Random Thoughts: The Stepford Wives

behind every good woman is a great...plan

I hate writing reviews. So I'm introducing my "Random Thoughts" column to my blog. Yes, a column can have a column inside. Maybe I'm giving the wrong words. Anyways, I couldn't think of a more perfect (or flawed) film to kick off my "Random Thoughts" movie review column...that isn't really a review..or column. I love the original film. Its on my top 100 films. Of course, I was dying to see this because of that factor, and throw in that, ahem, to die for lead actress and the rest of the cast. The film sticks to the story of the original, while altering some scenes and almost the entire tone of the movie. Bordering on a spoof of the original, it adds a campy tone to the story (or perhaps, more campy tone) and some biting humor. The humor is dark and extreme, if slightly broad. Reality TV bashing? Check. AOL bashing? Check. Gender, religion and sexuality stereotypes? Check. You get the picture. The film has some big laughs, courtesy of mainly Roger Bart as Joanna's (Nicole Kidman)gay pal and Bette Midler as the jewish neurotic that Paula Prentis gloriously nailed in the original. The one-liners fly fast and hit their mark. Glenn Close and Christopher Walken are, well, Glenn Close and Christopher Walken: psychotically over the top and menacingly creepy. Faith Hill also makes her big screen debut (after turning down the Natalie Portman role in Cold Mountain.) Hill's part is malfuncioning wife Sarah Sunderson, which was a real scene-stealer in the original. I would've loved it if director Frank Oz and screenwriter Paul Rudnick had kept the "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe!" scene. That was a hoot. This brings me to leads Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick. Ferris is fine in his role, but not much is required. Kidman seems to be channeling her performances in The Others and To Die For. She's fully in charge at the beginning as the bitchy Manhattan career gal and makes the power-hungry nature of her character seem so simple. (And yes, she's great as the Stepford Joanna towards the end.) Plagued by a hellish production, only one time does the hectic behind the scenes fiascos show in the film: it seems unclear just what the Stepford Wives are. Are they robots with the same brain? Or the same woman with a chip in her brain. All that aside, its campy fun summer diversion comparable to both Addams Family movies, which Rudnick also penned. If you like those and their humor, you'll like this. The crowd I saw it with seemed into it and laughed at the right parts. If you have any intention of ever seeing the original, do so before seeing the new one. Also, this is a film that had I ever made is a filmmaker I wanted to remake. And surprisingly, they did the ending exactly the way I would've.
I'm brilliant. And The Stepford Wives is pretty damn fun.