Ominous suburbia

When Bobbie likewise unexpectedly changes, Joanna finds that her buddy has actually been changed by a robotic– in addition to all the other better halves– and understands the ominous forces at work in Stepford are coming for her next. And her caring hubby, Walter, is a prepared part of the conspiracy.

The guys avoid Joanna from getting away by taking her kids to entice her to the Men’s Association head office, where she experiences her own dead-eyed robotic doppelgänger. Robo-Joanna advances holding a set of nylons to strangle the horrified genuine Joanna. Cut to black. The last scene reveals Robo-Joanna shopping at the grocery store with all the other Stepford Wives. We even see a black couple, brand-new to Stepford, arguing in among the aisles, hinting that there will quickly be another addition to their ranks.

Evaluations were blended upon the movie’s release. It’s definitely not without its defects, especially when seen through a 21st century lens; this is quite a duration piece, total with those common 1970s station wagons with wood paneling. At one point, Joanna insists she’s just meddled frightening feminism and would not take part in a “Maidenform bonfire” or anything, however gosh darn it, these Stepford other halves are so odd– a cringe-inducing tip of simply how far we’ve come as a culture.

A few of those defects no doubt came from the reality that director Bryan Forbes and film writer William Goldman notoriously clashed over Forbes’ undesirable rewrites and choice to cast his own better half as Carol. Forbes likewise selected the prairie-style gowns and frilly aprons the Robo-Wives used, a plain contrast to the more intriguing Playboy Bunny visual Goldman required in his initial script. Goldman especially did not like the movie’s modified ending, including Diz chasing Joanna through poorly lit corridors on a rainy night. Even Katharine Ross did not like the ending due to the fact that she believed Joanna must have combated much harder versus her ultimate fate.

In some way the movie still primarily works. There are some great satirical minutes, and Joanna and Bobbie are both pleasant and supportive characters, especially Bobbie’s sardonic humor (“I don’t wanna squeeze the goddamned Charmin!”. The pacing is undoubtedly sluggish however it’s climatic and successfully constructs thriller. And while the movie is barely a deep character research study, there are scattered subtleties. While Walter is eventually a bad guy, we do get to see short lived minutes of real love for Joanna and an ethical battle with what will be needed of him to genuinely belong in Stepford (i.e., killing his spouse). There’s even a bittersweet minute where Joanna briefly experiences her puppy love from college, both plainly regretting their subsequent life options.