However, both books are still in print and mulveys article has been. The stepford wives has become a movie two times now, but. They all read another book, about creative ways to make christmas ornaments. The films story is well layered and keeps you involved from. American graffiti 1973 a group of friends spend one fabulously entertaining night cruising the strip in their cars, chasing love interests, playing pranks, racing, fighting, and reminiscing about their high school. The stepford wives film analysis uk essays ukessays. The film is based on the ira levin novel the stepford wives filmed the first time in 1975. The stepford wives stepford is a small exurban community are contentedly submissive in bed and happy all the livelong day dusting and waxing and washing.
The stepford wives symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. The stepford wives is a 2004 american sciencefiction black comedy film. The connection to the stepford wives bryan forbes unsettling 1975 flick with katharine ross, not the atrocious 2004 remake with nicole. The stepford wives is quite similar to the consciousness raising novel. How does the 2004 remake of the stepford wives differ from. In the film, liberated females who are equal to, if not more powerful than their husbands and hold on to their own sexuality are murdered and changed with supposedly superior copies who supposedly embody perfection. Dec 01, 2009 the three versions of the stepford wives, the book, the 1975 movie, and the 2004 movie, all share a general plotline, but the 2004 movie took a completely different approach to the story. I was reading the stepford wives for my english assignment. Explore the connection between get out, the stepford wives.
Second and thirdwave feminist values and culture in the. He is best remembered for his novels which were made into feature films, rosemarys baby 1968, with mia farrow, the boys from brazil 1978 and the stepford wives 1975 and 2004. They havent even time for that maxwell house coffee break when they come to call on someone new in town. The secret to a stepford wife lies behind the doors of the mens association.
The original version, starring katharine ross might not have. The film was directed by frank oz with a screenplay by paul rudnick and stars nicole kidman, matthew broderick, bette midler, christopher walken, faith hill and glenn close. Although time may have lent novel and original film more comic relief than original audiences experienced, the. The stepford wives nailed feminist dystopia a decade.
Frank oz has done the voice of yoda in the star wars series, and several muppets characters, such as miss piggy. I know, i know, i still need to get the cast names in there and ill be eternally tweaking. And plus, its always interesting to see a new take on things. On the other hand, i felt that the book provided some more insightsand a less happy endingthan the movie did. So please help me by giving examples of a theme for this book. The stepford wives is a 2004 american black comedyscience fiction film. All the beautiful people live in the idyllic village of stepford, connecticut, an affluent suburban eden populated with successful, satisfied hubbys and their beautiful, dutiful wives. His other most recognized works the boys from brazil and rosemarys baby both became successful films featuring bigname stars of the day. Harry dean stanton and wives in big love, a hollywood fairy tale on the realities of polygamy.
In the ending of the 1975 stepford wives, joannas robot is seen gazing at her with empty, black eyes. The stepford wives movie trailer 2004 nicole kidman, matthew. The stepford men use sophisticated technology to replace and murder their wives recalling how the nazis used technology for the mass murder of jews. Gregory peck, for the boys from brazil schaffner, 1978 and mia farrow, in rosemarys baby polanski, 1968. 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. Summary of discussion on the stepford wives melodrama. The stepford wives is one of the popular books of the 1970s that i somehow overlooked, though i did see the 1975 movie on television years later. The stepford mens association uses audioanimation technology developed by disneyland, to create robots that act and speak so lifelike youd have thought they were real levin 94.
Chief among them is a grisly scene in which a main character is revealed to be a robot and his head detaches from his body while his wife cradles and kisses the head. Final paper the stepford wives 2004 the film that i choose to analysis is the stepford wives. Boekverslag engels the stepford wives door ira levin scholieren. So going into the novel, i felt as though i already knew the premise which, for the most part, wasnt wrong. There are similar themes to those that worked so successfully in rosemarys baby. The stepford wives by ira levin meet your next favorite book. Stepford seems like an ideal place to live, but the women in stepford are extremely subsurvient to their families. Jul 19, 2004 the original stepford dream, or nightmare, where women rule the world, is a long way off. Chief among them is a grisly scene in which a main character is revealed to be a robot and his head detaches from his body while his wife cradles and. In its original selfcontained form, i think it is excellent satire, commentary and science fiction that primarily critiques men. Joanna becomes friends with fellow new arrival bobbie markowe, as the two of them also become. Levi with a screenplay by bill bleich and starring barbara eden, don murray, tammy lauren, randall batinkoff and pat corley.
