By LINDSI HEBERT, Staff Reporter.
Released in June 2004 and based off of the book by Ira Levin, Stepford is the perfect gated community. Huge, smart houses, gorgeously landscaped lawns, and perfect happy families; that is the Stepford way. Walter Kresby (Michael Broderick) wants that life for himself and for his once highly successful wife Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman). After Joanna’s complete nervous breakdown when she’s asked to step down as a network executive, it’s the perfect excuse to pack up their family and head off to Stepford.
Joanna, obviously, is not taking her transition from high powered executive and finds solace in her two friends: Bobbie Markowitz (Bette Midler), an author and recovering alcoholic, and Roger Bannister (Roger Bart), a flamboyantly gay man who moved to town with his partner Jerry (David Marshall Grant). Together, Joanna, Bobbie and Roger discover that not everything is perfect in Stepford.
“The Stepford Wives” is one of those surreal movies that don’t play out how you think they’re going to go. Technically, the 2004 version is based off of the 1975 horror movie of the same name, which is in turn based off of Levin’s story. The 2004 version doesn’t take as big of a leap into horror as it probably should, because the whole idea of a Stepford community is incredibly unsettling. There’s a lot more comedy in the updated version, and everybody acts so ridiculous that it can’t, unfortunately, be scary.
It can, however, have a very interesting setting. It’s in one of those perfect gated communities that all hire the same gardener and eventually have yards and houses that look pretty much the same. They’ve reached such an intense form of perfection that even the husbands’ wives all look alike. Picture the little community in “Edward Scissorhands”, but without the Avon ladies and the pastel colored houses. Keep the eccentric topiary, though.
What’s really cool about this film is that the idea is so unique, and the message it sends hits home perfectly. I won’t go into details because those happen to be all spoilers and just explaining why I like it so much could even give something away. Trust me when I say that the movie won’t take the direction you’re thinking it’s going to take.
“The Stepford Wives” is an interesting take on an old classic, and though it doesn’t follow the book very well (only time you will hear me say that, I promise), it’s still a fun watch when there’s nothing else to do or it’s too cold to go outside.
