It's been a long time since I referenced Mr. Cranky, but as soon as I saw this film, I knew I had to go see what he wrote about it. I was a little disappointed -- I wanted him to be the acerbic, caustic, cranky wit that I remember, but maybe he was having an up day when he wrote it! Haha! Read it, anyway...Mr. Cranky's Review of The Stepford Wives
I can't help it, though, I LOVE LOVE LOVE social satire. This one's kinda weak, but worth a rental. There are some pretty good one-liners, but despite a strong cast, there were only a few things that saved this film for me:
- Jew jokes
- gay jokes
- Glenn Close
Glenn Close's character, Claire: "Where would people never notice a town full of robots? Connecticut!"
I usually like Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick's work, but Nicole Kidman's dialect slips in her American films is rather distracting, and Matthew Broderick is so typecast in this film it makes me wince. I liked him in Election, but he plays the emasculated male a little too often. I wanted to see him in The Producers on Broadway just to disassociate him with the wussy characters. Maybe I should just watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off again... for the 150th time (that was in high school, by the way!). Glenn Close, on the other hand, is consistently brilliant. She's like Meryl Streep -- can play any character. Glenn Close does 'lunatic' just as well as 'diva' or 'mother'... I can't see anyone else playing her character in The World According to Garp.
Meryl Streep's best work, however, seems to be pre-1990s, eg. Sophie's Choice. It's all about the tears with Meryl these days, isn't it?
The Hours (2002)
Music of the Heart (1999)
Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)
Marvin's Room (1996)
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
One of the reasons I rented The Stepford Wives today -- besides the fact that the weather conditions left slim pickin's in the DVD selection at my corner store -- is because I flipped through a copy of Martha Stewart Living magazine over lunch today at the cafe across the street. Also because the antihistamine that I'd taken was kicking in, and I was as woozy as hell. Too woozy to continue my blog archive updating. I was in this zone between OD'ing on sleep, but too delirious to think properly.
I never got into Martha Stewart anything -- I was overseas during her meteoric rise to fame, but couldn't identify with wanting to be "the perfect hostess" or "the perfect homemaker". I've never aspired to be the "perfect wife" or the "perfect mother", either. I've only seen one episode of Martha Stewart's show, but laughed at the satirical SNL sketches about her. A couple of months ago someone in Pennsylvania told me about the magazine to help me prepare for the wedding. This well-meaning lady was very enthusiastic about Martha Stewart, telling me that Martha built her career in the area, etc. etc. etc., and my eyes glazed over. All I could think of was *ding*ding*ding* Stepford Wife! Stepford Wife! Stepford Wife! I will not be a Stepford Wife! It's like my worst nightmare!
