While the 1975 film, Stepford Wives (Dir. Bryan Forbes, 1975, United States) represent various gender issues. The relationship between the human and robot reveals male dominance and female oppression. The protagonist, Joanna serves as a feminist activist who believes in gender equality and is proactive and assertive about her views. The contemporary version of Stepford Wives (Dir. Frank Oz, 2004, United States ) overcomes obstacles concerning gender identify while it fails to represent racial diversity as the original version of Stepford Wives was able to present briefly. The historical time periods of the original and contemporary version of have impacted how the characters are depicted especially at the conclusion of the film. Specifically, the opposing endings of the films are created to exemplify social mores of that particular historical time.
Similarly, both versions of Stepford Wives depicted women who are transformed into robots in order to accommodate the needs of their husbands while remaining subservient. During the time period when the original film takes place, in the 1970's Cornea states that "women in science fiction films were usually featured as taking up a place in the public sphere, as activelysupporting the men" ([1]).In Judith Newton’s Feminism and Anxiety in Alien she discusses that “by looking carefully at such representations we can see how, culturally, we still largely “cling to nineteenth-century notions about technology, sexual difference, and gender roles in order to resist the transformations brought about by the new postmodern social order” ([2]). Clearly, it is established how society has a major impact on film. It is impressive how the cast of both films
include many women when in the early to mid-1900s women were depicted merely as sexual
objects and were generally not portrayed as heroic or successful.
In the 1975 version of Stepford Wives, a man named Dis is the person responsible for the idea of murdering women and replacing them with robots, which steals the woman’s physical identity, yet the “new” wife is appealing to men because they are "compliant and servile robots, willing to undertake ‘housewifely duties’ for their husbands’" while appearing flawlessly beautiful ([3]). The fact that the most powerful individual in the original film is portrayed by a male confirms the male dominance of the film. In the contemporary version of Stepford Wives, a female, Claire Wellington is the mastermind behind the entire project which signifies the immense power and control of women. However, Mrs. Wellington promotes her husband, Mike Wellington who has been transformed into a robot to fit the role as the president of the Stepford Men’s Association. Ironically, Mrs. Wellington’s idea to convert women into the "perfect wife" by turning them into robots so that they can be appreciated is not realistic because once the women were transformed into robots their emotions were disregarded because they were mechanical and their sole purpose is to serve the husband. Mrs. Wellington created these robots in the likeness that she believed that men desired.
Most of the husbands of the film feel threatened by their wives because they are more successful than they were and the men wanted to be the more dominant individual in the relationship. In the contemporary version of Stepford Wives there is a homosexual couple, which would have been incredibly controversial in the original, Stepford Wives. Roger Bannister is an incredibly flamboyant homosexual who is also changed by his mate. He is transformed into a more masculine, much less ostentatious male. It is apparent that in the film, homosexuality has become less controversial; however due to the fact that Roger was changed into a “less gay”
version of himself reflects society’s unease with homosexuality although it is much more accepted, but it would have been an issue if a homosexual couple would have been present in
the original version of the film.
It is evident that in the 2004 version of Stepford Wives that there is not a single minority on the cast of the show. The following image depicts a predominantly Caucasian cast, which unfortunately lacks representation of racially diversity.
It is ironic how there is an apparent transformation in gender roles through female empowerment, yet throughout the film there is not development in terms of racial identities
because in the contemporary version, there is absolutely no racial identity that is represented in
the film.

