The Stepford Wives

The Stepford Wives is a tongue-in-cheek comedy bearing little resemblance to the original 1975 thriller starring Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss. The older film, based on Ira Levin’s novel, was man’s answer to the Women’s Liberation Movement, and proved to be so popular it was followed by three made-for-TV sequels. It would seem, then, that a remake would now be outdated, but the new version pokes fun at the jealousy many men have faced over the past couple of decades towards women who have become captains of industry.

When queen of broadcasting Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) is dethroned, her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) decides they need a fresh start to repair their short-circuiting marriage. And so they relocate to the idyllic gated community of Stepford, Connecticut, where all the women are perfectly coiffed, entirely vapid, and completely subservient to their drooling husbands. Joanna soon befriends the crass Bobbi (Bette Midler) and effiminate Roger (Roger Bart), and the trio of misfits set out to discover the town’s dark secret.

The entire cast is top-notch, and clearly has fun with the material. Kidman is a delight as the insensitive Joanna, while (the ever-pubescent) Broderick plays the emasculated Walter. Christopher Walken and Glenn Close add sparks as Stepford’s most influential couple, while Midler shines as the town’s only Jewish wife. But Jon Lovitz and singer Faith Hill appear only briefly.

Director Frank Oz (best known as the voice of Miss Piggy) has created an enjoyable film, while the clever script by Paul Rudnick offers numerous laughs.

Unfortunately, The Stepford Wives worked better as a horror, since the now quirky developments play like an episode of The Muppet Show. This flattens the impact of the wives’ transformation, a process that is never clearly explained to the audience. And the revamped ending, though full of twists, wraps everything neatly up without the haunting final image of the original.

As a result, Stepford seems more of a carnival than a community. Still, this town is worth a visit. Rating: 6 out of 10.