Customer Reviews

The Stepford Wives (Silver Anniversary Edition)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Whether or not you've actually seen it, you'll probably have heard of "The Stepford Wives". Based on Ira Levin's novel, it was produced in the 1970s and has endured in the public consciousness ever since. Indeed the terms "Stepford" and "Stepford Wife" are now part of our vernacular. If you're in any doubt what these expressions mean, just imagine a woman who is the perfect male fantasy...a wife who cooks, cleans and keeps her husband's home to perfection whilst remaining an object of beauty, with well-preserved looks, sexy outfits and just the right-sized cleavage. A female who is there to service her man's every need - domestic, emotional, sexual - whilst never questioning her role as devoted housewife.<P... but the "The Stepford Wives" remains a powerful and disturbing movie, because it shows what could happen if men allowed their fantasies about women to become a reality.

The film tells the tale of New York housewife and photographer Joanna Eberhart, who moves with her lawyer husband Walter (sexy name - not!) and their two kids to the seemingly idyllic rural town of Stepford. Very soon Joanna becomes disenchanted with her surroundings, missing the liveliness of New York. Her feelings of isolation are compounded by the fact that the other women in the town appear content to stay at home for their husbands as loyal house fraus, with no outside interests whatsoever. Also, all new male arrivals in Stepford are invited to join "The Men's Association", an organisation from which the town's women are strictly excluded. Whatever goes on there remains a mystery; the women aren't told.

Fortunately Joanna meets the effervescent and rebellious Bobby Marco, another recent arrival in Stepford who shares her concerns about the strange behaviour of the women in the community. Together they decide to set up a consciousness-raising group and rally to get the local women involved...almost to no avail! At the first meeting of the wives, the other women prefer to agonise over the cleanliness of their kitchens and talk about the wonders of "Easy-On" starch spray and baking. One other recruit is found though; a feisty redhead called Charmaine who feels restricted by her husband Ed's demands. However after a weekend away with him, Charmaine returns strangely altered, allowing her hubby to bulldoze her much-loved tennis court and confessing that she all she wanted to do was "please Ed...and boy am I gonna please him". Weird.

Mystified, Joanna and Bobby seek an answer to the zombie-like behaviour of the local women, wondering if "something in the water" might be responsible. They enlist one of Joanna's ex boyfriends, who is a scientist, to help, but this fails to pay dividends. Joanna soon comes to the frightening realisation that the town's wives undergo a change in personality after they have been resident in Stepford for roughly three months... and her time is almost up...

I won't give any more away but this is a thought-provoking and intriguing movie!! Although low on action, the film builds its sense of momentum through a growing feeling of paranoia: are the women in the town somehow being "substituted" for drone-like replacements? Or are all of Joanna's anxieties inside her own head? If you're looking for a fast-moving film you might be disappointed, but the cleverness of the movie lies in its subtlety and the way in which the events take place in a seemingly normal domestic setting.

Another reason for this movie's success lies in the acting. Katherine Ross (also of "The Graduate") puts in an intelligent, sympathetic performance as a woman who feels increasingly hemmed in by the claustrophobia of Stepford, and you really root for her as she feels she might be next on the list for "conversion". Paula Prentiss is great as Bobby, a funny, bubbly and tomboyish character determined not to become "one of those pan-scrubbers" and the rapport between her and Joanna is believable and touching. Given her determination to escape Stepford, Bobby's last few scenes are all the more poignant; I won't say any more but they make for some of the film's best moments! The supporting cast do a good job: amongst these are Peter Masterson as Walter, becoming gradually less supportive of his wife's feelings and fears and more and more influenced by the demands of the "Men's Association"; and Nanette Newman as Carol Van Sant, one of the wives who starts behaving very oddly at a barbecue, continually proclaiming "I'll just die if I don't get that recipe" (!!) Newman's role as a wife is all the more ironic considering all those "Fairy Liquid" adverts she once did (remember?!)

The movie has also attained a kitsch/camp quality over time, mostly due to the fact that it was made in the 1970s! This doesn't spoil the subtler elements to the film, rather makes it all the more entertaining! A large part of the camp appeal is down to the wives themselves - their appearance, behaviour and dialogue. According to this movie, men would like nothing better than to see their wives dressed in frilly blouses (still showing off their assets), flowery dresses and big floppy hats - hilarious. The wives all say things like "I really shouldn't say it, but I just love my brownies" (that's cakes in case you were wondering) and constantly praise their husbands' performances in the bedroom department: "You're the King....you're the Master"!! No comment!

