why Change Your Wife?

Name: Why Change Your Wife?
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Released: 1920
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

0.8/10

Minimal

1920

Director

Cecil B. DeMille

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Cecil B. DeMille’s 1920 comedy addresses the social anxieties of the Jazz Age by focusing on the instability of modern marriages. While it touches on the complexities of women's ability to drive the story and the shifting roles of women, it ultimately upholds traditional social hierarchies and the restoration of the marital unit. The film lacks depth in representing diverse backgrounds and instead reinforces established norms.

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Category Breakdown

Does Why Change Your Wife? have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses solely on heterosexual marriages and does not include any non-cisgender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Why Change Your Wife? portray gender?

Fair

The story examines the tension between traditional domestic life and the evolving role of women. It highlights marital dissatisfaction and the active role women play in their lives.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Why Change Your Wife??

Minimal

The cast appears uniform, reflecting the societal norms of the time. The upper-class setting emphasizes a standard, Western archetype without showing any racial diversity.

How does Why Change Your Wife? represent religion and culture?

Limited

The narrative upholds traditional Western social structures and the sanctity of marriage. It supports domestic stability without challenging the conventional family structure.

Does Why Change Your Wife? include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities in the story.

Present on Screen

Explores the conflict between traditional domesticity and the evolving role of women in the 1920s.
Highlights marital dissatisfaction and the complexities of women's ability to drive the story in a changing society.

Limited or Absent

Does not include any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender characters.
Maintains a uniform cast that reflects the racial limitations of early 20th-century cinema.
Reinforces traditional Western social institutions without offering diverse cultural perspectives.

Official Synopsis

Robert and Beth Bordon are married but share little. He runs into Sally at a cabaret and the Gordons are soon divorced. Just as he gets bored with Sally's superficiality, Beth strives to improve her looks. The original couple falls in love again at a summer resort.

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