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 | verbose speech | sculptress | writer | 

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Taglines:

Three Beautiful Women. One Lucky Devil.

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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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,454,238, 14 June 1987

Gross USA:

$63,766,510

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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

In the original novel, Jane is the only one of the three who actually learns how to fly. In the movie, she is the only one shown to use the ability more than once.

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Goofs

When Daryl and Fidel (Carel Struycken) have gone to town to get bagels, lox, and ice cream, Daryl jumps in the car and speeds out of town, leaving Fidel behind. As the camera zooms in on Fidel as he watches Daryl drive off, you can clearly see that he has hair on the back of his head, just under his hat. Fidel is otherwise depicted as being bald throughout the movie.

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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

Referenced in Suits: Gone (2014)

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Soundtracks

Nessun Dorma
from the Opera "Turandot"
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti with John Alldis Choir (as The John Alldis Choir) and London Philharmonic Orchestra (as The London Philharmonic Orchestra),
Conducted by Zubin Mehta
Courtesy of London Records, a division of PolyGram Classic, Inc.

User Reviews

Good Light Entertainment

What a fun little movie. Reserved Jane (Susan Sarandon), sassy Alex (Cher)and lovable Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) are good friends in a small, conservative town, Eastwick. They are all widowed or divorced and dream of a tall, dark and handsome foreign prince to come riding on a black horse and sweep them of their feet. What they don't know is they are witches and when they all wish for something together, it is granted.

There is some all round good acting. The three leading actresses are amazing as the average single working women who just happen to be witches. The movie manages to give them interesting personalities. Jane in particular has a really comedic character arc.

But it is Jack Nicholson who steals every scene he is in. His Daryl van Horne is the devil himself who has come as an answer to the witches' wishes. He is over-the-top, funny and despicable all at the same time. This character is a good addition to his collection crazy-guy roles.

The premise is silly and the movie knows it. Hence, it gives us lot of hilariously silly moments. The climax is one good laugh-fest. A good movie to watch if are looking for some light entertainment.