|
The
Stepford wives
|
Movie
| Book
| Author
| Director
& cast
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Movie: The Stepford Wives (2004)
(The movie was made in 1975 as well, directed by Brian Forbes with
Katherine Ross)
Book: The Stepford Wives (1975)
Official
site: http://www.stepfordwives.com
Premise
movie:
"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 ascerbic 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?"
from:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327162/plotsummary
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Premise
& info book:
The opening is just perfect. The Welcome Wagon lady is
greeting Joanna Eberhart and telling her how much
she's going love the town of Stepford. Just as
Rosemary Woodhouse was convinced she would love living
at the Bramford in Rosemary's Baby and Kay Norris was
thrilled to move into 1300 Madison Ave in Sliver,
Joanna thinks that she too has found the perfect
little nest.
Joanna is married to Walter and they have two
children, Kim and Pete. It was Walter's idea to leave
the city and move to Stepford. He has also decided to
join the Men's Association, supposedly to help change
the 'men only' policy. He promises Joanna that if he
cannot get them to change their outdated practices in
six months he will quit the organization.
Its hard for Joanna to make friends in the new
community. The women of Stepford all seem to be too
busy waxing their kitchen floors and ironing to engage
in any social activities. The Stepford women seem to
have the same devotion for housework that Lassie
displayed for Timmy.
The one exception is Bobbie Markowe. Bobbie is
interested in the women's lib movement. Joanna and
Bobbie set out to change the Stepford wives, to
introduce them to women's lib, to bring them up-
to-date. Unknown to them, there are plans afoot to
change Joanna and Bobbie.
The clock is ticking for Joanna and Bobbie. If they
can find out what's really happening in Stepford they
might be alright. But if they don't pick up the clues
fast enough, if they don't see what's closing in on
them...then they lose the race and much more. You'll
find yourself running with them - trying to figure out
the ending before it traps you.
The Stepford Wives was published in 1972. Levin had
lived in Wilton, Connecticut for several years, but he
says none of the women there were like the Stepford
Wives. He wrote the book while going through a
divorce. Once again a convergence of events lead to
the creation of a novel. Levin had read a popular book
called Future Shock and he had become fascinated with
its references to domestic robots. He was also
fascinated by the animated figures in the Hall of
Presidents at Disneyland. One plus one equals
beautiful, docile, obedient wives. Peter
Filichia, writing for TheaterMania.Com says that Levin told him
that in his early drafts of the story it dealt with a
man building an artificial woman in his basement. That
got 'a little too creepy' and he decided to tell the
story from the viewpoint of the
woman.
Levin's book touched a nerve in the American psyche
and the events of the time made it very controversial.
Controversy of course leads to sales and The Stepford
Wives did very well.
In this novel Levin touches upon subjects that rub
nerves raw in the relationship between men and women.
Many women today seem to see men as enemies. Many men
today think American women have lost their femininity.
Yet, somehow, in spite of these feelings, some men and
some women do manage to get along with each other, to
fall in love, to marry, have children and create new
generations of Ira Levin fans.
from:
http://www.intercoursewiththedead.com/stepford.htm
and
http://www.intercoursewiththedead.com/levbio.htm
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Author:
"Ira Levin decided on the career of a writer at the age of
15. Educated at the elite Horace Mann school, he went on to two
years at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, before transferring
to New York University where he majored in philosophy and English.
He earned his degree in 1950. In 1953, he was drafted into the Army.
Based in Queens, New York, he wrote and produced training films for
Uncle Sam, before moving into television, penning scripts
for "Lights Out" and "The United States Steel Hour". He made his
bright theatre debut at the age of 25 with a stage adaptation of Mac
Hyman's "No Time for Sergeants" (1955). He went on to write several
plays, including the longest running Broadway mystery to
date, "Deathtrap" (1978), and several popular novels."
Other famous books by Ira Levin are "A Kiss Before Dying" and "Rosemary's Baby".
from:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505615/bio
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Director:
Frank Oz
Cast:
Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick, Christopher
Walken, Glenn Close and singer Faith Hill in her first lead role.
The Stepford Wives a Paramount Pictures Production, is directed by
Frank Oz, adapted by Paul Rudnick (from Ira Levin's novel) and
produced by Scott Rudin, Gabriel Grunfeld, Donald De Line and Edgar
J Sherick.
from:
http://www.imdb.com
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