The Stepford Wives
by Bryan Forbes
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Katharine Ross, Nanette Newman, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Tina LouiseDirector: Bryan Forbes
Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
Cinematographer: Owen Roizman
Editor: Timothy Gee
Producer: Edgar J. Scherick
Producer: Gustave M. Berne
Producer: Roger M. Rothstein
Writer: Ira Levin
Writer: William Goldman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-06-15
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of The Stepford Wives
Movie Review: Great 70's period peace on feminism and more
Summary: 5 Stars
Having seen the Nicole Kidman/Matthew Broderick remake of the Stepford Wives made me want to recheck the original. Yes, the original version based on Ira Levin's novel far supercedes the original. On one level, it's a great suspense story that slowly draws the viewer in, peeling away the seemingly paradise of Stepford to reveal something downright sinister and disturbing. On another, it serves as a 1970's time capsule, where women shone the spotlight on themselves at the height of the feminist movement.
Stepford seems to be an idyllic place, where no one has to lock their doors and where the Eberhardts, who have recently moved there from the Big Apple, witness the friendliest car accident in the shopping center parking lot. For husband Walter, a balding and sort of wishy-washy lawyer, charmed by the neighbourliness of their neighbour, Carol Van Sant, Stepford is a change for the better. Not for his wife Joanna, an amateur photographer who misses the noise of the big city.
At first, Joanna's depressed and bored because of the quietude of the place, but then she meets Bobbie Markow, an ex-Gothamite who "doesn't want to squeeze the Charmin." She gushingly praises Joanna's messy kitchen, then tells her about the Men's Association, where all the men hang out. The building itself is a mansion of sorts, and a nocturnal shot of it contains sinister overtones. Well, why isn't there a Women's Association? And why not start one?
Part of the reason is that most of the women are too busy being good little housewives. They do gain an ally in Charmaine Wimperis, but others are politely disinterested. In fact when they manage to get together to start a consciousness-raising session, they find a reluctance to participate except in domestic matters. However, things really perk up when the genteel Carol (Nanette Newman) has a bit too much to drink at a party, repeatedly says the same things to various people, and later, is then made to complacently apologize to everyone for her behaviour, an action Joanna and Bobbie find absolutely galling.
Another is when they accidentally visit a friend and hear her engaging in bedroom activities, calling her man the best. However, when they actually see him, he isn't exactly an Elvis lookalike. Why are the women so complacent here? Because in an exaggerated sense, as Billie Jean King noted in the dissonance of gender equality, "the system here is men."
The mention of consciousness-raising by Joanna and Bobbie makes this a 70's period piece. It was of course during this time that small discussion groups constituting young students, professional women, and suburban housewives like Joanna and Bobbie shared their experiences and frustrations with men as well as rethinking their relationships with the same. They embody those fighting private battles as opposed to other feminists more concerned with the big picture, the political struggles of women en masse. But it also denotes the concern that women want to count. Joanna tells a photo gallery owner to whom she shows her photos that she wants to be remembered. Indeed, if sports was where anyone can make gains, why not women in photography? (q.v. Margaret Bourke-White)
Given the women's lib overtones of this movie, it's no surprise that the female performers outshine the males, and how! With those wide, expressive, and thoughtful eyes, a natural sort of beauty, and someone beautiful yet tough, Katherine Ross (Joanna) serves as one of the pivots in this movie. Paula Prentiss as Bobbie wins second prize, someone with attitude, a tart sense of humour, and someone just plain fun to be with. And after being rescued from Gilligan's Island, Tina Louise moved to Stepford, taking on the role of Charmaine.
With electronic music by Suzanne Ciani, the original Stepford Wives is an intriguing period piece, with more suspense, thoughtfulness, and a terrifying and ultimately heartbreaking ending, set to matching strings.
Summary of The Stepford Wives
Classic Stepford Wives story with Katherine Ross.Similar DVD Movies
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