The mid-20th century wife is such a vivid type in popular art that we think we’ve got her down cold; in our minds, she’s usually a June Cleaver cliché. But in real life the midcentury wife faced daunting expectations. She may have worked outside the home during wartime, but more often than not, the wife life changed all that. She was supposed to bear children and raise them to be cheerful, productive adults, all while keeping a spotless home and having dinner on the table by 6. Stressed out from all of that? Barbiturates, Benzos, and booze were the dysfunctional solution.
The midcentury wife couldn’t win, though we all know of women who kicked free of those expectations, sometimes at great cost to themselves or those around them. These women usually don’t get movies made about them. Yet somehow, often miraculously, the culture Sofia Coppola’s even Christopher Nolan’s and Michael Mann’s —those last two made by male directors who aren’t exactly known for exploring the experiences of women—the movie wife has come barging in from the sidelines in all her glory. She may not be the main character, but she’s resolute about taking up space in the frame.
