The Stepford Wives (2004)

The secret to a Stepford Wife lies behind the doors of the Men's Association of how woman become different and imobilized robots

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers:

Ira Levin (book), Paul Rudnick (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicole Kidman	...	Joanna Eberhart
Matthew Broderick	...	Walter Kresby
Bette Midler	...	Bobbie Markowitz
Glenn Close	...	Claire Wellington
Christopher Walken	...	Mike Wellington
Roger Bart	...	Roger Bannister
David Marshall Grant	...	Jerry Harmon
Jon Lovitz	...	Dave Markowitz
Dylan Hartigan	...	Pete Kresby
Fallon Brooking	...	Kimberly Kresby
Faith Hill	...	Sarah Sunderson
Matt Malloy	...	Herb Sunderson
Kate Shindle	...	Beth Peters
Tom Riis Farrell	...	Stan Peters
Lorri Bagley	...	Charmaine Van Sant

Storyline

Joanna Eberhart, a wildly successful president of a TV Network, after a series of shocking events, suffers a nervous breakdown and is moved by her milquetoast of a husband, Walter, from Manhattan to the chic, upper-class, and very modern planned community of Stepford, Connecticut. Once there, she makes good friends with the acerbic Bobbie Markowitz, a Jewish writer who's also a recovering alcoholic. Together they find out, much to their growing stupor and-then horror, that all the housewives in town are strangely blissful and, somehow... doomed. What is going on behind the closed doors of the Stepford Men's Association and the Stepford Day Spa? Why is everything perfect here? Will it be too late for Joanna and Bobbie when they finally find out?

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Plot Keywords:

suburb | battle of the sexes | husband wife relationship | housewife | android | 

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Taglines:

Are you a Stepford wife? Are you a Stepford husband? Couple, ask yourselves: Would you move to Stepford?

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, thematic material and language

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures UIP [Brazil]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 June 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Et l'homme créa la femme

Filming Locations:

Greenwich, Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$21,406,781 (USA) (13 June 2004)

Gross:

$59,484,742 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The location used for the rotunda of the Men's Club was the same one used in the original film.

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Goofs

A dark clothed crew member (cloaked?) raising an arm is visible in a reflection just before Matthew backs into a panel.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Helen Devlin: Ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to introduce a legend in our industry. She's the most successful president in the history of our network and for the past five years has kept us at the very top of the ratings.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits are presented in a cursive script font rather than regular block letters. The letters alternate "flashing" on and off, mimicing machine lights.

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Connections

Referenced in The Nostalgia Chick: You've Got Mail (2011)

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Soundtracks

The Marines' Hymn
(1868)
Music by Jacques Offenbach from "Genevieve de Brabant" (1868) (uncredited)
Lyrics by L.Z. Phillips (1919)
Performed by The Band of the Grenadier Guards
Courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A MUST TO AVOID

Bryan Forbes got ir wrong the first time round, using his wife Nanette Newman, to play the perfect Stepford wife, but compared to this 2004 rendition of the wonderful Ira Levin work, the original is a masterpiece. The script is of the cheapest kind. Little TV jokes and no characters. Nicole Kidman, a superb actress, throws herself into the part but there is no part. Bette Midler, always a welcome relief, goes through her changes withous allowing us to understand or care how, when or why. Glenn Close, one of my favorites, does an embarrassing impersonation of a someone impersonating a Stepford wife. Who's idea was the gay couple? Please! It is, without question, one of the most ill conceived ideas ever put on film.