The stepford wives is the screen adaptation of a popular novel by ira levin. It makes for a great palette cleanser after the horror of the stepford wives, though, because it was just so bad. Sunday 1 august 2004 the observer frank ozs the stepford wives is the second, inferior adaptation of ira levins satirical thriller that conflated his own rosemarys baby with the sf movies. The film was remade in 2004 under the same name, but was written as a comedy vs. The stepford wives is a 1975 american satirical horror film directed by bryan forbes, written by william goldman, and starring katharine ross, paula prentiss. Pg, 1 h 50 min katharine ross, paula prentiss, peter masterson, nanette newman director. If television affects the way we think, dress and behave and, heaven help us, im afraid it does then someday we may all be a nation of those perfect plastic robots on tv. And the wardrobe was so effing terrible, especially since the wardrobe for the stepford wives was so. The stepford wives is a much shorter book than i had anticipated. Watch the stepford wives online stream full movie directv. With katharine ross, paula prentiss, peter masterson, nanette newman.
Megaproducer scott rudin and director frank oz teamed up for a remake in 2004. Directed by 1 writing credits 2 cast 31 produced by 3 music by 1 cinematography by 1 film editing by 1 casting by 1 production design by 1 set decoration by 1 costume design by 1 makeup department 4 production management 1 second unit director or assistant director 2 art. The complete guide to the stepford movies by carolyn snowden at the stepford wives organization at. However, the story itself is way ahead of its time. American graffiti 1973 a group of friends spend one fabulously entertaining night cruising the strip in their cars, chasing love interests, playing pranks, racing, fighting, and reminiscing about their high school. Fortunately, my mom was the polar opposite of a stepford wife. Joanna eberhart has come to the quaint little town of stepford, connecticut with her family. Faux brick wall, butcher block counter tops, slate floor. The stepford wives is a stunning film, one that is a genre classic, and if you enjoy old school horror, then this is a must see film.
This oftreferenced tale of suburban wives who suddenly lose their vibrant individualism and become perfect housewives may earn points for becoming a piece of americana, but its hardly excellent filmmaking. Stepford reception in 1975 feminists criticized the movies pessimism and hyperbole, felt it ridiculed the womens movement betty friedan called it a ripoff of the womens movement many women liked it, felt it dramatized some of their problems with men in exaggerated form awkward target audience. The first stepford wives movie 1975 did not match polanskis masterpiece of urban. In it, a young couple moves to the titular town, and the new wife notes some disturbing patterns, such as the extremely submissive behavior of the women. In the william goldmanscripted, bryan forbesdirected adaptation of ira levins savagely satiric scifi novel the stepford wives, housewife joanna katharine ross moves with husband walter peter masterson and their children to the ideal suburban community of stepford, ct. The stepford wives became a massive, runaway hit, earning four million dollars domestically. Did the robot not fully activate until the real jonna was killed. Joanna eberhardt, a modern 70s woman, is uncertain of stepfords women. If it didnt fit in the microwave, she wasnt going to make it. And jaheeseus christ, i may just never lightheartedly refer to a stepford anything ever, ever again. The stepford wivess inherent satire is illserved by bryan forbes stately direction, but william. Theres really nothing special to the films style the cinematography, editing, or art design although id argue that the acting is pretty great. Holy crap, that looks exactly like the kitchen we had in the house when i was a kid.
Overlong and underdeveloped, this flimsy bryan forbes horror story 1975 would probably. The internationally bestselling novel by the author of a kiss before dying, the boys from brazil, and rosemarys baby. According to william goldman, the initial screenplay had the stepford wives wearing miniskirts and halter tops. Frances has very kindly provided the following summary of our discussion on the stepford wives during our discussion on the stepford wives it was noted how different the 1975 version is to its 2004 remake, particularly in regards to the latters happy ending. The stepford wives 1975 by raquel vasinkevich on prezi.
Ira levins savagely satiric scifi novel the stepford wives provided fodder for one of the biggest moneymaking films of the 1970s. The stepford wives is a 1975 science fictionthriller film based on the 1972 ira levin novel of the same name. Katharine ross, paula prentiss, peter masterson, nanette newman. In rosemarys baby and the stepford wives, conspiracy shows the promise of second wave feminism only to emphasize the horror of its containment and complicity in new and deepened regimes of capitalist penetration. Movie 3 of 1975 and 24 overall in my journey through films of my lifetime. The stepford wives is a 1972 satirical thriller novel by ira levin. Thanks to madeline lanemckinley, kenan sharpe, and hunter bivens for enjoyable help with this essay. Patrick oneal in the stepford wives 1975 katharine ross in the stepford wives 1975 the. Ideal postwar suburban lifestyles are often depicted by small towns, friendly neighbors, small families, and women holding domestic. Its plot follows a woman who relocates with her husband and children from new york city to the connecticut community of stepford, where she comes to find the women live unwaveringly subservient lives to their husbands.