The the stepford wives community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The stepford wives came at the heel of the mass hysteria with bra burnings, sexual liberation, and the demand for equal work opportunities for women. The significance of forbes the stepford wives for contemporary feminist. Did the robot not fully activate until the real jonna was killed. While comparing the two works there are quite a few variations that link their characters together showing the extent as to which they are similar. Oct 29, 2009 the 2004 remake of this film is lighthearted and rather fun, but if that is the only version that you have seen you are missing out. They consistently provide outstanding service in a timely manner.
In this reading diz is not just a substitute for the heroines suspicious spouse but rather an embodiment of patriarchy itself. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of stepford wives. 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, upperclass, and very modern planned community of stepford, connecticut. Stepford wives script transcript from the screenplay and. Matthew broderick and nicole kidman in the stepford wives 2004. The original stepford dream, or nightmare, where women rule the world, is a long way off. The origins of the stepford wives may lie in henrik ibsens play a dolls house 1879 and hedda gabler 1890, both of which concern the plight of women incarcerated in maledominated society. The stepford wives forbes, 1975 portrays the feminine condition in a bourgeois, patriarchal society boruzkowski, 1987. The stepford wives organizations complete guide to the stepford movies. When joanna, the main character, speaks at the stepford wives book club, she mentions a book she read about lyndon johnson and there is a unanimous look of confusion from the other stepford wives. Frances has very kindly provided the following summary of our discussion on the stepford wives during our discussion on the stepford wives it was noted how different the 1975 version is to its 2004 remake, particularly in regards to the latters happy ending.
Some scenes are out of order or altered to fit with. I have checked everywhere else on the internet and they all deal with the movies. The book has had two feature film adaptations, both using the same title as the novel. And theres a twist that i wasnt expecting that ties into the themes earlier mentioned in the movie and aforementioned here. On the surface, the story, novella, and movie poked fun at men wanting robotic wives, but there is a sly subtext about how women who clamor for equal opportunities even though we did not equal. The stepford wives is a 1972 satirical thriller novel by ira levin.
Some of these connect to themes we find in ethical considerations of technological. As avid followers of the evolving ideas of traditional marriage, we at the stepford wives organization are constantly scouring the internet and printed book matter for ideas and new information we have mentioned the polygamous flds fundamental latter day saints group, purely out of interest for their anachronistic ideas of traditional marriage and their views of the man as the headofthe. It is the second in a series of sequels inspired by the 1972 novel and the original 1975 film the. The stepford wives is a scifi film which was released in 2004. The story concerns joanna eberhart, a photographer and young mother who suspects the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic connecticut neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands the book has had two feature film adaptations, both using the same title as the novel. I was spending a few weeks there, installing some equipment at stepford pharmeceutical labs, for the company i worked for.
What recently prompted me to finally read the book was an article at jstor daily titled sex in the early 80s, i took a college course in feminist theory. We are a company of 200 employees and stepford hosts and manages our network as well as providing a variety of specialized services to us on an asneeded basis. Ideal postwar suburban lifestyles are often depicted by small towns, friendly neighbors, small families, and women holding domestic. While comparing the two works there are quite a few variations that link their characters together. A theme is stated in a sentence and the subject is just one word. The stepford wives is a stunning film, one that is a genre classic, and if you enjoy old school horror, then this is a must see film. The handmaids tale, first published in 1985, anticipates a violent regime which strips away womens rights and turns them back into servers and breeders.
Womens lib came of age in the 1960s and really took firm hold in the years in which levin was constructing his novel. Nov 22, 2016 at first, ira levins novel the stepford wives seems made for the screen. The internationally bestselling novel by the author of a kiss before dying, the. The three versions of the stepford wives, the book, the 1975 movie, and the 2004 movie, all share a general plotline, but the 2004 movie took a completely different approach to the story. He chose the stepford community because of its location, low taxes, great schools for his. Joanna and walter eberhart move with their two children to the suburbs in the hope of a more comfortable. Scherick produced the 1975 version, as well as all three of the madefortelevision sequels.
