The Stepford Wives (2004)

 

So here we are. The 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives. I actually saw this in the movie theater as a kid because I was curious about how the men turn their wives into robots. Turns out, it's really fucking dumb but we'll talk about that later. I was surprised to see the star-studded cast in this movie: You have Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Roger Bart, Jon Lovitz, Christopher Walken, Glenn Close, and freakin' Faith Hill who I had no idea she was in this movie. So yeah, you have a good cast, but sadly, they couldn't solve this film's problems, mostly the script, of all things. 

How I would describe this version of The Stepford Wives is that it's a Tim Burton movie, but it's not directed by Tim Burton. The actual director is Frank Oz who was a known collaborator for Jim Henson and he was one of the main voices for The Muppets, most notably Ms. Piggy. Unsurprisingly, this film went through some production hell. Originally, acting siblings John and Joan Cusack were cast as Walter and Bobbie, respectively, but they backed out of the project due to family issues. Then, when Nicole Kidman was on board, she was excited to be working with Frank Oz as she was a fan of Ms. Piggy, but when the film went into production, she, along with the rest of the cast, had some issues with Frank Oz's work ethic. The film was initially conceived as a black, emphasis on "black", comedy, but the test audience didn't like the direction the film was going, so Paramount decided to reshoot the film to give it a more cartoonish, over-the-top tone, which I didn't really care for. Anywho, let's get on with the story:

One of my issues with the film is the characterization of Joanna, played by Nicole Kidman. What I liked about Joanna in the 1975 version is that she comes off as this artsy, laid-back hippy mom type. In this version, however, she is this overly confident, ball-busting, tv executive who screws over men for her own gain. This time it bites her in the ass when a contestant in one of her tv show attempts to kill her after his wife left him for a rendezvous with some adult male stars and a famous male stripper. Yeah, this new characterization doesn't exactly make her sympathetic, which makes it hard for me to root for Joanna, considering that her husband might replace her with a robot. 

After losing her job and being blacklisted by the network, Joanna goes into a complete meltdown and is left in the care of her husband Walter played by Matthew Broderick. The difference in this version of Walter is that he's actually supportive, though there are hints of him being a pushover. Now, I do like Matthew Broderick as an actor, but I felt that he came off as "too nice" for the role. Now, Peter Matherson in the '75 version, played Walter in a way where he was fighting for his dominance, like somebody who wants to place things in order but can't quite do it, so that's when he decides to replace his wife. In the 2004 version, Walter is a henpecked husband, and once he moves his family to Stepford, he finally puts his foot down and stands up to Joanna. For me, this totally misses the point of their relationship. Walter is not the one we should be rooting for; it's Joanna. Again, this all comes down to her portrayal as this self-assertive businesswoman. They soon meet up with the head honchos of Stepford, Clare, and Mike Wellington, but I'll go into details about their characters later. Right off the bat, the house is super high-tech. You even have a refrigerator that reminds you when you run out of food and a terribly-looking CGI robot dog. Of course, Joanna is not too keen on the kitschy, saccharine town of Stepford, but eventually, she meets up with Bobbie and Roger, the only two people she considers normal. 

Bobbie Markowitz, played by Bette Midler, is now a socio-activist turned author. Bobbie's personality is much more acerbic and outspoken this time, which could be good or bad. In the 1975 version, yes, Bobbie was sarcastic at times, but she was still open, friendly, and vibrant. In this version, Bobbie is incredibly one-note, and even though I'm a fan of Bette Midler and she does have some solid jokes here, she really isn't given much to do in this film.

Roger Bannister, played by Roger Bart, fills in as the Charmaine equivalent. He is the typical gay best friend and nothing more, but there is one interesting aspect about his character. Roger is unapologetically gay, and his partner, Jerry, is deeply uncomfortable with that. Jerry is a little on the conservative side, and he feels that Roger doesn't fit the traditional masculine role he wants him to be. These are the many issues that gay men go through to this day: to prove their masculinity to a romantic partner. Hell, recently, there was this viral interview with a gay man who had to hide that he performed drag to appease his male partner. These are the many interesting ideas this film has but fails to execute. 

Kidman, Midler, and Bart do have great chemistry together...if they were in a better movie. Yes, they are fun to watch, but the trio isn't enough to save the really subpar script.

