The Film: Rebecca (1940)

The Inappropriate: The fact that the leading lady in Daphne du Maurier’s tale is never afforded a name speaks volumes about the dysfunctional relationship she shares with Maximilian.

He likes her because she’s innocent and naive (she has that “look”), but that soon changes when our unnamed heroine begins to dig into the death of her new husband’s previous wife.
 
How They Make It Work: When the truth about Maximilian’s marriage to Rebecca is revealed, his new wife sticks with him. It’s her duty, you know.