Initially, Stepford Wives, a film adaptation of the 1975 novel of the same name, was billed as a feminist horror film. It made sense—a story rife with science fiction elements was a story as old as time: the enslavement of women by social standards. When JoannaKatherine Ross) moves with his family to the suburbs of Stepford, Connecticut, and soon discovers that the women of this town are surprisingly “perfect”. All they care about is housework and their husbands. Then - spoilers for the 70s movie - it turns out that women are not people at all. All real wives were killed and replaced with mechanical “Stepford Wives” with black soulless eyes. It’s not exactly the kind of movie that screams comedy. But in 2004 it was precisely this direction Stepford Wives got the remake. Director Frank Ozfrom dolls fame, the new version leaves much to be desired. The attention to visual detail seems to have taken over, leaving the script far behind. (“A real bake sale! It’s like some sort of celestial diorama at the Smithsonian in Housewives’ Hall!”). But there are bright spots in the film: Namely, Christopher Walken And Glenn Close. Playing villains, they have a great time. And together they are not robots at all.
The Stepford Wives has a feminist message - or does it not?
You can expect from Stepford Wives‘ subject that it was written by a woman. In fact, the 1972 novel was written by a male author named Ira Levinwhose name might sound familiar because he also wrote a short story called Rosemary’s baby. Stepford Wives has been called satirical and feminist, which is controversial. While the idea of husbands literally replacing their wives with mindless machines is certainly relevant, one really wonders if Joanna’s failed attempt to free herself is very inspiring. (At the end of the novel, Ruthann, one of the city’s first black residents, is to be replaced by the next.) This, of course, does not mean that the book does not criticize the society it satirizes. It’s by nature. However, it is also true that several prominent feminists at the time criticized the adaptation for not delving deep enough into the issues raised. Betty Friedan, a writer and activist, even ran away from the show. She considered it a “robbery” of the women’s liberation movement.
These issues are exacerbated in the 2004 version—the extra comedy dulls the film’s meaning, and Oz’s signature aesthetic threatens to take center stage. The film was originally intended to be darker in mood, which would likely contrast well with the film’s bright color palette. But given that Oz directed the 1986 film Shop of Horrors, which the studio also changed the “sad” ending to, he had to be no stranger to adjusting the tone. A myriad of reasons could be attributed to its failure, from on-set tensions to an extravagant budget. (Oz later said Isn’t it cool that he had “too much money”, which caused him to blind his instincts. “I like to be subversive and dangerous, and I wasn’t,” Oz said.) It’s safe to say things didn’t work out as well as they could have. Luckily, movies don’t have to be critically acclaimed to be entertaining, and this one certainly is.
Glenn Close is the eerily perfect matriarch in Frank Oz’s The Stepford Wives.
Frank Oz’s distinctive campy visual style is on display from the film’s opening credits. Stepford Wives. Rich shots from commercials for old kitchen appliances slowly set the stage: the world is stuck in the 50s, a world where women still have to be in the kitchen. In other words, it’s the opposite of how Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) life. A powerful television producer for reality shows exploring gender dynamics loses her job and suffers a ‘complete nervous breakdown’, prompting her gay husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) to move with his family to the suburbs. There things start to take a strange turn. Everything is just too tight. Church spiers and immaculately organized food shelves, puffy dresses and impeccable kitchens are under the control of city realtor Claire Wellington (Close). In her vintage dresses, with a light haircut, Close looks like the heroine of the propaganda film Coronet. She acts like this too - when she meets the couple’s daughter, she is quick to declare her “cheeky and a bit sad”. Close just gets into character, smiling too broadly, demonstrating the electronic possibilities of their new home. (Apparently it can test your urine for fat and comes with a robot dog.) As the matriarch of the neighborhood, she gleefully guides other perfect wives through mindless pursuits like “Clairobics” that involve pretending to do laundry. Of course, as a parody of WASP femininity, Claire wouldn’t be complete without her husband.
Glenn Close and Christopher Walken make the perfect couple from Stepford
As it turns out, Claire’s husband is almost as human as she is. Mike Wellington (Walken) is a slippery, manipulative leader of the chauvinistic Stepford men. Somehow, it’s perfectly plausible that the characters of Close and Walken will be together - they both hide some sort of intense pursuit of perfection, and this isn’t even the first time they’ve played on-screen spouses! (see 1991 WITHarahSimple and high.) Walken is a smooth operator. He holds the city in his hands, picks up broken wives when they break down, and convinces new residents to drive their loved ones in cars. Close and Walken are both blond here, two smiles disturbing their perfectly styled hair. Claire controls herself and loses her temper, causing Bobby (Bette Midlerin a very underused role) is inconvenient.
Mike, on the other hand, is subdued and overbearing, getting under Walter’s skin. Sitting in the men’s club, he is like a spider in a web, with hungry eyes. It’s easy to see that everything is following the same path as the original. This version, however, has a slight twist: not only are the women not robots (they have chips in their brains instead), but it turns out that Claire is the real inspiration! All of this is revealed when Mike is unceremoniously decapitated with a candlestick - Claire, a brilliant genetic neurosurgeon, created her own robo-husband to compensate for her career burnout - and created a dystopian patriarchy in the process. This “in sickness and in health” oath must have been serious, because after a long and surprisingly messy monologue, Claire finally kisses Mike’s head. She cartoonishly electrocutes herself and solidifies the couple’s status as legendary evil lovers. Though Oz takes over Stepford Wives failed, it’s worth looking at Close and Walken. Not even a robot could replicate this chemistry.
Source: Collider
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