Rating: 
Summary: Stepford Fraud
Review: Read the book and skip this fraud. Here's Hollywood brain washing machine at it again. They added two characters that were never in the original story and should never should have been in this one either - a homosexual and a jewress. Does Hollywood think Americans are stupid and can't see through this propaganda? Read the book. It's a classic, but this movie is fraud.
Rating:
Summary: Something Is Wrong with Stepford ... and This Film Too
Review: The best part of 'The Stepford Wives' is its poster. Nicole Kidman looks gorgeous, isn't she? If you have it, keep it, treasure it, and forget about anything about the new version of Ira Levine thriller, which is not only mediocre, but also, with this cast, a criminally unfunny and even offensive.
Nicole Kidman is Jonanna, a (gross parody of) TV producer whose very misguided shows resulted in gunshots of a disgrunted husband Mike White. Duely fired, she and her hubby Matthre Broderick finds a new home in a perfect town Stepford, Connecticut, where they are introduced to these happy wives and happy husbands (plus a happy robot dog). Then, as you know, they see something is wrong with the kind townspeople when some of them act weirdly inspite of themselves.
The film sounds like a horror, but the film director Frank Oz turned it into a dark comedy, or satire if you like, about ... about what? You just don't see the film's point when the targeted ideas or lifestyles are no longer the things of the past, something you have seen in the TV series like 'Bewitched.' And as to the satire about the 50s America, Julianne Moore in 'Far From Heaven' has done already.
But the most awful part of the film is, I think, the acting. OK, I don't know you, so excuse me if I offend, but Nicole Kidman here is no Nicole you have seen in 'The Others.' Her overacting clearly invites us to laugh with her. We rather prefer to laugh at her when every gesture and word misses the mark far wide, done with irritatingly exaggerated manners which are no fun to see.
Other supports are no good either, perhaps with the exception of Robert Bart as her friend in town. Bette Midler is as grating as 'Isn't She Great?'; Matthew Broderck has not made a good film since 'Election' and this one does not change the fact; Christopher Walken and Glenn Close as town's organizers are just lamentable, especially Oscar-nominee Close whose overacting reminds us of the outtakes of Cruella DeVille. And she is not funny.
I don't say everything is stale and unfunny -- some part of the film are mildly amusing -- but the entire film still does not know what it wants to do. Recommended only for die-hard Nicole Kidman fans.
Rating:
Summary: Please see the original 1975 "Stepford Wives" film instead.
Review: The original STEPFORD WIVES film released in 1975 was a thriller that knocked our socks off. It had the cast of Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Tina Louise, Nanette Newman, Peter Masterson, Dee Wallace and William Prince. We enjoyed the grand finale. Eventually they made tv-movie sequels: REVENGE OF THE STEPFORD WIVES (1980), THE STEPFORD CHILDREN (1987), THE STEPFORD HUSBANDS (1996).
This 2004 film is not a thriller or horror movie at all, but made as a comedy to spoof a fine film that none of the younger generation knows nothing about or cares to know about. If you are over 40, you might have picked up this DVD.
The good casting is Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close and Jon Lovitz. The bad idea was showing the gold robot dog early in the film. I think it gives the surprise away to soon for those who never saw the original 1975 film.
I think Dolly Parton would have been a better choice than Bette Midler.
Where is a Martha Stewart cameo when yopu need one?
None of the original cast members from the 1975 film were asked to appear in this film.
Before the release of this film, the media announced that Nicole Kidman was chosen to play "Samantha" in the "Bewitched" movie. Another re-make of a television show. i would have chosen Elizabeth Perkins, but all well, we will see in 2005 how that film was ruined.
Rating:
Summary: 1975 Classic is So Much Better
Review: While the actors in this movie remake did the best they could, the script material, direction and the combination of actors assured that they had little, if anything, to work with.
"The Stepford Wives" from the novel by Ira Levin was NEVER meant to be a comedy in any way. To reduce this story line to something trivial in this 2004 remake is ridiculous.
The original movie with Katharine Ross captures the quietly horrifying side of Stepford quite well. Like the excellent book, right from the beginning one gets the feeling from the original movie that something subtly malicious and creepy is going on that's just beneath the surface.
While the "Stepford Wives" is obviously a work of fiction, it's one of those books and movies (the original with Ross) that was and is ahead of its time. I think we all know several people (women as well as men) who would indeed turn the people they know into sub-serviant "yes people" who would do everything they requested in just the "right way". (Why is there so much domestic violence if this isn't so?) And technology, with its many advances, does make the original movie all the more "almost believable", and if this really could happen "it would probably happen just this way".