The picture shown above expresses how the original version of Stepford Wives promotes
diversity through portraying an African American cast although they are only given small roles
in the film. Considering the historical context of the 1975 version of the film, in which African
Americans were only beginning to fill supporting roles it is interesting that the original contains
racial representation, yet the contemporary fails to depict any type of racial identity when in fact, racial diversity has become much more accepted in contemporary rather than traditional society. It is appalling how regardless of how much time has elapsed, there continues to be obstacles in overcoming racial barriers.
in the film. Considering the historical context of the 1975 version of the film, in which African
Americans were only beginning to fill supporting roles it is interesting that the original contains
racial representation, yet the contemporary fails to depict any type of racial identity when in fact, racial diversity has become much more accepted in contemporary rather than traditional society. It is appalling how regardless of how much time has elapsed, there continues to be obstacles in overcoming racial barriers.
The opposing conclusions are significant because in the original version, women were only
beginning to express their distaste for male dominance. The historical event of the Women’s
Movement took place in the 1960's; however the assertion for equal rights among men and women was more prominent in the 1970's when the original version of Stepford Wives took place. The characters of Bobbie and Joanna served as advocates for feminists who firmly believed that women were not inferior to men. The robots portray an opposing role of the
obedient wife who is required to remain beautiful at all times and constantly please her husband
while dismissing any personal feelings. The robots did not have feelings and were merely
mechanical. However, in the contemporary version, which took place in 2004, the domesticated
roles of the husband serving as the primary breadwinner and the woman fulfilling the role as
housewife seem to be extinct. The 2004 version of the film reflects contemporary society because many women have become successful and even have a larger salary than their spouses.
It is evident that males may feel inferior because they are not “worth” as much as their significant other. The underlying message of the contemporary version of Stepford Wives is that
female success should be appreciated rather than taken for granted.
obedient wife who is required to remain beautiful at all times and constantly please her husband
while dismissing any personal feelings. The robots did not have feelings and were merely
mechanical. However, in the contemporary version, which took place in 2004, the domesticated
roles of the husband serving as the primary breadwinner and the woman fulfilling the role as
housewife seem to be extinct. The 2004 version of the film reflects contemporary society because many women have become successful and even have a larger salary than their spouses.
It is evident that males may feel inferior because they are not “worth” as much as their significant other. The underlying message of the contemporary version of Stepford Wives is that
female success should be appreciated rather than taken for granted.

The endings of each film are significant because they are created and reexamined to address the issue of gender inequality.. The visual represented above is a captured image of Joanna from the original Stepford Wives. It is evident that she does not appear as she did before she was transformed into a robot because she has completely lost her true identity as a woman and replaced with a machine who is only identical in appearance.

The image depicted above is the character of Joanna from the contemporary version of the film. It is apparent that the visual is very similar to the image of Joanna from the original version of Stepford Wives. However, in the original, this visual represents the conclusion of the film and in contrast, in the contemporary Stepford Wives Joanna is not transformed into a robot because although Joanna’s husband, Walter finds the concept of women remaining subservient and inferior to be appealing, he decides to remain with his human wife and not transform her into a robot as the other men from Stepford have resorted to.
Throughout the 1960's and 1970's the Women’s Liberation Movement took place. These
Feminist Movements promoted gender equality and opposed any form of gender discrimination.
However, in the original, although Joanna desires to possess her own identity, the time period of
the 1970’s society did not completely support women’s liberation and thus, her fate was
inevitable. The ending in the contemporary film has been reevaluated to signify gender equality
and the support of female empowerment.
Works Cited
Cornea, Christine. Science Fiction Cinema Between Fantasy and Reality. New
Brunswick : Rutgers University Press, 2007.
Newton, Judith. Feminism and Anxiety in Alien. In Kuhn, Alien Zone, 1990
The Stepford Wives, dir. Bryan Forbes, perf. Katherine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter
Masterson, and Nanette Newman, 1975, DVD , Paramount , 2004
The Stepford Wives, dir. Frank Oz, perf. Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler,
Glenn Close, Christopher Walken, Roger Bart, John Lovitz, Dylan Hartigan, Fallon
Endnotes
Brooking, and Faith Hill, 2004, DVD , Paramount Pictures
[1] Christine Cornea, "Gender Blending and the Feminine Subject," Science Fiction Cinema Between Fantasy and Reality. ( New Brunswick : Rutgers University Press, 2007) p. 50
[2] Judith Newton, “Feminism and Anxiety in Alien,” In Kuhn, Alien Zone (1990): 82 -90.
[3]Christine Cornea, "Gender Blending and the Feminine Subject," Science Fiction Cinema Between Fantasy and Reality. ( New Brunswick : Rutgers University Press, 2007) p. 157