However, the Stepford Wives are portrayed much better in this version. The only minor issue with the '75 version is that the wives didn't come off weird enough to differentiate their personalities. For example, Charmaine and Bobbie are more overly excited than vacant and robotic. But in this version, they present themselves as bubbly bimbos who talk like they're in an advertising commercial, which adds to the campy tone this film is going for. Faith Hill fills in the role as the Carol Van Sant equivalent, Sarah Sunderson. Where the original was more subtle with her malfunctions, the remake has her literally shooting sparks from her neck and twitching like a wind-up toy. The filmmakers make it way too obvious, which kind of kills the mystery of the first half. Later in the movie, when Joanna puts her Nancy Drew cap on, it's discovered that the Stepford Wives were successful girl bosses who owned airline companies, ran judicial systems, and became CEOs of businesses around the globe. But once these empowered women move to Stepford, they are suddenly stripped of their agency and become beautiful hasfraus for their husbands. Seeing the change in Roger and Bobbie, Joanna finally musters up the courage to investigate the Men's Association headquarters. 

Meanwhile, Walter is fully accepted into the Men's Association and is not at all weirded out by their strange robotic housewives who serve them hand and foot. The men are portrayed as they are in the original: pathetic, schlubly, insecure, and, this time around, emasculated by their career-driven wives. That's pretty much the whole point of them turning their wives into robots, which in turn convinces Walter to change Joanna. 

When Joanna confronts the members of the Men's Association, Mike Wellington, played by the charismatic Christopher Walken, reveals himself as the Dale Coba equivalent and shows her how a Stepford is made in a cheesy how-to manual video.

                                         

I would give the scene one compliment, however. At least they pulled off the no-eyes effect this time. Not as creepy as in the first film, but I still give it a pass. Joanna tries to convince Walter that her robot double won't give her the same feelings, emotions as she, but he doesn't budge, tired of Joanna one-upping him. Slowly, Joanna and Walter descend to the experiment room as the members onimusly watch on.

Cut to the memorable grocery store scene from the original, where Joanna is now replaced by her robot double...or so it seems.

                                         

Later that night, Joanna and Walter are invited as special guests at the Wellington formal ball. Joanna makes conversation with Mike while Walter goes to fetch a drink for Clarie. But what the Wellingtons don't know is that Joanna has been pretending all along, and Walter sneaks into the experiment room to... deactivate the micro-chips that've been brainwashing the wives this whole time. Yes, I've said it. MICROCHIPS.

Do microchips turn a woman into an ATM machine? Do microchips create sparks from a woman's neck, malfunction like a robot, or make her breasts grow larger? What about the scene when Roger sees his robot double? Is there any explanation for that? Hell, there were even some deleted scenes where Bobbie malfunctions herself, her hands turning into various kitchen objects. But the scene that was attached had her hand on a burning stove. So, do the microchips prevent the Stepford Wives from feeling pain? This film has bigger plot holes than The Stepford Children. 

So the Stepford Wives are restored to their normal selves while Clare has a complete meltdown. Wait, I thought Stepford Wives aren't supposed to have emotions? hmm. Anyhow, Mike is not pleased with Walter's deception and decides to teach him a lesson. Just in the nick of time, Joanna grabs a large candlestick before Mike does the deed. She swiftly swings the candlestick over Mike's head and...

It turns out that Mike is a Stepford husband.

The real culprit is Clare Wellington, played by the brilliant Glenn Close. She is a fully realized, flesh-and-bone human woman who had a successful career as a renowned brain surgeon and genetic engineer. But her busy work schedule pushed her husband Mike into an affair with a young research assistant. 

After brutally murdering Mike and his wanton assistant, Clare gets an idea to produce a utopia where men can be "men" and women can be "women." So, she creates a robot duplicate of her husband and chooses the state of Connecticut to work on her experiments, therefore, adopting the town of Stepford. Now, there were hints early on that Clare might be human, so the film's not that clever. And although this is a solid twist, the execution sucks. However, Glenn Close really sells it in this scene, and she's one of the few shining beacons in this movie. 

With one final kiss to Mike's lips, Clare electricutes herself. As she slowly dies, Clare embraces the head of her once-deceased husband.

A few months later, Joanna, Bobbie, and Roger appear on the Larry King show to promote their projects. Joanna has won a whopping six Emmys for producing a documentary on Stepford, Roger won his State Senate seat as an independent, and Bobbie has written a poetry book. While Joanna boasts about her many accomplishments, she looks over to her husband Walter, who's watching backstage, and she personally thanks him, indicating that the marriage is stronger than ever. As for the men of Stepford, they are put on house arrest and are forced to do domestic chores. THE END.

