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The Stepford Wives (1975)
Something strange is happening in the town of Stepford.
The Stepford Wives is a 1975 American satirical horror film directed by Bryan Forbes, written by William Goldman, and starring Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, and Peter Masterson. Its plot follows a woman who relocates with her husband and children from New York City to the Connecticut community of Stepford, where she comes to find the women live unwaveringly subservient lives to their husbands. The film is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Ira Levin.
Filmed in Connecticut in 1974, The Stepford Wives premiered theatrically in February 1975. It grossed $4 million at the United States box office, though it received mixed reviews from critics. Reaction from feminist activists and writers was extremely divided at the time of its release, with Betty Friedan deeming it a “rip-off of the women’s movement” and discouraging women from seeing it, though others such as Gael Greene and Eleanor Perry defended the film.
While the film was a moderate success at the time of release, it has grown in stature as a cult film over the years.
Building upon the reputation of Levin’s novel, the term “Stepford” or “Stepford wife” has become a popular science fiction concept and several sequels were shot, as well as a 2004 remake using the same title, but rewritten as a comedy instead of a serious horror/thriller film.
