It’s high time that we start the critical re-evaluation of The Stepford Wives, the remake of the undersung New Hollywood classic that has often been dismissed as a paltry attempt to recreate the magic of the original. Frank Oz is a director that many of us have learned to put absolute faith in – his films may not always be perfect, but they’re undeniably entertaining, and even when they’re more paltry in terms of narrative, there is something that grabs our attention from the first moment. I’d suspect the appeal of this version of the classic story will be restricted to viewers who have an inherent fascination with more camp sensibilities, making this a film ripe for a cult following, rather than implications that it’s some unheralded masterpiece. Moreover, much like all films appreciated by a small but dedicated fanbase, The Stepford Wives is playing by a different set of rules, so dedicated to its pursuit of something quite different, it ultimately finds its biggest merit also being the most insurmountable obstacle – it has a very intelligent concept that doesn’t always get given the attention it deserved, especially when it was clearly aiming to be a populist comedy. There exists a world where there is a version of this story that is an absolute marvel, but unfortunately, it isn’t this one – however, this doesn’t mean this film doesn’t have its resounding successes, and the sooner we realize the imperfections are what makes this such a fascinating piece of science fiction comedy, the sooner we can kickstart a widespread appreciation for a while that is often dismissed without its merits being duly noted.

As far as premises go, The Stepford Wives offers exactly what we’d expect – the title has become synonymous with the idea of perfect, docile suburban life, often being used as a way of disparaging those who seek such conventional lives. While the original source material and the earlier film adaptation were much more scathing, this remake still has its fair share of darkly comical subject matter, especially in how it deconstructs the concept of idyllic family life, the proverbial American Dream that has proven to be extremely flawed. This is the starting point for Oz, who uses his own well-curated knowledge of society (garnered through years of well-made satires and comedies, in addition to other genre films, making him a perfect candidate to bring this story to the screen) to create a vivid and fascinating look into the darker side of suburbia – it may not be on the same level as some of the more effective entries into the genre, but it would be difficult to not find some charm in this film, whether it be in the striking production design or the overall tone, which hints at something much deeper than the first impression we get based on a cursory glance. Ultimately, the best way to look at this film is as a brilliant satire trapped under layers of mainstream cliches, which do tend to weigh the film down, but mercifully not enough to make it entirely void of merit. When The Stepford Wives hits its stride, its tough to not be absolutely invested in these characters – the only problem is, it loses momentum towards the end, and where a slightly better film would’ve provided a more satisfying resolution, rather than the hackneyed ending that any logical viewer could see coming from quite a distance.

If there is one reason to seek out The Stepford Wives, it would be for the performances. Nicole Kidman is turning in a competent performance as the film’s lead, a ferocious executive who finds herself surrounded by the exact kind of woman she avoided when pursuing a career as a cutthroat businesswoman. It’s not necessarily her strongest work, but she’s as reliable as ever, and has a few great moments that make her a fitting lead for the film. However, the film doesn’t seem too interested in giving Kidman much to do other than positioning her as a reactionary, which seemed to be an intentional choice, considering the best performances come from those who appear around Kidman. The star-studded cast is excellent, turning in performances better than the film itself, which is one of the most pleasant surprises that come when watching it. Glenn Close chews the scenery in a way that only an established actress willing to surrender to the absurdity of the film possibly could, and Bette Midler (who is always a welcome presence, regardless of the quality of the project or the size of her role) steals every scene she is in. The most interesting aspect of The Stepford Wives is how well these performers work across from each other – some of them knew exactly what was required of them from the outset and adjusted their performances accordingly, while others seemed to be intentionally oblivious to the madness of the story, which only makes the final product all the more effective, since the entire premise of the film is to work as a tale steeped deep in a peculiar version of our world, one that is recognizable but still too uncanny for us to entirely embrace.

The Stepford Wives works best when it is at its most deranged, and it was correctly placed in the very capable hands of a director who always understood the specific constraints of the assignment, making sure that the particular style of the film matched the criteria established at the outset. Oz is a fiercely versatile director, having worked in a number of genres, but he’s always been one with a penchant for the vaguely absurd, so The Stepford Wives was very much up his alley. He manages to establish an atmosphere of foreboding danger without making the film too creepy or unsettling, and he uses discomfort as a powerful tool to keep us on edge. Unlike the version directed by Bryan Forbes in 1975, this adaptation isn’t designed to be a psychological horror – there are some unsettling moments, but it mostly works as an eccentric comedy. It may remove the vitriolic, satirical edge that made earlier versions so effective, but it also adds a level of charm to it, which is a fair trade, considering a direct remake may have been ill-advised. It helps the feminist leanings of Ira Levin’s novel come through a lot more easily, since Oz can actually direct address it through the heightened, surreal tone, rather than having to depend on subtext like the original. Perhaps it doesn’t work that well, and may even be a major reason why there is a lot of hesitation to embrace this film – but when we break it down and see its intentions, it’s not difficult to find something meaningful lurking beneath the slightly derivative cliches that occur a bit too frequently throughout this film.

Regardless of where one falls on which version is better at honouring the author’s ideas, this specific adaptation makes some very broad choices, and whether or not they work is entirely up to the individual viewer, who may be charmed or repulsed by how this story is presented – but its almost undeniable that we’ll have a strong reaction, whether positive or negative. When it comes to a film as bizarre as The Stepford Wives, there isn’t much space for apathy. You either love it or hate it, but there is always going to be a passionate response, which I feel is part of what makes this such an interesting film. It never quite hits all the right notes, but the ones it does resound wonderfully, and prove that this isn’t a bad film, just one that didn’t manage to realize its full potential. Considering how derivative mainstream comedies tend to be when they’re produced without much artistic merit, we have to give kudos to Oz and his cohorts here, who seem to be fully invested in doing something different, taking a few risks and giving us something memorable, even when it isn’t quite as good as it should’ve been. This doesn’t mean the rampant dismissals are accurate – The Stepford Wives is still an entertaining, solid science fiction comedy that has some fascinating ideas and a lot of merits in the execution, which only proves how, if we look a bit deeper, we can find something of value in even the most widely derided works.