The Stepford Wives (1975)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Ira Levin (novel)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 February 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Something strange is happening in the town of Stepford.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Cleaning | Housework | Photographer | Secret

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Katharine Ross	...	Joanna Eberhart
Paula Prentiss	...	Bobbie Markowe
Peter Masterson	...	Walter Eberhart
Nanette Newman	...	Carol Van Sant
Tina Louise	...	Charmaine Wimpiris
Carol Eve Rossen	...	Dr. Fancher (as Carol Rossen)
William Prince	...	Ike Mazzard
Carole Mallory	...	Kit Sunderson
Toni Reid	...	Marie Axhelm
Judith Baldwin	...	Patricia Cornell
Barbara Rucker	...	Mary Ann Stravros
George Coe	...	Claude Axhelm
Franklin Cover	...	Ed Wimpiris
Robert Fields	...	Raymond Chandler
Michael Higgins	...	Mr. Cornell

Runtime:

115 min | UK:100 min (2004 DVD release) | UK:110 min (2001 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Darien, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Fadsin Cinema Associates

Trivia:

Katharine Ross had become such a good friend of Paula Prentiss during the shot, that she found the scene where she stabs "Bobbie" very disturbing. She actually got so anxious during takes, that director Bryan Forbes ended up shaving the back of his hand and doing the scene for her instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the Eberharts enter Stepford for the first time riding in their station wagon, Joanna's head scarf disappears and reappears several times as the scenes change.

Quotes:

Bobbie Markowe: If you tell me you don't like this dress, I'm sticking my head right in the oven.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Big Business (1988)

Summer Dresses and Big Brimmed Hats

The image of beautiful, not necessarily sexy, women parading through the aisles of a grocery story in picturesque, almost Victorian summer dresses and wide white broad brimmed hats is one of the most lasting of this effective thriller based on the work by Ira Levin. Katherine Ross engagingly plays a women being moved with family in tow from the hustle and bustle of New York City to the serene suburbs of old Connetticut. Ross soon discovers that life for the gentle sex is anything but normal. All the women of Stepford seem to be concerned with is housecleaning and pleasing their husbands. This is a good, high energy film that shocks more from looks and what you do not see rather than what you do see. Helping greatly is a solid acting cast working with a pliable script. Though shot with an almost static effect at times, The Stepford Wives packs a few good punches. The scene in the grocery store and the scene with the empty eyes are just two of the highlights for me. Patrick O' Neal, lovely Tina Louise, and the ever loquacious Paula Prentiss costar. At the heart of the film is human identity and the worth it has/should have. There are aspects of social commentary abounding: the relationship of men and women in marriage, the effects of Suburban living, and the dangers of technology.