Wow, what a freakin' mess! Although I appreciated the solid cast, the script was inconceivable. The whole twist with the microchips really ruined it for me. The filmmakers intended to make it more in line with the original, where the wives are killed and replaced by robots, which explains the Tim Burton-like tone but the test audiences felt that the light-hearted campiness of the film didn't clash well with the darker elements. I don't mind Stepford Wives being adapted into a comedy, but had it been done today, I think it would've had a much better reception. However, it would have this off-kilter, A24 feel, a little less cartoony and wacky and more subtle and surreal. 

Despite my rush of nostalgia, it's overall a forgettable movie and didn't quite stick the landing like it should. 

My last word: For curiosity's sake, it's good for one watch. 

 

The Stepford Wives (1975)

 

After the sweeping success of Rosemary's Baby, Ira Levin continued his exploration of the horrors of idle domesticity in his 1972 novel, The Stepford Wives. This was when the Second-Wave Feminism movement gained momentum, as did the divorce revolution of the 1970s. Levin began to dissect the Norman Rockwell 1950s picture-perfect housewife that seemed to clash with the more free-thinking, intelligent, and liberated women of the 1970s. So why not make a horror satire? At first, the project would be a stage play, but since there were too many characters, Levin decided to make it into a novel instead. Then it was going to be a comedy. Still, considering how those women suffered during the seemingly idyllic 50s, whether it be emotional, physical or psychological abuse, Levin decided to take the novel into a more serious approach. 

The novel is more so a character-driven story with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. It mostly focuses on Joanna's discomfort with suburban life and how the women of Stepford, once upstanding feminists, suddenly devote their entire livelihood to cooking, cleaning, gardening, and tending the children. What Joanna desperately wants to escape from is to not set herself up to be just a wife and mother. If anything, she strives to establish herself as a photographer, which doesn't sit right with her egghead husband Walter. As the novel concludes, Joanna befriends two new women in Stepford: The talkative, sharp-tongued Bobbie and the sexy, shallow Charmaine. Joanna fits as a balance between their distinct personalities. Speaking of which, that's the driving force of her story arc: Seeking the balance between her family and career. However, something seems to disrupt that balance...

Now, at first,  the novel shows Walter as a supportive husband. He joins her in the women's liberation movement, helps her tend to the kids, and supports her chosen career. But as the novel continues and as Joanna's suspicions about the Men's Association arise, Walter gaslights her. You see, the women of Stepford had their own association, but strangely, mysteriously, the president of the Women's Association, Mrs. Dale Coba, stepped down from her duties and the other members followed suit. The reason? To cook, clean, and tend to the children. In the early moments of the novel, Joanna and Bobbie attempt to run their own women's group but, unfortunately, most of the Stepford women decline their offer, deciding that cooking and cleaning are more important. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until there was a sudden change in Charmaine too. Charmaine, an avid tennis player who had a keen interest in astrology, suddenly forgoes her daily hobbies to cook, clean, and satisfy her husband. Bobbie thinks there might be some chemical goings-on in Stepford and suggests Joanna should move out with her in a town in Eastbridge. But when Bobbie goes away for some alone time with her husband on the weekend, there's a sudden change in her too! She pleads with her husband Walter to move out of Stepford, but he vehemently refuses. Feeling the walls cave in on her, Joanna tries to unveil the mysteries of the Men's Association but it's far too late...By the end of the novel, a minor supporting character, a black woman named Ruthanne, runs into Joanna who recently gave up her photography career to...cook, clean, and tend to her children. Ruthanne, a children's author, has a bout of writer's block and feels uneasy about her run-in with Joanna. The novel soon hints that Ruthanne might be next in line...

The novel sparked a cultural wave of both outrage and intrigue from its female audience, which caught the attention of producer Edgar Scherick.