To summarise this is a very enjoyable movie, which, as I have already mentioned, shows the dangers of male fantasies coming true and the perils that women must face having to exist in a patriarchal society. Go buy it...but don't get any ideas about changing your girlfriend...okay?!

Well, not quite. The sad thing about Ira Levin's brilliant little satirical Gothic about the backlash against Second Wave Feminism is that it's never quite received a film adaptation that does it justice. The 2004 comic version is a travesty, but even this 1975 original is not quite as good as you'd like: the pacing is very slow, especially at the beginning; the crucial part of Walter is underwritten; and while Katharine Ross is much better (especially in the last ten minutes, when she's superb) than she was given credit for at the time it's not quite the knockout performance the part of Joanna deserves. On the other hand, there are many things that make this film worth seeing, particularly the great dialogue and the fine supporting performances by Tina Louise, Nanette Newman, and (especially) Paula Prentiss as the heroine's best friend Bobbie. Indeed, there are several parts of the film that are literally unforgettable: Newman's much-quoted "breakdown" at the pool party ("I'll just die if I don't get this recipe!"); Joanna's consciousness raising session, with the Wives breathlessly promoting the joys of cleaning products; and, most of all, the great last scene, with the Wives placidly sweeping through the supermarket in their ruffled prairie dresses and sunhats as they patiently push their shopping carts...

After hearing references made again and again to The Stepford Wives, I decided to take a chance and buy it on DVD. It was only 12.99, so I figured I had very little to lose. The film is shot and directed in a very 70s style, which can be hard to follow or even annoying for younger, Gen-X viewers (like myself...I was born the year the movie came out) but if you just sit through it, it eventually gets EXTREMELY good. I did not know how the movie ended or what the plot even was, so I found the film particularly thrilling. I paid attention to the foreshadowing, but I figured that the Stepford wives were tamed into submission by coercion, beating, threats, or some other plausible method. It becomes obvious when Ross's character's best friend becomes a "Stepford Wife" that they are being replaced by robots. The sight of Ross coming face to face with her hollow-eyed double, a robot that is not quite finished, is terrifying. People my age don't have the cultural or historical perspective to understand what this film meant when it was released, but 25 years' worth of hindsight allows my younger generation to make the film our own. Feminists were extremely annoyed with this film, saying it was anti-woman, but I think the opposite is true. It is not exactly pro-woman, but it is definitely anti-man. The message I got was that men were too insecure to cope with their wives' growing independence during an era of cultural and sexual liberation, so they simply replaced them with robots.

p.s. watch out for Mary Stuart Masterson...this was her first film.

"The Stepford Wives," based on the novel by Ira Levin, is worth seeing (and for some, owning) and it is good, but I feel somehow it might've been better. Since the phrase "Stepford Wives" has become a part of the lexicon, I assume most know what it's about. Amateur shutterbug Joanna Eberhardt (Katharine Ross) and lawyer hubby Walter (Peter Masterson) move with their two children from New York City to the suburbs where Joanna quickly suspects something is off about the picture perfect Stepford women. Levin's novel reflected the burgeoning women's movement and a certain New York-bred bias about suburbia.

On the plus side is the cast: pretty Katharine Ross; ebullient Paula Prentiss; and Hollywood glamorous Tina Louise (here as red a redhead as you can get). Still, it isn't completely satisfying, to use a cliche and yet fairly apt film review phrase. One of the things that detracts, for me, is the fact that the men are so uniformly unappealing. Obviously this was partially supposed to be the point, but it doesn't work well for me, because at the very least, Walter Eberhardt should come across as an appealing character who has somehow gotten swept up into the Men's Association mania and changed. At one point, Joanna even says to him, when he calls the Stepford husbands "a nice group of guys," "Are you serious?. .That's not me and it's not you." Isn't it? He comes off as a rather obnoxious, self-centered character from the get-go, wanting to "christen" every room in the house, making a comment to another Stepford husband whose wife brings over a "welcoming" casserole, "She cooks as good as she looks" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and basically being domineering in a passive-aggressive way. I couldn't see what attracted her to him, and they seemed to have zero chemistry. The fact that Joanna and Bobbie (Prentiss) are commenting that the babes of Stepford have chosen husbands who are "nothing" is rather an irony, since their own husbands are nothing to write home about. Joanna's husband, moreover, is whiny.

Beyond this, there are some anomalies. What's with the older woman who writes about new women coming to Stepford? Is she representative of the active women's movement that once existed? I know this is in keeping with Levin's novel. And what about the children? What fate will they have with robotic mothers?

