See what I mean?
The movie starts with Nicole Kidman�s (Dogville) character of Joanna being fired from her television executive position due to a reality TV contestant�s violent rampage. Tone 1: Broad comedy. Suddenly she and husband (Matthew Broderick, Election) and kids ship off and move to Connecticut. "Where would no one notice a town full of robots? Connecticut� states one character. Very funny indeed. Along with the arrival of Bobbi (Bette Midler, below, For The Boys) and Roger (Roger Bart, The Producers play) she begins to suspect something is not quite right with the women of Stepford. Tone 2: Witty and Fresh. Are they on drugs? Are they robots? Are they just blonde? This movie has trouble figuring that one out itself.
Note: From here on I freely reference to a major plot hole that ascertains to the �secret� of Stepford. But as everyone already knows the secret (no thanks to every publicity still being of Nicole being of her in Stepford Wife Mode) this should be no problem.
Then in an attempt to wrap the film up nicely the makers have ditched their prior ideas and decided to make the women real flesh and blood, but with microchips implanted on their brain that simply disintegrate when one little button is pressed. And viola. Back to normal. That doesn�t make sense. Real women can�t produce $20 in one dollar bills from their stomach and dispatch them from between their lips. Real woman don�t send sparks across the room. �It�s the first sign of cheap jewellery� Roger states. I bet the producers would say it actually was the jewellery and not a bad goof by themselves.
But when all is said and done, the film actually does, surprisingly, come up kind of rosy. The earlier portions of the film (until Roger Bart disappears from the film. Not from Stepford, just the film for whatever reason) are admittedly quite hilarious, with multiple lines from Paul Rudnick�s (In & Out) screenplay getting hearty laughs. And while Nicole Kidman doesn�t get the chance to show her wonderful comedic skills (so perfectly demonstrated in To Die For) Bette Midler and Roger Bart are simply wonderful to watch. It really is a blessing to have Bette back from trash like Drowning Mona. And sure, Roger Bart�s gay schtick is nothing new; but he does it with such perfect comedic timing that you can�t help but laugh.
Matthew Broderick does his usual boring stuff and Glenn Close and Christopher Walken do what they can with their slight roles. But it is Bette and Roger that really shine and it is for them and Paul Rudnick�s occasionally witty and hilarious screenplay that the movie rises above its obviously contrived ending and doesn�t become a steaming pile in the process. B-
Go home to Stepford Or Back to Glenn's place in the city