Film Snail

The Stepford Wives
The Stepford Wives

6.7

The Stepford Wives

PG·1975·117m

Summary

Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.

Crew

Director

Bryan Forbes

Novel

Ira Levin

Screenplay

William Goldman

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

August 11, 2020

7

_**Slow-burn creepy 70's Sci-fi/drama**_

A couple (Katharine Ross & Peter Masterson) moves from the Big Apple to Stepford, Connecticut, where many of the wives of the village are oblivious to the current women's lib movement; they seem wholly dedicated to their husbands, home & garden and keeping themselves well-groomed and primed for sex. The husband joins the mysterious all-male organization of the town which seems to be up to something fishy. Paula Prentiss is on hand as Joanna’s quirky new friend while Tina Louise plays another newbie resident.

“The Stepford Wives” (1975) is a drama/mystery that morphs into sci-fi/horror. It’s iconic for good reason. The story’s captivating and the movie’s all-around entertaining. The story's not campy at all, like the confused 2004 version. This is serious and creepy sci-fi/drama with a bit o’ satire. It powerfully succeeds while the similar-themed "Westworld" (1973) is only passable.

Unfortunately, the film takes too much time with the building mystery where some of the drama is just plain dull. Nevertheless, it’s a notable film of the 70s tarnished only by the misguided remake in the 2000s.

The film runs 1 hour, 55 minutes, and was shot in Connecticut (Norwalk, Westport, Darien, Weston, Fairfield & Redding), except for the opening Manhattan scenes.

GRADE: B

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$500,000.00

Revenue:

$8,700,000.00

Keywords

android
small town
based on novel or book
feminism
housewife
connecticut
robot
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frantic
desperate
women's liberation
authoritarian
condescending
defiant
demeaning
derogatory
foreboding
frightened
mean spirited