The ending is pretty creepy, granted (in fact, individual scenes are great) but I also feel this film unintentionally --at least in retrospect -- sheds another light on feminism, exposing some fears that weren't entirely justifiable. Being a strong feminist myself, I don't want to suggest in any way that feminism wasn't necessary and vital or that the need for it has passed. Heaven knows that women are still back in the Stone Ages in many countries without many rights to speak of. But the hysteria here of suggesting that men would literally turn their wives into robots (even if it is a metaphor for the subservient role that already existed -- the "decorative but mindless" ideal the media has long put out)-- well, it didn't happen, did it? The women's movement did happen and now women are in the boardrooms and fighting to have the luxury of being stay-at-home moms. You can't really have it all, whether you are male or female without some compromise. But, in any case, nothing on this scale in essence happened in our country or society. (Actually let me amend this! Something on this level DID happen, I see, judging from the scary feminist backlash that is suddenly popping up and fundamentalist communities in our country that DO turn women into baby-producing "robots" of sorts, completely under the dominion of men - and even beaten as part of their "conditioning." See Christian domestic discipline if you want your blood chilled. So I stand corrected here. It is frightening and depressing.) And if men were looking for ideals, would they choose those peasant dresses and floppy hats? I guess that was 70's chic.

Oh -- and the Tina Louise character -- irony of all ironies -- has a maid and makes the disparaging comment about her that being from whatever country she is from, makes her good at "serving." Joanna and Bobbie later are shocked and disturbed that Tina Louise has fired her housekeeper so she can do her work herself. I was uneasy that she had the housekeeper to start with! She was as oppressive and condescending in speaking about the woman as the husbands were about their wives.

But in spite of what I consider to be a sense of lacking in this film, it's still a good one. Seeing the women behave as robots is the thriller part and it is very effective. The companionship of Joanna and Bobbie is appealing, and the other "wives" are quite good, especially when they sound as if they are doing advertisements for cleansing products. It has a good musical score, highlighting all that is twisted and unsettling. And some of the dialogue is a hoot. All in all, it's worthwhile and fun to watch -- just not as great as what might have been.

Every time I see "Martha Stewart's Living" on television, for some reason this film comes to mind. If you're a fan of horror / sci-fi films that are interspersed with bits of wry comedy, then this is a film for you. Like Ira Levin's other book-adapted-to-film, "Rosemary's Baby", this is an example of a film where it's obvious to the viewer what is happening 10-15 minutes into the movie (that is, if you don't know the film by its reputation), but, unfortunately, our heroine, in this case Katharine Ross, doesn't realize what's going on until it's literally spelled out for her. I personally believe that the film also encourages individualism,() But if you're a "campy-horror" fan, this will be a treat for you regardless.

I didn't see this 1975 film until about 20 years after its release. Even though I knew the basic plot I was quite captivated by the events of the story. Well, I've seen it three more times since then and each time I'm taken in by the storyline, not to mention well entertained.

THE PLOT: Katharine Ross and her husband move to Stepford, CT, where many of the wives of the village seem to be oblivious to the current women's liberation movement; they seem wholly dedicated to their husbands, home & garden and keeping themselves well-groomed and primed for sex. Meanwhile Katharine's husband joins a mysterious all-male organization which seems to be up to something fishy. When two of Katharine's friends strangely morph into the typical Stepford housewife Katharine realizes something diabolical is going on and, to her horror, that she's next in line.

Paula Prentiss and Tina Louise (Ginger from Giligan's Island) are on hand as Katharine's friends.

The story is not campy at all (like the 2004 version). This is serious and creepy sci-fi of the highest order. "The Stepford Wives" powerfully succeeds where the similar-themed "Westworld" only passably gets by.

I couldn't beleieve someone was brave enough to make a remake of this film because I have an impression that this movie has attained a cult like status. Okay, so if you're gonna remake this film, couldn't you at least make it more interesting. The Nicole Kidman update was just god awful. I am basing my 5 star review on the DVD extras and just because I really like this movie. It is so memorable and funny in many ways. The DVD extra was neat. Apparently there was rancor between the English director, Bryan Forbes, screenwriter William Goldman and lead actor Peter Masterson. Forbes altered Goldman's script which Masterson didn't appreciate because he is a close friend of Goldman's. Excutive producer Edgar Shcerick wanted Brian DePalma to direct but Goldman refused. Also, Diane Keaton was the first choice to play Joanna Eberhart but backed out at the end. And as a footnote, Mary Stuart Masterson appeared as the Eberharts' seven year old daughter in her film debut. Overall everyone got along enough to make a real neat film. There's also interviews with Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss on their prespective in making the movie. I like the DVD extra as much as the film itself. I did not read the book, but now interested in doing so just to see the comparisson. I think a reviewer based his opinion on the translation of the book to film, which I think is unfair because the book is always better. The movie itself is a hoot. There were loads of funny lines.. Like the exchange between the Ross and Prentiss characters "I dabbled in Women's Lib back in New York" "Yeah didn't we alll." (at least in college, anyway.) And the husbands are kinda pathetic because they all seem like a bunch of jeeks and nerds who grew up to be old professional bores scheming to build a super wife who will always be in the mood and will keep a clean house. They should have been replacing themselves. I didn't really see it as a feminist's movie even though it was made during 1975 when the ERA movement was gaining momentum. This movie holds up in many aspect because it is well made and the suspense build up was well paced and got real scary toward the climactic end. I am glad Ross ended up playing Joanna. She projected an innocent frailty just by her mere appearance. She has the most melancholic pair of camel eyes on screen, almost haunting. If you haven't seen this movie in a while, I encourage you to get the DVD, I think you'll like the extras as much as I did specially if you're a fan of this movie.

