The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

Three single women in a picturesque village have their wishes granted, at a cost, when a mysterious and flamboyant man arrives in their lives.

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

John Updike (novel), Michael Cristofer (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	Daryl Van Horne
Cher	...	Alexandra Medford
Susan Sarandon	...	Jane Spofford
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Sukie Ridgemont
Veronica Cartwright	...	Felicia Alden
Richard Jenkins	...	Clyde Alden
Keith Jochim	...	Walter Neff
Carel Struycken	...	Fidel
Helen Lloyd Breed	...	Mrs. Biddle
Caroline Struzik	...	Carol Medford
Michele Sincavage	...	Ridgemont Child
Nicol Sincavage	...	Ridgemont Child
Heather Coleman	...	Ridgemont Child
Carolyn Ditmars	...	Ridgemont Child
Cynthia Ditmars	...	Ridgemont Child

Storyline

All three previously married but now single, best friends sculptress Alex Medford, cellist Jane Spofford and writer Sukie Ridgemont are feeling emotionally and sexually repressed, in large part due to the traditional mores overriding their small New England coastal town of Eastwick. After their latest conversation lamenting about the lack of suitable men in Eastwick and describing the qualities they are looking for in a man, mysterious Daryl Van Horne and his equally mysterious butler Fidel arrive in town. Despite being vulgar, crude, brazen and not particularly handsome, Daryl manages to be able to tap into the innermost emotions of the three friends, and as such manages to seduce each. In turn, the three women blossom emotionally and sexually. After an incident involving one of the town's leading citizens, the ultra conservative Felicia Alden, the three women begin to understand how and why Daryl is able to mesmerize them so fully. The three decide to experiment with some powers ...

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | windstorm | sculptress | writer | teacher | 

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Taglines:

Something wicked this way comes.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Las brujas de Eastwick

Filming Locations:

Abbott Hall - 188 Washington Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$63,766,510

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., The Guber-Peters Company, Kennedy Miller Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The centrally-located New England style heritage white church seen in the film was the First Parish Meeting House, built in 1746 and located in Cohasset, Massachusetts. After shooting on the film was completed, the production made a donation to assist with the restoration of this historic building.

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Goofs

When Jane is practicing her cello at home and a string breaks, in the next short clip showing her head all four strings are still intact. Later, when Daryl makes her play, the broken string is fixed - they couldn't have replaced it in between as the scene is continuous.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Carol Medford: You don't have to come today, you know, I mean, if you don't want to.
Alexandra Medford: No, sweetheart, I want to, it's just that I have a million things I have to do first.

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Connections

Version of The Witches of Eastwick (1992)

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Soundtracks

Someone To Watch Over Me
Composed by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Performed by Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon

User Reviews

Hocus Pocus

Yes, one of the best years for movies. 1987. Tons of great movies came out and this was one of the best! A great mix of dark comedy, thrills and the supernatural. To this day I'm wondering where Michelle P. got those bruises on her face like she was beat up when Jack visits her and it is pouring rain out. Maybe there was a scene that they cut out of the movie? Oh well, this is a great movie with great music, great New England scenery, great direction by Mad Max George Miller and a great screenplay. This is one of the rare cases where the movie is BETTER than the book. Have a devilishly good time with The Witches Of Eastwick, daddy-o! Jack Nick is the coolest cat on Earth!!!