At first, Brian De Palma went on board to take the directing duties, which would've been quite the choice. Carrie is one of my all-time favorite movies and for Brian De Palma to direct an off-the-wall concept like The Stepford Wives would be a match made in heaven. But screenwriter William Goldman wanted nothing to do with De Palma, so Sherick recruited English director Bryan Forbes. However, Goldman would have issues with him, too. Forbes decided to cast his wife Nanette Newman as Carol Van Sant, which didn't sit well with Goldman. Originally, he wrote the wives to be younger and scantily-clad, which was obviously inspired by Julie Newmar's character in the short-lived TV series My Living Doll. Nanette Newman, although beautiful in her own right, didn't quite fit the playboy bunny image Goldman envisioned and looked more like a typical suburban mom, which prompted Forbes to do some re-writing, making them less like pin-up models and more like June Cleaver. Considering that the movie satirizes this type of character, Bryan Forbes' revision works better for me. 

As for the casting for the Joanna Eberhart, here are the actresses considered:

We have Diane Keaton who would've been an amazing runner-up but her analyst got bad vibes from the script, so unfortunately Keaton backed out of the project.

Then we have Anne Archer, an underrated actress I've seen time-to-time.

The legendary Jacqueline Bisset.

The sensational Karen Black.

The one and only Stockard Channing.

The riveting Julie Christie. 

The highly respected Blythe Danner.

The fabulous Jane Fonda.

The adorable Barbara Harris.

Then there's the captivating cult actress Olivia Hussey who starred in another classic horror film, Black Christmas, which was released the year before. If she had starred in this film, it would make a great double feature for her 70s horror film set.

The always endearing Shirley MacLaine.

Then you have Elizabeth Montgomery who would've been an interesting choice since she's best known for playing the witchy housewife Samantha Stevens on Bewitched.

The imperial Vanessa Redgrave.

Then there's the impeccable Susan Sarandon, who would later star in another 70s cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which catapulted her into stardom.

The iconic Jean Seberg from the French New Wave.

And lastly, the ever-enchanting Natalie Wood, who I could definitely see in a role like this.

Also, actress Joanna Cassidy was originally cast to play Bobbie but eventually dropped out in favor of Paula Prentiss. However, she would star in the 80s cult classic Blade Runner years later. 

Another fun fact: the movie would be the screen debut of Mary Stuart Matherson, who I've seen in a string of films throughout the 80s and 90s. She plays one of Joanna's daughters and is the real-life daughter of Peter Masterson who plays her on-screen father. 

Now on the actual film review...

What I like about these underrated movies from the 70s is how the actors portray these characters as real people, and The Stepford Wives is the best example of that. The main three women have different quirks, personalities, and sensitivities, to the point where the actresses make them as real and human as possible. It makes the audience feel for them more, and once their personalities are stripped from them, it's very unnerving to watch.

Just like in my Rosemary's Baby perspective, the main crust of the film is Joanna and Walter's marriage. Before the credits roll, the camera focuses on Joanna staring at the mirror as she prepares for her move to Stepford. You can tell that she's not too keen on moving out of the city and she's a bit out of her element, though Joanna is willing to make it work if she has to. The city ignites her passion for photography as she observes the strange and unknown, but now that she's moving to the quaint and quiet suburbs of Stepford, Joanna worries that her artistic integrity could be stagnant. Unlike the book, the tension between Joanna and Walter is noticeable. Walter seems to be one to make the decisions without consulting his wife, and it greatly frustrates Joanna. When the family finally settles in, Walter meets up with his neighbor, Carol Van Sant, who greets him with a welcome casserole. When he has a little chit-chat with Carol's husband, Ted Van Sant, Walter mentions that his wife "cooks as good as she looks"...as sinister music plays, which indicates that there might be a conspiracy between these two men.

As we focus on the topic of Carol Van Sant, the film shows hints that something isn't quite right with her. First, she gets into a car accident at the grocery store, and as the ambulance pulls her away she seems dazed and confused. Secondly, when she arrives at a party, she keeps repeating the line, "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe" over and over again. When Carol visits Joanna and the other townswomen, she insists that she has a drinking problem...but again, nothing is what it seems. 

When Walter gets back from a meeting with the Men's Association, he has an overwhelming sense of guilt which wasn't explored in the novel. Whether humanizing Walter in the movie is a good or bad choice, it still works here because at least it shows that Walter seems to be conflicted with the choice he's making. 

Feeling isolated by the archaic values of Stepford, Joanna finally meets her match: Bobbie Markowe. She's vibrant, expressive, and full of life. A fully realized woman she can connect with. The chemistry between Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss was totally spot-on as they were friends in real life. You can tell that they can lean on each other for anything, which is why the middle half of the film becomes heartbreaking once you see the change in Bobbie. 