After all these years, the original STEPFORD WIVES still plays as a perfect blend of black satire and bone-chilling horror. Forgot the horrid recent remake with Nicole Kidman, stick with the 1975 version, which scared me to death (and made me laugh at the same time) when I saw it as a young kid in the theaters - those were the days, and this is still a scary, mature little gem of a horror movie that doesn't rely on today's CGI effects to get under your skin. Chock full of priceless dialogue and pitch-perfect performances (especially Paula Prentiss as the coffee-serviing Bobbie!), STEPFORD takes it time to rachet up suspense and deliberately build to a disturbing, ironic conclusion that will stick with you for days. Katherine Ross' climactic confrontation with her black-eyed drone is terrifying, while the final supermarket sequence is all about what becomes a legend most. Def worth a rental or purchase.

This is a remarkable film. Some say it is dated. Maybe so, but there is nothing wrong with being dated if you are making a valid point in a fresh, eye-opening style, about the time and place in history, as this film director and screenwriter do with The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin.

The early 1970s were the height of the Women's Movement. Like other movements before it, there was a strong current of ideological militance on the part of some at the time, (and incidentally began to include men as well as women) enough so that a film of this artistic power and validity appearing in the movement's aftermath would by definition be incredibly frightening.

Unusually enough, Ira Levin's brilliance includes his uncanny ability to write from the point-of-view of his heroines. Director Bryan Forbes and the screenwriter who adapted the work, rose to this task as well when they created this excellent movie.

Additionally, the casting of Katharine Ross as the heroine was an excellent choice--Ross was the epitomy of the 70s female with the combination of her strength of character, down-to-earth feminity and warmth, as well as her subtle, natural beauty. It is genuinely horrifying because women of the 70s identified so much with Ross and her character Joanna, as well as her feisty, wise-cracking friend Bobbi. What happens to these women happens to us all as we watch the film.

Those who did not live through the heydey of feminist consciousness-raising will also identify with this film, because of Joanna's human qualities that are universal, and because malevolence and abuse of power can be based anywhere, at any point in history where there are human beings who no longer feel connected to humanity, as happened when the men of Stepford betrayed their own wives and children in this finely crafted and horrifying movie.

Anyone who wants to see a fascinating and horrific tale that is short on blood-and-guts but long on genuine, horrifying intrigue that includes entertaining the impossible, would absolutely love this film.

I saw this film on TV when I was very young and I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere. Most of the social elements went way over my head. So suffice to say, when I rewatched it, it revealed a whole new level of creepiness.

A lot of the early feminist rhetoric was scary in it's anger and it shows thru Joanna and Bobbi. The movie also reveals that Stepford was once a big NOW town but has since become housefrau heaven. Joanna and Bobbi set out to find out why and are doomed.

The disturbing aspect, that noone ever mentions, in this film is that the Stepford men don't want new wives they want their old wives. I could never understand why Walter needed to change his beautiful wife. But now with a few years under my belt, I can see that the Eberhardt's marriage is on the rocks. Joanna is on the verge of becoming a professional photographer and it is a real, unspoken threat that she will take the kids, blow out of Stepford back to the big city. In fact, I would bet that 90% of the Stepford men were in marriages heading into divorce. The men's club program was a last ditch effort to keep broken marriages intact, to freeze their pretty wives at the height of their beauty and to never be bothered with feminine independence again. The end of the film is still spooky.

Stay away from the remake. It just focused on the campy aspects of the original and got it all wrong. Also, this is 70's film. Don't expect a lot of action but do expect a lot of great acting. One very good reason to see this is for Paula Prentiss' great character Bobbi, she never stops being funny.