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Review by Dustin Putman
2½ stars out of 4
1975's "The Stepford Wives" (and the novel by Ira Levin from which
it was based) were dark, unrelenting, and cynical, a comment on the
post-Nixon era, when feminism was just breaking out and men were attempting
to come to terms with their opposite sex's newfound liberation and
independence. Today things are much different and these subjects,
on their own, potentially date themselves. But do they really? Are
there still husbands out there who secretly long for the days when
their wife would stay at home and answer to their every domestic whim? Undoubtedly.
With 2004's blackly comic remake of "The Stepford Wives," director
Frank Oz (1999's "Bowfinger") and screenwriter Paul Rudnick (2003's
"Marci X") have made a commendable effort in updating the same themes
for modern audiences. And in place of the original's cynicism is a
newfound hope that works well with its surprisingly irreverent humor.
The film admittedly careens off the track during the protracted, overwritten
climax (a probable result of post-production tinkering), but its weig
hty ideas and moralism remain intact despite its uneven treatment.
Most accomplished of all, who knew that a motion picture about turning
wives into robotic, obedient Martha Stewart clones could be so funny?
Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) is a high-powered, tough-as-nails
CEO for a network specializing in reality TV who is devastated when,
following a near-tragic run-in with a disgruntled participant from
one of her shows, is abruptly fired. Desperate to put her life back
together and reclaim her soul, Joanna and husband Walter (Matthew
Broderick) decide a change of scenery is just what they need. Along
with their two children, they move to the tranquil, upper-class gated
community of Stepford, Connecticut. Almost immediately, Joanna senses
something isn't quite right with the other women in the town. Always
in clean dresses, uninterested in anything but cooking and cleaning,
and dedicated to pleasing their mostly frumpy husbands, they are a
too-perfect postcard image of a 1950 's female stereotype. Meanwhile,
the men of Stepford--Walter included--spend all of their time in secret
at a men's association. But doing what? Along with her two new best
pals and fellow black sheep, outspoken writer Bobbi Markowitz (Bette
Midler) and fabulously gay architect Roger Bannister (Roger Bart),
Joanna sets outs to investigate the bizarre goings-on in Stepford.
Soon, she is fearing for her own life.
The premise of "The Stepford Wives," mixing sci-fi and horror elements,
hardly seems like ideal comedic fodder. Walking into the film and
with the chilling and predominately straight 1975 thriller freshly
in mind, the concept of a humor-filled reimagining appeared less than
promising. What was failed to be acknowledged was the participation
of screenwriter Paul Rudnick, who has an innate gift in creating acerbic,
modernistic dialogue. "The Stepford Wives" has its foreboding and
appropriately serious moments, to be sure, but it is also overflowing
with biting wit and quote -worthy one-liners. So, even though its
plot and characters are taken in earnest, the film is never above
taking hilarious potshots at contemporary society, from the ludicrousness
of reality television to the legendarily slow-moving AOL Internet
service. In taking broad comedic strokes amid the offbeat and downright
outlandish, "The Stepford Wives" feels like a Tim Burton movie, by
way of David Zucker. Even the atmospheric music score by David Arnold
(2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious") borders on plagiarism of Burton's staple
composer, Danny Elfman.
The ensemble cast is one of the most distinguished of the year. Nicole
Kidman (2004's "Dogville"), so often seen in strictly dramatic roles,
flexes her comic muscles with vigorous aplomb, making protagonist
Joanna, who starts off the film as something of a wench, into a likable
person. As friends Bobbi and Roger, Bette Midler (2000's "Isn't She
Great?") and Roger Bart (1999's "The Insider") ravish their screen
time and steal the show with their priceless line deliveries and self-deprecating
humor. It is a particularly welcome return to film for Midler, who
has been out of view for a few years. As Joanna's unhappy, gradually
brainwashed husband, Walter, Matthew Broderick (1999's "Election")
comfortably fits his role but comes off rather wimpy, which, in retrospect,
was likely the point. The talented supporting players include Glenn
Close (2001's "The Safety of Objects") as Claire, the cheerful leader
of the Stepford wives; Christopher Walken (2004's "Man on Fire") as
her daunting husband, Mike, the head of the men's association; and
country star Faith Hill (in her feature debut) as Sarah, a frequently
malfunctioning Stepford wife.
Sleekly shot by cinematographer Rob Hahn (2000's "Loser"), "The Stepford
Wives" moves at a bright, fast clip for its first two-thirds, rarely
faltering in its amalgamation of the mystery and comedy genres. The
film is consistently funny for its first hour, and even allows for
a few affecting quieter moments between Joanna and Walter. In trying
to put its own twists on the story, however, the third act makes the
wrong decision in overexplaining its story, the subsequent cause for
some unnecessary plot holes. Director Frank Oz's sudden lost grip
on how to wrap things up reveals a screenplay that, for all of its
wonderfully sly moments, probably could have used ano ther rewrite.
Fortunately, the nicely pointed final two scenes bring the picture
back on its intended course. This new incantation of "The Stepford
Wives," while inferior to the 1975 original, ably stands as a completely
separate entity, putting a welcome new spin, a brash style, and more
big laughs than expected on an old tale that still holds quite a bit of relevance.
Copyright © 2004 Dustin Putman
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