Gender Representation in Fried Green Tomatoes and Stepmom

Introduction: Film as a Mirror of the Women's Movement

Fans of the silver screen have enjoyed the entertainment value of movies since the industry's infancy. Whether the desire is to laugh, to cry, to yell, or simply to spend quality time with family, moviegoers have been able to find what they are looking for at the theater. While the industry exists largely for the purpose of entertainment, films have also been used to send messages to the world. Political trends, cultural shifts, and other concerns important to society have worked through their evolution on screen for viewers to witness. One of the more significant trends to find its way onto the silver screen in the past few decades is the women's movement. Feminism has touched every aspect of American life, including the film industry. Anyone who wants to study and understand issues of gender representation need only turn to film for a visual syllabus of possibilities.

Two films from recent years provide excellent examples of gender representation in relation to the feminist movements of the past few decades. Fried Green Tomatoes and Stepmom are classic examples of movies that illustrate changing roles for women while simultaneously showing the viewer that the struggle for equality still exists.

Feminist Theory and the Male Gaze

Throughout history, several feminist theorists have contributed to society through their art, their work, and their ideas. One theorist, Laura Mulvey, is well known for her belief that films are largely controlled by men and therefore provide a biased portrayal of gender. Mulvey did not undertake empirical studies of actual filmgoers; instead, she declared her intention to make "political use" of Freudian psychoanalytic theory — in a version influenced by Jacques Lacan — in a study of cinematic spectatorship. Such psychoanalytically inspired studies of spectatorship focus on how "subject positions" are constructed by media texts rather than on the viewing practices of individuals in specific social contexts.

Mulvey noted that Freud had referred to infantile scopophilia — the pleasure involved in looking at other people's bodies as erotic objects. In the darkness of a cinema auditorium, one may look without being seen, either by those on screen or by other members of the audience. Mulvey argues that various features of cinema viewing facilitate for the viewer both the voyeuristic process of objectifying female characters and the narcissistic process of identifying with an "ideal ego" seen on screen. She declares that in patriarchal society, "pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female."

Another well-known feminist, Mary Beth Edelson, was considered a pioneer in the area of feminism through her art and her theories about the purpose of artistic expression. Edelson reflected on the charged political atmosphere for women internationally, noting that in the United States, continued revelations concerning the Catholic clergy made "ridiculous their arguments for denying women entry into the priesthood." She observed that when her famous Last Supper poster was first produced, people saw only the humor rather than the underlying message, but that over time, as the issues it addressed came into clearer focus, the poster began to be exhibited around the world.

Gender Representation in Fried Green Tomatoes

One of the first things a viewer will notice about Fried Green Tomatoes is that its feminist undertones are reinforced through the film's casting choices, which play directly into societal assumptions about appearance. According to prevailing cultural expectations, conventional beauty signals confidence, while unconventional appearance signals its absence. Society still tends to view heavy, older, or less conventionally attractive women as substandard, and the film engages with this bias in complex ways.

The movie centers on Kathy Bates, who is widely regarded as a gifted actress but is not considered conventionally beautiful by Hollywood standards. She plays Evelyn Couch, a woman married to a domineering husband, lacking confidence in her abilities, sex appeal, and intelligence. Unwelcome in the nursing home room of her husband's elderly relative, she begins visiting another patient — and it is through that patient's life story that the film's true message unfolds. Couch gradually gains confidence in herself by listening to the elderly woman's tales of female strength and resilience.

While many viewers and critics recognize Fried Green Tomatoes as a straightforwardly feminist film — and it is — there are also elements that reveal how the industry still equates female worth with beauty. As Couch grows more confident, she begins to exercise, eat better, and wear makeup. On the surface, this transformation illustrates her inner growth made visible. But beneath that surface message lies a more troubling implication: that a woman becomes more worthwhile when she conforms to conventionally attractive, male-approved standards of appearance. Her desire to match her new internal image to an external one that is thinner and more "put together" reflects an ongoing cultural pressure to earn legitimacy through looks.

This message is reinforced by the casting of the two young women at the heart of the film's historical narrative. Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker — both known for thin figures, striking features, and conventional beauty — play the bold, boundary-pushing characters whose stories inspire Couch. In the storytelling, Masterson's character is portrayed as "a tough, rebellious young woman who smokes, plays poker in a gin mill with rowdies, and wears men's clothes," unafraid of social convention. The choice to cast conventionally attractive actresses in these transgressive roles subtly softens their radicalism for mainstream audiences.

On the other hand, the film does display many genuine aspects of the feminist movement. One of its most celebrated scenes takes place in a shopping center parking lot. Couch is about to park when two young, conventionally attractive women steal her space and taunt her about their youth and beauty. Couch responds by ramming their parked car multiple times while shouting "TOWANDA!" — a war cry she has adopted from the stories of female strength she has been hearing. The scene powerfully illustrates the belief that women have far more to offer the world than their looks, and that wisdom and resilience outweigh youth and physical appearance.

The film also weaves together themes of racism and feminism, acknowledging that women have historically suffered discrimination similar to that faced by racial minorities. By linking these struggles, the film argues that both must be challenged and transformed simultaneously. Gender representation is clearly foregrounded throughout: the central story belongs to the women, while the men occupy supporting roles — a structural choice that is itself a statement about the feminist movement.

Conclusion: Liberation or a Longer To-Do List?

The women's movement did a great deal to change the way women live their lives. The film industry has always worked to mirror the views of society, and the two films examined here are perfect examples of the dual role women are still trying to break free from. Fried Green Tomatoes and Stepmom both show how society has asked women to juggle everything at once. Women have not been liberated so much as told they may pursue their own lives — as long as they make sure their "chores" still get done.