Charger Arts & Entertainment

The Stepford Wives: Downgrade

Allison Coffey, Charger Staff

When the word “re-make” comes to mind, the only thing one is able to think about is innocent movie goers being tricked into watching two hours of pure nonsense, forcing the movie goers to grab their hair and pull. Hard. The Stepford Wives falls into this category without any debate whatsoever.

The movie stars Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge) and Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as a couple who moves away from their busy town to Stepford, Connecticut, a small town full of perfect women and happy husbands who spend all of their time at the Men’s Association plotting and planning.
Joanna (Kidman) soon befriends Bobbie played by Bette Midler and Roger played by Roger Bart. They spend their time together talking about the women in Stepford and how they can do no wrong.
Soon after becoming friends, Joanna and Bobbie notice a change in Roger, a change greatly resembling that of the Stepford women. They try to take charge, deciding to move to another town next to Stepford after their children finish school.

They do not follow through with this plan because soon after, Bobbie too is changed from a dirty mouthed, opiniated woman into the perfect house-wife, always cleaning the house and watching after her husband and children just like the other wives in Stepford. Joanna starts to worry, thinking that if they are able to change strong willed Bobbie, then the men of the town would be able to change her too.

Like the 1975 version, the basic plot is the same but the ending has been revised. Joanna is no longer a photographer but instead worked as an executive at a television network until she was fired, which led to the move to Stepford. There are many other changes as well. The original was also at least scary (when it was first released in the seventies, anyway), but this new one directed by Frank Oz is a comedy, and not necessarily a good comedy.

Along with Kidman, the movie features Glenn Close as the “welcome lady” and Christopher Walken as her husband and the president of the Men’s Association. They, along with Midler and Bart keep the audience entertained, while Kidman and Broderick do their magic. Why these fine actors chose to take part in this production is an unsolved mystery.