Polyester (1981)

The protagonist of the film is a housewife, Francine Fishpaw (played by Divine). She is an upper middle class women who lives in suburban Baltimore. Her husband, Elmer owns an X-rated theater. Her children are Lu-Lu and Dexter. Lu-Lu is spoiled and slutty whereas Dexter is delinquent and sniffs glue. He gets pleasure from stomping on women's feet. Her mother, La Rue robs her, and also snorts cocaine. Her best friend, Cuddles Kovinsky is an independently wealthy, simple-minded woman. She is the world's oldest debutante. She was once her housekeeper, but she inherited a large sum of money from a very affluent family. This infuriates La Rue. Francine discovers that her husband is having an affair with his secretary, Sandra Sullivan. To add to her troubles her daughter becomes pregnant by her boyfriend Bobo. Dexter is also arrested at a supermarket for stomping on a woman's foot. She turns to alcoholism and depression. When Lu-Lu goes to a clinic for an abortion, she is harassed by people who are against abortions. Her mother calls an unwed mothers' home. Two nuns arrive to take Lu-Lu to take her to a Catholic home by locking her in the trunk of a car. On Halloween evening, Bobo and his friend come to shoot La Rue. She manages to retrieve the gun and shoots him dead. Lu-Lu comes home and discovers her boyfriend is dead. She tries to commit suicide by sticking her head in an oven. Francine comes homes, sees her daughter's attempt and faints. After this, Francine's life begins to change. Her son is released from jail no longer striving pleasure from foot stomping. Her daughter suffers a miscarriage from her suicide attempt. She sees the error of her ways, and Francine finally stands up to her mother. Todd Tomorrow walks into Francine's life and lifts her spirits. He soon proposes to her and she accepts. Her mother and Todd soon become romantically involved and the two of them plot to embezzle Francine's divorce settlement and drive her insane. Elmer and Sandra break into the house to kill Francine but Dexter steps on Sandra's foot and this results in her accidentally shooting Elmer. Cuddles and her German chauffeur/fiance Heintz arrive and strike La Rue and Todd with their limousine.

The film ends with a happy ending for Francine, her children, and Cuddles and Heintz.

This is one of many films by John Waters inspired by "women pictures".