Paula Prentiss was just delightful as Bobbie. She's not afraid to speak her mind and she refuses to be put in a box. Just because she's a housewife doesn't mean she's prone to doing wifely duties like cooking or cleaning. She's the type of mom who would order the kids take-out or just sit back and live in a messy house. After all, it's her life. Who needs to be perfect?

They meet up with another independent-minded Stepford woman named Charmaine, a former model and trophy wife. Although Charmaine is meant to be on the superficial side, Tina Louise gives an exceptionally charming performance that you can't but like her. She accepts that her husband Ed doesn't truly love her and just marries her for her looks, pretty much like a typical sugar daddy wanting to show her off as eye candy. And it's also implied that she might've had affairs in the past since Ed doesn't sexually satisfy her. 

Although it's a very serious film, there are subtle hints of comedy. There's of course the awkward party scene where the three main women are dressed in their hip, 70s fashion in contrast to the old-fashioned style of the Stepford wives. Then there's the scene in the women's group held by Joanna and Bobbie. While Joanna, Bobbie, and Charmaine pour their feelings out and share their grievances in their marriages, the other Stepford women are more concerned about housework and cooking, as if they were advertising for an infomercial. At the end of the scene, Bobbie's face is priceless. 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until there's a sudden change in Charmaine. Now dressed in a frilly white frock, she boasts about how selfish she was and now it's her duty to serve Ed as a devoted wife. No more hobbies and no more tennis, just cooking, cleaning, and serving.

As Joanna and Bobbie watch the construction men tear down Charmaine's tennis court, they feel that something's not right in Stepford. So, the two of them decide to conduct an amateur investigation to find out why the women in Stepford are so capricious.

Bobbie thinks there might be a chemical imbalance, and Joanna just so happens to have an ex-boyfriend who is a biochemist. When they meet up with him, Joanna and the biochemist ex-boyfriend catch up on old times when they claim to be "happily" married but eventually confess that's not the case. Unfortunately, Bobbie's theories are debunked but she is determined to leave Stepford and wants Joanna to go with her, insisting that they're a team and should stick together...This eventually will lead to a tragic end for Bobbie. She soon asks Joanna to watch her kids while she goes away with her husband for a little vacation time. 

While taking the kids to a summer picnic, Joanna suddenly reignites her passion for photography. There's a key scene where Walter is left to fret over the kids while Joanna works on her photo lab. Walter is totally incompetent in entertaining the kids, so he asks Joanna for help but she waves him off, heavily focusing on her newly printed photos. It kind of implies that Walter, who's a workaholic and an alcoholic, has no idea how to spend time with his own kids, insisting that Joanna should be their caretaker 24/7. But Joanna refuses to be tied down and eventually takes a trip to the city for somebody to purchase her photos. Hope seems to be on the horizon when an art gallery dealer is actually interested in selling her photos. 

But as soon as she tells Bobbie the good news, Joanna notices that something has changed in Bobbie too. Her messy kitchen is suddenly spotless, her hip 70s fashion is now an outdated white blouse and dress, and her blunt forwardness is now switched into a sunny disposition, a happy, smiley drone. This unnerves Joanna to the point where she almost gets into a cat accident. She soon becomes paranoid, worried she might become a hausfrau like the other women in Stepford. After getting into an argument with Joanna about leaving Stepford, Walter suggests she sees a therapist, and until then, he might move the family out. Tired of Walter making decisions for her, Joanna insists on choosing her therapist. Which turns out to be a woman since a male therapist could be prone to gaslighting. 

 This actually turns out to be one of my favorite scenes in the film. Now there really wasn't much going on in this scene in the book but it's played out much differently here. When Joanna finally confesses that she might become a robot like the other Stepford women, the therapist actually believes her. Now she's not thinking that the women of Stepford are actually being replaced by robots, oh no, the therapist might think that Joanna is in an abusive and controlling situation. Throughout her time, the therapist must know what women like Joanna go through and how society treats women. The therapist herself might've fought hard for people to take her seriously as a professional. She actually understands Joanna's goal to be a full-time photographer and not just the pretty kitchen-wife Walter wants her to be. It also reminded me of the scene in Rosemary's Baby because through all the gaslighting she goes through in that movie, Rosemary finally gets to be around friends who empathize with her situation. So I find this scene to be incredibly powerful because there might be hope that Joanna could get out of this...

