Abbie directly provides Jamie with second-wave feminist texts such as Our Bodies, Ourselves and Sisterhood Is Powerful, discusses cervical cancer tied to the DES fertility drug, and imparts lessons on female sexuality and autonomy; Julie shares experiences around sex, birth control, and relationships. These elements drive multiple character arcs and subplots, including Jamie's exposure to feminist ideas and the women's own generational reflections on patriarchy and sexual liberation.

The premise of women collectively shaping male understanding of gender and sexuality places ideological instruction at the story's foundation rather than treating it as incidental background. Director Mike Mills has described the project as drawing from his own matriarchal upbringing and positioned himself as a 'male ally' advancing feminist perspectives through interviews and statements. This intent manifests in the repeated foregrounding of feminist texts and discussions as essential to Jamie's development, turning personal history into a vehicle for explicit gender ideology. While the 1979 setting remains organic with no source-material alterations or modern identity overlays, the central feminist framing elevates progressive messaging above conventional dramatic priorities, limiting the film's appeal beyond audiences already aligned with those views.