The Stepford Wives (1975)

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.

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Ira Levin (novel), William Goldman (screenplay)

Stars:

Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

The Stepford Wives is about a small suburb where the women happily go about their housework - cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking gourmet meals - to please their husbands. Unfortunately, Bobbie and Joanna discover that the village's wives have been replaced with robots, and Joanna's husband wants in on the action.

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Plot Keywords:

robot | female protagonist | women's liberation | social commentary | feminism | 

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Taglines:

A very modern suspense story from the author of Rosemary's Baby.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Stepford Wives

Filming Locations:

325 West End Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$8,720,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar Pictures (I), Fadsin Cinema Associates

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 100 min (DVD) 110 min (2001 DVD release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Neither film version of The Stepford Wives was very successful at the box office, although the 1975 version was well-reviewed and continues to develop a cult following. The 2004 version was pummeled by the critics and roundly despised by everyone, even some of the people who made it.

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Goofs

When Joanna has first moved into Stepford she is relaxing on the couch holding a drink. Between shots, her drink changes from dark to light color, and the glass from half full to full.

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Quotes

Joanna Eberhart: [Showing her photos to her NYC Dealer and Gallery Owner] Am I crazy? Aren't they good? Please say something. I don't care. No, I do care. Don't say anything bad.
Mr. Atkinson: These are, um, really quite good.
Joanna Eberhart: You're not just saying that be cause you're frightened I, I might be a crazy lady?
Mr. Atkinson: Clearly you are a crazy lady, but clearly again, these are nice.
Joanna Eberhart: Wait a minute. You said 'Good'. 'Really quite good' you said. 'Good' is better than 'nice'. You're not changing your mind, are you?
Mr. Atkinson: No, the results are ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Frightening (2002)

User Reviews

"Archiac" is not on the word list

This movie holds up surprisingly well, nearly twenty five years after its first release. The premise could still intrigue today - there are still men who would like nothing better than to have the women in their lives be less human. I guess now women want the same things and this is known as progress.

Anywho, the movie is great and if it were up to me, Katherine Ross' birthday would be a national holiday. She is terrific and beautiful and is matched by best buddy Paula Prentiss. Tina Louise and Nanette ("I'll die if I don't get this recipe") Newman are also memorable. The final shots of Ross are chilling, and top off a memorable movie.