MovieChat Forums > Switch (1991) Discussion > The problem with the high heels scenes

The problem with the high heels scenes

posted 17 years ago by mikeysignoffs
14 replies | jump to latest

Blake Edwards wanted to show people what women who wear high heels have to go through. The problem is that not all women wear high heels. So why would a man put them on when he really didn't have to? And why would a man keep wearing them after realizing that they are very difficult to walk in? A man would have switched to flats in a second. The movie would have been better if there was a reason for the reincarnated man to wear high heels. It should have been part of the dress code where he worked.

[–] sinceimetjc 17 years ago

It wasn't meant to be thought about, it was just meant to be funny. It wouldn't have been funny for him to just put on flats.

"The hideousness of that foot will haunt my dreams forever."

[–] Kari11287 17 years ago

Cause high heels is what a lot of chauvinistic men find attractive, so of course he wants himself to be the most attractive woman possible.

[–] marcchanois 16 years ago

it's not Blake Edwards wanted ,it's of course, natural, because, at that time high heels were exremely fashionable. you couldn't wear a suit without them, the same for 50s,60s, etc

but the real problem is it's not that hard to wear high heels , when I was a kid, I tried them for fun, really not that difficult to balance, but very uncomfortable.

[–] theking581-1 15 years ago

I can tell you walking in heels is a relative breeze. Walking down stairs in them, a little harder, and running in them, takes practice. What isn't a breeze is doing your own makeup yet he has only one problem with that, a little extra rouge (hardly the kind of mistake somebody new to makeup would make while getting everything else correct). That said, it's only a movie and the more serious problems are with the meandering story with little structure. Still like it though, if only for Ellen Barkin.

[–] dmldc 15 years ago

I agree. It was funny for the first 5 minutes, but it got tedious to watch.

[–] rutica 15 years ago

Jiminy13-exactly! it was very tedious to watch her hobble in high heels and got so annoying. also, her constant touching of her hair was annoying.

speaking of annoying....it was also annoying the way she kept saying walter's name. i hate movies that constantly say the main character's name. "what do you mean walter", "let's go walter", "walter, where are you". we get it--his name is walter. uggh.

the movie sim0ne did it too. viktor this and viktor that. almost every time Catherine Keener spoke to Viktor she said his name constantly. it became almost unbearable to watch once you start noticing it.

[–] Kelea7 15 years ago

I actually liked that they kept it up. I just find it unrealistic in movies when a woman (or a woman who was a man) have trouble walking in heels and the next second they're pros at it. Personally I thought they did a good transition, I think eventually she got used to it. I also thought most of the heel scenes were funny, and one reminded me of myself. I rarely wear heels and I can walk in them but that takes practice. So I have had similar experiences in the past. I think they did a good job of showing how uncomfortable he was in women's attire.

Rest in Peace Keith "Guru" Elam (1966-2010)...you will be missed. Rest in Peace Gary Coleman :(

[–] mathmaniac 14 years ago

A woman in a business suit, wearing heels? Yeah. Always.

Wearing flats? Nah, not if you're the boss or want to be the boss. In flats, you look like a college kid picking out grown-up clothes.

That's why you see women wearing Nikes in the subway and switching to heels when they get to the office. They could just as easily wear flats all day - but they don't.

[–] Danomera 14 years ago

He was into his looks as a man. Why would that be different as a woman?
Some people take pride in how they look.

[–] DarcyBrandon 13 years ago

I think he had these ideas how a woman should be plus he was really into his looks. That just doesn't go away. LOL

[–] MooseNugget 9 years ago

Steve was trying to dress up the way he'd imagine a woman should be dressed up. That and he probably liked it when the ladies whore high heels. He was going gaga over several of the dresses at the clothing store. Early on he was probably trying to turn himself into the women he loved being with.

He/she does evolve his look later to be more comfortable by cutting his/her hair.

[–] moosefeathers 10 years ago

Amanda was actually getting better towards the end. She was getting the hang of it.

Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...