The Stepford Wives: Coveralls & Georgian Manors

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I have a bad habit of watching movies from the perspective of the architecture. (For example: Up is actually about the integrity and durability of Victorian houses.)


I love the Georgian manors of The Stepford Wives (1975). Traditionally, the strict symmetry of Georgian buildings, be they simple log structures or ornate mansions, represented a modicum of order and control over what was perceived by early European settlers as a wild, harsh continent. 

 

(In reality, the New World had been inhabited for over 12,000 years prior to European contact, and although not obvious to the newcomers, the natural landscape had embraced the habits and impacts of humanity long before. But I digress.)

 

That symbolism of taming the 'unknown' was definitely lost in the 2004 remake.

 

Indecently, the last image in the series is the home of a female psychoanalyst who sympathizes with the creative, intelligent heroine’s fear of losing herself, is also a fantastic example of National Park Service Rustic. This "Parkitecture" was designed to harmonize with the natural environment.

 

I also like the women's coveralls that pepper the film.

 

And the robots, the terrifying Misogyny-born robots.