The Stepford Wives: Difference between revisions

 

In 2004, Frank Oz directed a more overtly comedic remake of the original film. The production suffered from [[Troubled Production|severe behind-the-scenes turmoil]], including actors walking off the project and some last-minute reshoots. Many viewers found the revelations of the resulting finale to [[Gainax Ending|come completely out of left field]] and contradict the rest of the movie, but as always, [[The Stepford Wives/YMMV|Your Mileage May Vary]].

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{{tropelist}}

=== The orginal film/novel, and its sequels, provide examples of: ===

* [[Broken Record]]: In addition to the example under [[Foreshadowing]] below, there's also {{spoiler|the robot Bobbie after Joanna stabs her with a knife.}}

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: The word "archaic."

* [[Motor Mouth]]: [[The Simpsons|Julie Kavner's]] character in ''Revenge''.

* [[Phlebotinum Breakdown]]: One of the Wives malfunctions while attending a garden party.

* [[Pyrrhic Villainy]]: One of the few high points in ''Revenge of the Stepford Wives'' was an older Men's Association member revisiting [[My God, What Have I Done?|the painful realization]] of what he had given up by having his wife remade.

* [[Real Life Writes the Plot]]: The original vision of the first movie had the Wives all dressed like "[[Playboy Bunny|Playboy Bunnies]] [[Stripperiffic|sans ears and tail]]". Then director Bryan Forbes cast his actress wife Nanette Newman as one of the Wives, and whatever talents as a thespian she possessed, her physique wasn't remotely up to it, and so all the Wives ended up in long flowing dresses that made them look like [[The Fifties|'50s]] [[Housewife|housewives]]. This may have been for the better, as one of the book's key themes was how the women were unwillingly pressed into domestic servitude and forced to give up their ambitions, and the housewife outfits highlight that much better than the skimpier outfits originally planned would have.

* [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]]

* [[Robotic Reveal]]: Again, only explicitly done in the movie(s).

* [[Downer Ending]]: {{spoiler|Subverted. Walter destroys the computer controlling the wives, freeing them of their brainwashing.}}

** And then {{spoiler|either reinstated or double subverted kind of awesomely when the end, without showing the wives, implies that the '''WIVES''' are now in complete control and keep their husbands as docile servants.}}

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Joanna.

* [[Married to the Job]]