Amazon.com: An all-star cast remakes the 1975 socio-political horror flick, The Stepford Wives. After being fired as president of a television network, Joanna (Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge) has a nervous breakdown, prompting her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick, Election) to take her to a simple Connecticut town called Stepford to recuperate. But Stepford is a little strange: The schlubby husbands congregate at a closed-doors men's club, while the wives--all in bright summer frocks and air-brushed smiles--exercise to keep their hourglass figures and cook endless pastries. Joanna, along with new arrivals Bobbie (Bette Midler, Beaches) and Roger (the very funny Roger Bart), soon discover that the mastermind of Stepford (Christopher Walken, Communion) has used cybernetics to "perfect" womankind. The Stepford Wives has some satirical zingers (from sneaky screenwriter Paul Rudnick, Addams Family Values), but the basic idea has lost a lot of gas since 1975. Also featuring Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction). --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Goofy
I heard that this remake was terrible, but finally caught it on TV and found myself laughing more than most comedies. I loved Kidman and Midler's neurotic characterizations. A lot of the jokes/cuts were cheap but still worked in the context of a low comedy that was just fun and seemed not to pretend to be much more.
Okay, sure, what a risk to remake an iconic serious "horror" film and social commentary like the original as a silly comedy!! Maybe it was a dumb idea, but I am glad they did it because I got a kick out of it. Yes it made no sense toward the end and could have been done ... Read More
Rating: - Utter and Complete Garbage
In an interview I read last year, Nicole Kidman claimed she made
"The Stepford Wives" and "Bewitched" to stay "busy" in the aftermath
of her divorce from Tom Cruise. What a pathetic excuse for making
bad movies. Turmoil and upheaval should lend itself to dynamic
acting choices and powerful performances. Everything about this
movie suffers from a lack of vision and integrity. Those of us who are
familiar with the original movie know what a complete debaucle this
updated version turned out to be. Perennial favorites Christopher
Walken and Bette Midler ... Read More
Rating: - Truly pathetic and nonsensical
Great cast, nice diversity. And Christopher Walken. Gotta love that guy.
But the movie can't decide if we are looking at robots - as is obvious by the Kidman-clone robot on the slab when Kidman is about to undergo the process - or modified humans, as the end attests. But how is a male robot a "Stepford Husband" and ... gripes - it's just idiotic. One minute they are robots / atm machines / vacuum cleaners. The next they are just women with modified wetwork. Then robots. Then clones. Huh? Wah?
Save your money.
Rating: - Worst Remake Ever
Ira Levin wrote a tight, amazingly concise, spine-tingling thriller that was made into a good film in the early seventies. The original film is still fun to watch and no less credible because of its dated fashions or dialog.
And then along comes this turkey.
This remake is not believable. It contradicts itself (Someone with a microchip implant doesn't react to an ATM card-swipe by spitting out cash ... that was just lame) and it spits all over the biting social commentary of the original plot. It's indicative of just how far we HAVEN'T come that an important and even risky idea of the ... Read More
Rating: - Kind of cute
I know this is tecnically supposed to be a suspense/weird horror type of film disguised as something clean and pure. However, in that respect, it fails. There is nothing horrifying, shocking, or mysterious about it. On the other hand, it does have an interesting premise, even though everyone knows its a remake. Its sort of cooky and weird, but in the comical sense, it somewhat works. Better Midler is quite good in this. She really brings that extra bit of humour to this film. Nicole does an admirable job, as usual, portraying a non-housewife. And not an inkling of aussie accent. She can do anything ... Read More
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