 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
The Stepford Wives (M)
Directed by Frank Oz
 (Left to right) Glenn Close as Claire Wellington, Nicole Kidman as Joanna Eberhart, Bette Midler as Bobbie Markowitz and Lisa Masters as Carol Wainwright
Producers of this 2004 remake of the '70s satiric horror The Stepford Wives please explain: is your film a cleverly disguised poke at the Republican party, or is it just a crap movie?
Sadly I think it's just a really bad movie, which is a shame because it had potential. It's full of big name stars, it looks gorgeous and... well, actually that's all it has going for it, which just goes to prove, big name stars and a glossy "look" are not enough to make a good film. A story that makes sense would be a help. And a decent script. And a film that actually knew what it wanted to be when it grew up, (horror, drama, comedy?)
Yep, this is one big screw-up of a movie. It starts off OK. Nicole Kidman stars as Joanna Eberhart, a powerful TV executive who has taken her network to the top with her highly popular, emasculating reality shows. Uh-oh! Turns out she's emasculated one contestant too many and when one of the male losers (Mike White) tries to kill her before killing himself and his family, she's fired. (Are we laughing yet?)
Her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick), who works for the same network, quits in sympathy and together with the kids they leave the hustle and stress of New York for the peace and tranquillity of Stepford, Connecticut.
And it's all down hill from here!
Walt settles in straight away. All the Stepford wives look like Barbie dolls and have the personalities to match. And best of all, all the men are just as nerdy and unattractive as he is. He's in heaven.
However, Joanna's in hell. She quickly befriends the only two "normal" people in the town, bitchy Jewish author Bobbi Markowitz (Bette Midler) and the over-the-top, very gay Roger Bannister (Roger Bart). But in Stepford no-one "normal" is safe for long and Joanna is soon alone and terrified. Just what is going on at the Stepford Men's Association clubhouse? And what's up with Walt?
More to the point... what are Glenn Close, Christopher Walken and Nicole Kidman doing in this stiff of a movie?
And what's the go with the wacky ending? Do the scriptwriters think audiences have an IQ below 20? Talk about insulting!
The original Stepford Wives was based on Ira Levin's novel and that guy knew how to write a creepy story. Remember Rosemary's Baby?
But this remake is pathetic. Ok, I admit I laughed a couple of times at some of Bette Midler's lines,(her book titles are a scream!), but my advice: don't waste your money.
Rating: ½ a 
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