Before I continue on to the climax of the film I would like to take a moment to praise the amazing performance of Katherine Ross. After starring in supporting roles in films like The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Ross really gets to shine on her own here. There is a sense of earnestness in her role as Joanna. She reminds me of a hippy mom. Laid back, carefree, isn't afraid to let her hair down, and can dress a little hip and sexy if she wants to. Now it's easy to see Joanna as a blank slate in the novel but she so easy to root for her here. Thanks to Katherine Ross' terrific range, Joanna becomes a three-dimensional character who can feel all kinds of emotions and it adds an emotional weight to her survival. You as the audience want her to get out of the situation so badly and there's a sense of urgency that you want Joanna to succeed in the end...

Now the last 20 minutes of this film is absolutely bonkers! When Joanna plans to sneak out the kids, they're nowhere to be found. Walter becomes evasive which raises Joanna's paranoia. She knows her time is running out. Joanna makes a mad dash up the stairs while Walter tries to stop her. They get into a physical scuffle until Joanna finally breaks free, locks the door, and sneaks out the window. 

This leads to the "I bleed, do you bleed?" scene. Now this happens in the few final moments of the book and it's pretty anti-climatic in my opinion. So, the Men's Association members finally catch up with Joanna. To convince her that Bobbie is not a robot, they lead Joanna to her house. Strangely, loud rock music is playing from upstairs while Bobbie brings out a huge knife, she slowly walks towards Joanna while the members hurriedly run into the house where the scene suddenly ends, implying that Bobbie stabbed Joanna to death. But the filmmakers wanted to give this scene more gravitas and suspense, which definitely works here. Joanna cuts her hand to show Bobbie that she's human, to somehow see if Bobbie is still human too. Out of desperation, Joanna stabs her below the waist but...somehow, Bobbie doesn't bleed! She doesn't even feel the pain of her wound, just slightly annoyed. This leads to one of the creepiest and strangest moments of the film where Bobbie malfunctions, freaking Joanna out. 

When she sneaks back home, Joanna gives a good swing at Walter with a fire poker. You can't help but cheer her on because Walter definitely deserved that. She demands to know where the children are and Walter mutters that they're at the Men's Association headquarters before passing out. Little does Joanna know that this is most likely a trap. 

When Joanna arrives at the Men's Association headquarters, she hears the cries of her children. Joanna hurries up the stairs as she tries to save them but as it turns out, it's a tape recording. It turns out that this was all a rouse to fall for their trap. And then, Dale Coba, The Men's Association ringleader appears. He claims that the children are safe and sound with Charmaine. He sneakily locks the front door and has Joanna trapped in the mansion. Need I remind you that Joanna does have a fire poker in her hand but somehow, she doesn't use it. She asks Dale why he's doing this of course, and he just simply answers, "Because they can" and imagines a world where the men are men and the women are "perfect." As Dale calmly takes the fire poker from her, Joanna makes a dash for it. 

Joanna eventually runs into a strange room where a woman is brushing her hair, which mirrors the same length as Joanna's. As the woman turns around, Joanna stands back in horror. The woman has all her features. From her hair to her lips, and even her body frame except for...her eyes.

The filmmakers originally wanted to give the effect where the Joanna replicant had no eyes but they couldn't quite pull it off and gave her black contacts instead. However, the black contacts are just as effective as they give the Joanna replicant a sort of ghostly, ethereal aesthetic. But what makes the scene kind of frustrating is that Joanna doesn't put up a fight in the end. Hell, even Katherine Ross agrees. But sadly, Joanna gets strangled by her robot Joanna which leads to the grocery store scene.

So all of the robot women of Stepford greet each other in a pleasant but hollow manner, all saying each other's name as if they're in a lineup meeting. There's a brief shot of a black couple arguing in the store, which I assume is Ruthanne and her husband. Obviously, she feels uncomfortable about staying in Stepford but her husband might have plans for her soon. Then there's robot Joanna, dressed in a white lace dress and hat, staring blankly at the camera as the credits roll.