Katharine ross, paula prentiss, peter masterson, nanette newman and tina louise starred in the film, which was remade in 2004 while the film was only a moderate success at the time of release, it has grown in. While joannas husband, walter matthew broderick, quickly warms up to their new town, she has a hard time adjusting to stepfords manicured environs and the overly accommodating attitude of the area women. The stepford wives 1975 horror, mystery, scifi, thriller usa. Many of them have the nicole kidman version, but not the original. Joanna eberhart has come to the quaint little town of stepford, connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents. Slowly perhaps too slowly joanna deduces that something is amiss. The made for tv movie revenge of the stepford wives 1980, starring sharon gless and julie kavner on the other hand my goodness, that film should not have been made. The stepford wives is a 1975 scifihorrorthriller film about a woman who has come to the quaint little town of stepford, connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents. Does a story about selfish men who will stop at nothing to have subservient wives make great horror. Under the veneer of domestic bliss, lies a horrible secret in the town of stepford.
The 1970s in the united states was a period of significant social change. Right click or optionclick here and choose save target as to download the mp3. It was directed by bryan forbes with a screenplay by william goldman. The stepford wives the original, not the lameattempttobecomedicremake is one of my favorites. Do you believe the medias depiction of cities and towns inspires the way in which we would like to live. Surely, part of the magnetism of this movie comes from the fact that. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of the stepford wives with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. Beginning with the bra burning 1960s, a movement toward more equitable treatment of woman began to gain considerable. Joanna eberhart has come to the quaint little town of stepford, connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all. Staring katherine ross, paula prentiss, mary stuart masterson and patrick oneal. At the request of the director this was changed to antebellum costumes because his wife, nanette newman, felt she didnt have the legs for the more suggestive clothing. The story concerns joanna eberhart, a photographer and young mother who suspects the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic connecticut neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands. The stepford life minidocumentary on 1975 stepford wives film.
The stepford wives 1975 pg 115 min horror, mystery, scifi 12 february 1975 usa joanna eberhart has come to the quaint little town of stepford, connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister. Katharine ross stars as a city woman who moves with her husband to stepford and is startled by how perpetually happy many of the local women seem to be. I timed the stepford wives in conjunction with halloween and it wasnt really until the 3rd act until that choice paid off. The scenario taken seriously, not as campy farce as per the execrable 2004 remake. The stepford wives is not only a creepy horror flick, but also a stinging piece of commentary on the culture of the suburbs. The films story is well layered and keeps you involved from. Stepford wives 1975 no one has it available for streaming. Little more than a knockoff of invasion of the body snatchers, the stepford wives.
It was remarked that this remake completely removes the social commentary of the original which, whilst depressing, is. Joanna eberhart katharine ross moves to the quiet town of stepford with her husband peter masterson and children. Bel air rush 2012 tv episode there are a few references to the movie in this episode. Ira levins scary novel about forced conformity in a small connecticut town made the stepford wives a compelling 1975 thriller. Ask the stepford husbands, whove created this hightech terrifying little town, in a very modern comedythriller.
In the closing scene, joannas robot is seen walking down a grocery aisle. The stepford wives is a 1975 american satirical horror film directed by bryan forbes, written by william goldman, and starring katharine ross, paula prentiss, and peter masterson. Ira levins original 1972 novella the stepford wives was both suspense and witty satire. So now that were all aware, lets dive into this psychologically satisfying, slow burning bundle of underrated magnificence. The main character makes reference to both the original and remake of the stepford wives. I always heard about this moviestory and it came off to me as a horror trope. My copy is only 116 pages long, but it achieves a lot in those few pages and bulking out of the story would only have spoiled it. The wives of stepford have a secret what does it take to become a stepford wife, a woman perfect beyond belief. The stepford wives1975 is an american science fiction film based on the ira levin novel of the same name. The stepford wives is an iconic film, so much so that the title has been used to coin a phrase.
For joanna, her husband, walter, and their children, the move to beautiful stepford seems almost too good to be true. In the ending of the 1975 stepford wives, joannas robot is seen gazing at her with empty, black eyes. Movies are both their brute entertainment textures and the secret delivery of ideas, and bryan forbess the stepford wives 1975 is notorious as a hollywood product that failed disastrously on the first measure but has in time revealed itself to be a veritable gusher of subtextual anxieties and cultural satire. After enduring setbacks in her television career, executive joanna eberhart nicole kidman relocates with her family from new york city to the connecticut suburb of stepford. It told the story of joanna eberhart, a semiprofessional photographer who moves to a small town in connecticut away from new york city.
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