Gender roles were depicted as over-exaggerated stereotypes. The movie opened up with the Avon lady selling make-up to her neighbors and women answering the door in curlers and robes. It was assumed that they had no other occupation other than being a housewife. As stereotypical housewives and women, they gossiped uncontrollably. When one neighbor realized that Mrs. Boggs had brought a visitor into her home, she called another neighbor, who called another neighbor, who called yet another neighbor. When Mrs. Boggs went to listen to her answering machine, the entire tape was filled with messages inquiring about Edward. The women of this neighborhood were preoccupied with the internal affairs of and among neighbors, most of which they had no business knowing. As Leslie Holcomb has discussed, the gossip that travels around this neighborhood is typical of many surburban neighborhoods. The connection that these women have through their gossiping links them to the image of the typical suburban housewife who has nothing else to do outside of housework. All of the women were very pushy when they finally approached the doorsteps of the Bogg house. They insisted that the Boggs hold a barbeque (another typical suburban activity) to give them a chance to meet Edward.
No men appeared in the movie until they all came home from work. The cars entered and left the driveways at precisely the same time everyday, the strong portrayal of daily activities of typical male family breadwinners. As Leslie also discussed, the father's main job was to support the family by working while the women stayed at home. However, they were also expected to discipline their children, which Mr. Boggs tried to do with Edward. They also participated in the typical masculine activities like mowing the lawn, clipping the hedges, and working the barbeque grill. At one time, Mrs. Boggs told Kim to "go in the house. Your Dad will take care of it," insinuating that Dad could solve any problem and should be asked to "take care of things" on all occasions. Tom Choi sums up the portrayal of the typical suburban male rather well. "As the traditional suburbanite breadwinner, males are portrayed to value only a few, straight forward qualities: discipline and financial stability. These two qualities in turn, allow him to distinguish himself in suburbia through home improvement and maintenance."
Mrs. Boggs was a typical mother who successfully raised two normal children and perfomed her Avon job with enthusiasm. With a clean house and dinner promptly on the table, she served her husband well. The couple seemed to rarely argue. She was included in the social circle of the neighborhood and did not mind that gossiping about each other was their main activity. She had good morals and a friendly disposition for taking Edward back to her home and include him as another member of the family. Naturally, she scolded her son for staring at Edward during dinner, and her daughter for not accepting Edward right away.
Gender role issues were dealt with on an realistic level. Many suburban families have moms and dads that carry out the stereotypical tasks, including dad mowing the lawn, cooking on the barbeque and sitting at the head of the table and mom working in the kitchen and dressing wounds. The women were superficial, conformist and content in their role as housewives. The men were typical working heads of the household, overbearing to their subordinate wives and macho to other men in the neighborhood. The realism is frightening, since no woman wants to be thought of as their husband's wife with no name, however, a lot of time, they don't do anything to change their status. There is a conformist way of life that is not prone to much change which is why the women settle for their roles.