The Stepford Wives (2004 film)

The Stepford Wives is a 2004 remake of the 1972 film, based on the novel by Ira Levin, directed by Frank Oz. It starred Nicole Kidman in the main role.

Made as a more overtly comedic remake, the production suffered from 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 come completely out of left field and contradict the rest of the movie.

Tropes used in The Stepford Wives (2004 film) include:

• Alas, Poor Yorick
• Aluminum Christmas Trees: Yes, there actually was a reality show about putting a married couple's relationship to the test by separating them on an island full of sexy people. And yes, it was on Fox.
• Armor-Piercing Question:

Joanna: Let me ask you something. These machines. These Stepford Wives. Can they say "I love you"?
Walter: Mike?
Mike: Of course. In 58 languages.
Joanna: But do they mean it?

• Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Joanna. In the beginning, her pet project at the network she works at is a Reality TV show similar to Temptation Island. At a press conference, while hyping up her show, she is confronted and shot at by a man whose marriage was ruined by the show, and who shot his cheating wife and her lovers in rage. Afterwords, Joanna is already planning out the reunion show to exploit the carnage she has accidentally inflicted, only to not only be fired from the network, but also blacklisted from television due to her utterly irresponsible decisions in programming.
  • What does it say that that is probably the most unbelievable thing in the movie?
• Downer Ending: Subverted. Walter destroys the computer controlling the wives, freeing them of their brainwashing.
  • And then 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.
  • It was said they were under "house arrest", so it's safe to assume the wives considered this was a fitting punishment in lieu of jail time.
• Gay Conservative: The gay couple in the 2004 remake includes one Invisible to Gaydar member who is a Gay Conservative. His partner is a Camp Gay.
• Heroic BSOD: Joanna.
• The Man Behind the Man: The viewer is led to believe that Mike is behind the operation, but really he's just a Stepford Husband created by his "wife" Claire, the real Big Bad of Stepford.
• Married to the Job
• Not His Sled: The 2004 remake had its own shocking surprise ending, where it's revealed the wives weren't replaced by robots.
• Phlebotinum Breakdown: One of the Wives malfunctions while attending a square dance.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Hank, the disgruntled reality show contestant, at the very beginning.
• Scream Discretion Shot
• Take That:
  • Towards reality TV; see Corrupt Corporate Executive above.
  • "So I wondered, where in the world would nobody notice a town full of mindless, lifeless automatons? And then I thought, of course! Connecticut!"
  • The original's Disney reference is updated to a dig at America Online ("Is that why the women are so slow?"). Most of Disney's pioneering work with animatronics was done in the '60s and '70s, making the reference somewhat dated by 2004.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: What appears to be the villain's main motive for turning the women into robots.
• With or Without You:

Joanna Eberhart: It's... It's not our world. It's not us. And I'm picking up our kids from camp right now, and we're getting out of here. With or without you.