Her book on victorian literature and anorexia nervosa is forthcoming. The stepford wives 1975 by raquel vasinkevich on prezi. Explore our collection of motivational and famous quotes by authors you know and love. The stepford wives is different on both these counts and this could represent another way the film adapts and modifies the traditions of the gothic in order to speak to the films wider political contexts and concerns. The stepford wives movie trailer 2004 nicole kidman. Parents need to know that the stepford wives is a remake of a 70s horror film that goes for comedy rather than scares, yet still has some material within that may traumatize younger viewers. What does joanna seem like at the beginning of the book and how does her character change over. But the version i read had an introduction by chuck palahniuk that i found interesting and i thought showed up a little flaw in the book. Joanna wonders about their very active mens association while the. Sep 21, 2015 reading the stepford wives was a first for me because i actually saw the movie version of it from 2004 before i read the actual book. The story concerns joanna eberhart, a photographer and young mother who suspects the. In it, joanna eberhart, her husband walter, and their two young children move from new york city to the eponymous connecticut commutertown. It was directed by frank oz, who is famously known for his acting roles.
As with fundamentalist religion, this need to control takes precedence over morality, fairness and love. Ira levin thesis key themes of the small town amanda hedmann the small town of stepford functions as a gendered prison for women, which serves as a microcosm to highlight how women are imprisoned in feminine gender roles within the structure of patriarchy. Instead of being a movie about the sexist tendencies of many men, the 2004 movie was more a mockery of highpowered women. For joanna eberhart, a recent arrival with her husband and two children, it all seems too perfect to be true from the sweet, accommodating welcome wagon lady to all those cheerful, friendly faces in the. It was directed by frank oz from a screenplay by paul rudnick and stars nicole kidman, matthew broderick, bette midler, christopher walken, faith hill and glenn close. The stepford wives is not only a creepy horror flick, but also a stinging piece of commentary on the culture of the suburbs. Ira levin was born on august 27, 1929 in the bronx, new york. The stepford children is a 1987 american madefortelevision science fictionthriller film inspired by the ira levin novel the stepford wives. As with fundamentalist religion, this need to control takes precedence over. In the closing scene, joannas robot is seen walking down a grocery aisle. By recreating their wives in their own image or in this case their ideal image, they take away the womans freewill. The stepford wives was stylistically no different than these previous entries, but its contribution to overall pop culture lies more in its basic concept than levins skill as a writer, or the actual story.
I would imagine that most people will be familiar with the concept of stepford wives, the book is a very well written short read with what i thought was a brilliant introduction by chuck palahniuk. The 2004 remake of this film is lighthearted and rather fun, but if that is the only version that you have seen you are missing out. At first, ira levins novel the stepford wives seems made for the screen. The stepford wives started life as a 1972 novel by ira levin. The men in the stepford wives choose, in a sense, to play god. In the stepford wives, ira levin imagines a claustrophobic world in which women are manmade, and feminism doesnt exist. Like, theres at least thematic cohesion i can give the writers props for. Stepford has been our it partner for several years. The stepford wives has one of the most enduring premises of 20thcentury american fiction.
The film is a remake of the 1975 film of the same name. This is illustrated in the stepford wives book club scene. Theres a good reason why, as joanna and her new friend bobbi find out, and their lives are in danger from those who love them the mosttheir husbands. If ira levins 1972 novel and the 1975 film adaptation of the stepford wives is best remembered as a dark satire of the reactionary and misogynistic groupthink of privileged classes in american suburbia, then frank ozs 2004 film adaptation seems above all a satire of that satire. I had recently broken up with my fiancee and was glad to be back on the road as a. How does the 2004 remake of the stepford wives differ. More than a decade before margaret atwood, however, ira levin had already explored the feminist. The stepford wives, based on a book by ira levin, both depict very similar worlds dealing with the removal of women to traditional roles and the death of feminism. And it seems that in stepford, some women would rather keep it that way. That is, i was until i happened upon the town of stepford. The story concerns joanna eberhart, a photographer and young mother who suspects the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic connecticut neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands.