The Stepford Wives (2004)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers (WGA):

Ira Levin (book)
Paul Rudnick (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Make one.

Plot:

What does it take to become a Stepford wife, a woman perfect beyond belief? Ask the Stepford husbands, who've created this high-tech terrifying little town, in a very modern comedy-thriller.

Plot Keywords:

Community | Writer | Connecticut | Housewife | Homosexual

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Joanna Eberhart
Matthew Broderick	...	Walter Kresby
Bette Midler	...	Bobbie Markowitz
Glenn Close	...	Claire Wellington
Christopher Walken	...	Mike Wellington
Roger Bart	...	Roger Bannister
David Marshall Grant	...	Jerry Harmon
Jon Lovitz	...	Dave Markowitz
Dylan Hartigan	...	Pete Kresby
Fallon Brooking	...	Kimberly Kresby
Faith Hill	...	Sarah Sunderson
Matt Malloy	...	Herb Sunderson
Kate Shindle	...	Beth Peters
Tom Riis Farrell	...	Stan Peters
Lorri Bagley	...	Charmaine Van Sant

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, thematic material and language.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18PL | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40783) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:12 | Ireland:15PG (original rating) | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Darien, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

At the beginning of the movie, when the "wives" are exercising, they do it to the song "1975", a reference to the date of the original The Stepford Wives (1975).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the family is driving to Stepford, Pete says "But why are we moving?". Kimberly can be clearly seen mouthing his line before saying "to Conneticut?"

Quotes:

[first lines]
Helen Devlin: Ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to introduce a legend in our industry. She's the most successful president in the history of our network and for the past five years has kept us at the very top of the ratings.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Perfect World: The Making of 'The Stepford Wives' (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Fifth of Beethoven

Pure Entertainment !

The 2004 Stepford Wives is everything a remake should be. It takes the plot of the original film and updates it,but doesn't try to duplicate the film itself. This is a different movie altogether,played for laughs,and surprisingly,it works. The feminist message in the 1975 original is very dated and this film knows it and uses it to its advantage. It also takes a stab at everything today,from how absurd reality television is to the ridiculous concept of 'the woman's place is in the home'. It shows how little has actually changed since the original novel and film were released but updates the story to fit into modern times, and make it something today's audience can relate to. I was skeptical when i heard the creepy 1975 thriller was going to be remade as a comedy,but i was pleasantly surprised!

Nicole Kidman and Mathew Broderick are both quite good,but the real standouts are Bette Midler (absolutely hilarious),Glenn Close,and Roger Bart as the gay Stepford Wive,a brilliant and necessary edition. It was nice to have Christopher Walken in the mix as well. He can liven up even the worst film,which shows what a great actor he is,very versatile. He fit in perfectly with the brilliant ensemble cast. Faith Hill fans will be somewhat disappointed though,since she doesn't have a very big part. It's actually little more than a cameo,but she looks amazing and acts well in the few scenes she's in. She really didn't get a chance to stretch her acting chops,but i look forward to seeing her in many more films to find out what she's really capable of.

The Stepford Wives was surprisingly hilarious,colorful and a pure joy to watch! The characters are wonderful and the whole movie sparkles. Bette Midler has some terrific one-liners.

I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard throughout!

Hopefully people will give this film a second chance. Much like Saved!, it deals with a very serious topic,but the tone throughout is light and fluffy. Many people already hate it,but that's the kind of controversy that makes a film fun. This is a light,fun summer film definitely worth checking out. I already bought the DVD and the deleted footage is hysterical!

10/10