Joanna Eberhardt (Katharine Ross) and husband Walter (Peter Masterson) move their family from Manhattan to a quiet suburb called Stepford. All of the wives there seem to be completely subservient to their husbands. Before long, Joanna begins to suspect there may be more to the housewives' behavior than meets the eye. She also wonders if the mysterious Men's Association, of which her husband is the newest member, is behind it all.
I liked this movie a lot more than I expected to. I've read before that the film was too slow but I enjoyed the pacing. I went into this knowing, more or less, what the plot was all about so I wasn't surprised by much. Still it was an enjoyable "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" type of thriller with some sci-fi elements and dark humor. The cast is good. Ross isn't a favorite of mine but she's fine here. Paula Prentiss is the standout, however. Her effortless and charismatic performance as the Ethel to Katharine Ross' Lucy helped soften the somewhat icy Ross. Tina Louise is also in it and enjoyable. The only real fault casting-wise is Nanette Newman, wife of the director. She doesn't seem the right fit for her part. But otherwise the movie has a solid cast. It's an entertaining film. It obviously has some subtext to it that many will find interesting to chew on. Whether you're one of them or not, it's got enough going for it to make for an enjoyable straightforward viewing experience.
I liked this movie a lot more than I expected to. I've read before that the film was too slow but I enjoyed the pacing. I went into this knowing, more or less, what the plot was all about so I wasn't surprised by much. Still it was an enjoyable "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" type of thriller with some sci-fi elements and dark humor. The cast is good. Ross isn't a favorite of mine but she's fine here. Paula Prentiss is the standout, however. Her effortless and charismatic performance as the Ethel to Katharine Ross' Lucy helped soften the somewhat icy Ross. Tina Louise is also in it and enjoyable. The only real fault casting-wise is Nanette Newman, wife of the director. She doesn't seem the right fit for her part. But otherwise the movie has a solid cast. It's an entertaining film. It obviously has some subtext to it that many will find interesting to chew on. Whether you're one of them or not, it's got enough going for it to make for an enjoyable straightforward viewing experience.