The Stepford Wives

Name: The Stepford Wives
Genre: Thriller, Fantasy, Comedy
Released: June 11, 2004
Duration: 93 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick, Nicole Kidman

2004

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 87 Ratings

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3.5	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 87 Ratings

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Stepford Wives

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: June 11, 2004 | PG-13

Starring: Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick, Nicole Kidman

Summary: Stepford has a secret. All of the wives are far too perfect, and all of the husbands are way too happy. The Stepford Wives is a sophisticated and comic re-imagining of the 1975 suspense classic. Welcome to Stepford -- the American way of love. (Paramount Pictures)

Director: Frank Oz

Genre(s): Thriller, Fantasy, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 93 min

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Critic Reviews

Ella Taylor

Contrary to recent rumors that it was a dud, the new Stepford Wives, with its chocolate-box visual style, archly heavy-handed foreshadowing and its scene-for-scene parody of the original's fright strategies (Walken's waxy menace is once again played for laughs), is a gas. Read full review

David Edelstein

I had a fabulous time. Well, I did once I accepted that it was a campfest--a great Provincetown drag show of The Stepford Wives. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Another "remake" that merits the title in name only, The Stepford Wives isn't the "troubled" disaster that media reports have suggested it might be, yet nor do its oddly matched parts ever congeal into a fully formed creation. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Before it degenerates into a complete mess, it's an entertaining mess, and something about its willingness to please maintains the audience's goodwill throughout. Read full review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Unfortunately this is much tamer than it had to be--Rudnick Lite, meaning on the edge of evaporation. Read full review

Desson Thomson

The result: an empty comedy that takes hackneyed potshots at consumerism. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

A pitiful shambles of a remake, The Stepford Wives might have qualified as a rethinking of the 1975 original if there were any trace of coherent thought in the finished product.

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User Reviews

joes.

Oct 25, 2005

My favorite movie.

1 of 2 users found this helpful

Zilcell

Dec 17, 2012

Very interesting. One of the weirdest movies I have ever seen and yet it is witty, surprising, and entertaining.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

The3AcademySins

Oct 29, 2019

The 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, while not the worst thing I have ever seen, certainly is bland and forgettable. I enjoyed a lot of the actors and their performances in this film. Nicole Kidman in particular makes a great horror/comedy protagonist. Christopher Walken, Bette Midler,The 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, while not the worst thing I have ever seen, certainly is bland and forgettable. I enjoyed a lot of the actors and their performances in this film. Nicole Kidman in particular makes a great horror/comedy protagonist. Christopher Walken, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick, and Glenn Close all give fun and entertaining performances. The movie is definitely dated, particularly in terms of its social morality, so be aware of that should you decide to give that a watch.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

beingryanjude

Sep 1, 2014

Frank Oz's The Stepford Wives starts out incredibly strong. As the story unfolds, both the direction, the actors and the audiences lose sight of what's going on. An unfortunate waste of ample on-screen talent.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

smijatov

Feb 14, 2012

This was such a bad comedy! The cast is actually quite impressive, but they do not do much with their shallow characters - and how could they?? Horrible screenplay, and just a bad film overall... Nicole Kidman is decent in the film, and the overall cast is good. Bette Midler is pretty goodThis was such a bad comedy! The cast is actually quite impressive, but they do not do much with their shallow characters - and how could they?? Horrible screenplay, and just a bad film overall... Nicole Kidman is decent in the film, and the overall cast is good. Bette Midler is pretty good and pretty much the most entertaining character in this "comedy." As Kidman said at a press statement once "It's a comedy. We hope." Unfortunately, that hope did not materialise into reality, since there is almost nothing funny about The Stepford Wives. It is not even bad enough to be funny - that's how bad it is! The 2 is truly only out of my respect for the misguided actors and for rather good production design - the costumes and art direction were both very well done. Overall, though, a film that had a lot of potential has been sucked dry of all its originality, charm and, most importantly, its humour. 2/10… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

Sushisnake

Jan 22, 2018

We I can't see what I'm typing thanks to Metacritic's need to insert ads on other side, so I apologise in advance for any typos. We so needed a parody of the original Stepford Wives, didn't we? I mean, feminism is dead and women won. We have equal pay now. Older actresses can play the hotWe I can't see what I'm typing thanks to Metacritic's need to insert ads on other side, so I apologise in advance for any typos. We so needed a parody of the original Stepford Wives, didn't we? I mean, feminism is dead and women won. We have equal pay now. Older actresses can play the hot lead in a film just as easily as older actors can. No actress has to undergo plastic surgery to look younger and hotter, just to get work. The Christian Right, pro-lifers and MRA don't exist. Hang on. Wait a minute. Maybe The Stepford Wives wasn't quite as ripe for parody as we thought.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

NickA.

Sep 16, 2006

Well what an insult to the original, I don't care if people say this is a different take or that this is just a bit of cheesy fun, if you're going to call yourselves a remake of a film then for god sakes stick to the elements that made the original so splendid. I mean how can you Well what an insult to the original, I don't care if people say this is a different take or that this is just a bit of cheesy fun, if you're going to call yourselves a remake of a film then for god sakes stick to the elements that made the original so splendid. I mean how can you take such a good cast and turn out this pile of crap. This goes down in my lists of remakes that should never see the light of day ever again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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