Let's talk about the Men's Association. Early in the film, there are subtle hints that they're up to no good. When Joanna invites them for dinner, although it comes off like an awkward get-together, with the men being super creepy and weird towards Joanna, they're actually examining her like a test subject. Drawing out sketches, recording her voice, and eventually molding her into a robot replicant. Back in the day, there were criticisms that the film was against women. But from my understanding, the film is actually empathetic towards the women and it's men who are being satirized and stereotyped. They are presented as schluby, pathetic, egotistical chauvinists who are workaholics as well as alcoholics. They may have won in the end but not really. There is nothing more valuable than having a soul connection with someone and these men will never have that with these robots. They're not able to feel, just obligated to do, and yes it's valuable to them or at least they think so, but in the long run, they'll become hollow and depressed and even worse than how they started off. Some of the kids may be small now but as they get older, they're going to question why mom looks the same while dad is aging, This was even hinted in the book where Bobbie's older son noticed the change in his mom and he feels uncomfortable about it. So what? Are they gonna switch out the children too? And trust me, I'll explain that later. Anywho, the men may have conquered in the end but it's more of a detriment for them than an accomplishment.

So this was an overall fairly decent film but there is one thing that would've worked better. I wish the Stepford wives were more exaggerated and more animated to really sink into how their personalities changed. However, I quite enjoyed this film and especially the performances of Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss. 

Throughout the years, there has been at least three TV sequels and a 2004 remake. Now with the 2004 remake, that's going to be it's own review. So for the time being, I'll give a brief on the TV sequels. 

There's Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980) starring Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey), Don Johnson (Miami Vice), and Julie Kavner (The Simpsons). In this sequel, a news reporter goes out to investigate the strange eldritch town called Stepford. This was the strongest of the three although the filmmakers did make some slight changes. In this version, the Stepford wives are brainwashed not replaced by robots or at least Julie Kavner's character is the one that gets brainwashed but she gets better in the end. However, one of the things that worked in this sequel is that one of the members of the Men's Association actually regrets his decision, as he feels he can't connect with his robot wife on a human level. See what I mean? And it's nice to see that disgusting Dale Coba gets his comeuppance at the end where he gets practically devoured by the Stepford wives. Touché. 

Then there's The Stepford Children (1987), which I find to be the weakest of the bunch. Bad dialogue, so-so acting, and a really hacky script really soured my enjoyment of this movie. It stars Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie) joining her whiny, controlling husband alongside her unruly teenage kids to the mysterious town of Stepford where not only the wives are arbitrary, but so are the teenagers. Now the main teenagers are not really all that bad, they're just slightly obnoxious and pretty much overall regular teenage kids, it's just the male adults around them, particularly the members of the Men's Association are extremely controlling if not outright unhinged and psychotic. So in this version, yes, the kids are replaced by robots but...so is their essence? You see, they have the kids hooked up to a machine where the robots slowly take over their minds, bodies, and souls. Well, not actually their soul in which they're still alive yet they become skeletal zombies? Yeah, this was a total headscratcher. So Barbara Eden and her kids escape while her husband, alongside the members of the Men's Association, are killed in an explosion, blowing the Men's Association headquarters for good. So this wasn't at all great but there is one interesting thing about the movie. This actually predates Disturbing Behavior, which I feel is a much better sequel than The Stepford Children.

Lastly,  we have The Stepford Husbands starring the legendary Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and the fantastic Michael Ontkean (Twin Peaks) as an artsy city couple who moves to the town of Stepford to gain some inspiration. Little do they know that the women of Stepford might be hiding a secret that involves their husbands...

This was WAY better than The Stepford Children. Sure, it plays out like a typical Lifetime Movie of the Week but I do find comfort in that and to be honest, I had a bit of nostalgia while watching this. And Donna Mills was a staple in these movies and she was a joy to watch as well as Michael Ontkean who was also decent. Yes, they do the whole brainwashing thing but I didn't mind it here. Plus you have Oscar-winning actress Louise Fletcher in a deliciously villainous role as the Dale Coba equivalent, Miriam Benton. Not to mention, Sarah Douglas and Cindy Williams who were also great in their supporting roles. So I've enjoyed this for what it was. Nothing much but just enough. 

A concept like The Stepford Wives is still resonant today. You got your Red Pill guys who prefer a woman who's not over the age of twenty-five, always wears a bikini, and serves them sandwiches, which is beyond absurd and nonsensical. But that's the thing, men who have this mindset are beyond absurd and nonsensical. That's what the film was trying to teach us. A Stepford wife is just an idea, not a person you can share your thoughts with or have a mutual understanding with. Feelings are important. Human connections are important. And if you can't find that with someone you love, it leaves a hollow, empty person. So the town of Stepford is a fantasy. And it's a fantasy not worth fulfilling.

My Last Word: Five of the Dime Cult Classic! You should definitely check it out.