This remake is not worth the time it takes to watch it, but the original movie with Ross is one of those off-beat classics that's well worth watching over and over again.
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Entertainment
Review: With an all star cast like this film has and the filming location of Connecticut how could you go wrong. The film is extremely campy and has something for everyone to enjoy. Wonderful costumes, great acting, beautiful music just adds to the enjoyment of pure entertainment on a grand scale. This film does differ from the orginal but a few scenes are played out exactly as the older film but in extremely good taste. The new ending is just an added bonus and Matthew Broderick has that never aging cute face. There is no stress and no gore on viewing this film, just pure popcorn mutching, relaxing, laughing and having a good time. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: A very nice movie...very nice movie...very nice movie...
Review: With Nicole Kidman and Bette Midler maniacally pitching "Stepford Wives" on every morning talk show as part of the predictable media blitz, there is no way anybody's going to this movie expecting an actual "remake" of the original. It's a trend lately to name your movie after an older film to which it bears only the flimsiest resemblance. This incarnation of "Stepford Wives" is a "black comedy" version that looks back on the 1975 Bryan Forbes classic - and laughs, as indeed we are all too prone to do in 2004. (Ask anybody born after 1980 if "The Exorcist" is anything other than hilarious.) While the plot remains more or less the same - up to the dramatically altered ending - the tone is entirely different, and hardcore fans of the original are probably not going to appreciate it. New York power couple Walter and Joanna (Matthew Broderick and Nicole Kidman) move from the big city to rural, idyllic Stepford, Connecticut after Joanna gets fired from her network mogul position and has a nervous breakdown. Immediately on arrival they notice the strange behavior of the women, who all look and behave like 1950's Playmates on lithium. The only "regular" people in town seem to be the other recent arrivals, author Roberta Markowitz (Bette Midler) and gay stereotype Roger Bannister (Roger Bart). Joanna bonds with them as Walter heads off for the infamous "Men's Association." Before long, though, Roger takes on the eerie behavior patterns of the other residents...then Roberta. Joanna finds herself increasingly at odds with her husband and with no real friends left to lean on. And then... As I said before, the comedic irony of the original film will be abundantly apparent to almost anybody watching it today; but it still took itself more or less seriously, and it WAS an intensely creepy and loaded premise. This new version assumes that you've seen the old, or that you're at least familiar with the plot, but it refuses to pay lip service to the creepy vibe, preferring to keep tongue firmly lodged in cheek. This will annoy many cult fans of the original. In fact, the new "Wives" probably has its best chance with an audience that knows the plot but hasn't actually seen the classic version. Nicole Kidman inhabits both the anal-retentive NY power-exec and the flawless fantasy 50's Connecticut housewife roles with equal aplomb; Matthew Broderick reads lines off the page with his accustomed total lack of emotion; Bette Midler does her typical schtick as a feisty f-hag type until she gets turned into a robotic drag-queen; John Lovitz is her nerdy husband; and the ever-weird Christopher Walkin is in fine form as...well, a weirdo. Faith Hill appears in all the ads but has about 3/4 of a line in the entire film. With this sort of power-cast, you almost expect things to be shamefully mediocre. And so they are. "Stepford Wives" is a nice sort of 2-hour sitcom type movie, which is exactly what I figured it would be. The ending completely subverts the original in the interest of this lighthearted, supposedly "feminist" tone. All in all, it's not THAT bad, but it's basically a collection of one-liners (I did enjoy Joanna's slam on AOL). See it if you aren't expecting much, and it will deliver.
Rating: 
Summary: Nobdy is Perfect...
Review: Wow from reading the reviews you would think I had a totally different movie. I absolutely loved this movie. I loved the humor and the fact that it poked fun at our way of life...was humorous! I think this movie was also well cast from Walken to Midler .
JoAnna (Kidman) loses her job and has a nervous breakdown prompting her family to movie to Stepford. When they get there everything is PERFECT too perfect. And JoAnna is out of place. Walter tends to fit in with the guys because he wants to. JoAnna finds Bobbie (Midler) and Rodger (Bart) and they team up to try and find out why everything is so perfect. When soon Bobbie and Rodger also become PERFECT. Soon JoAnna will find her fate. You will be surprised to her the actual person behind Stepford is not who you think it is. And along the way there is lots of laughs as long as you don't take this movie to seriously I find it to be a good movie!
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