Synopsis

A high-powered television executive moves with her husband to the seemingly idyllic suburb of Stepford, Connecticut. She soon notices that the town's wives are unnaturally cheerful, devoted to housework, and strangely alike. As her suspicions grow, she and two unconventional new friends investigate the local Men's Association and uncover a disturbing plan to create supposedly perfect marriages.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is a modern remake of the 1975 adaptation of Ira Levin's novel, but it takes a lighter, more comic approach and uses a substantially different ending.

• The production underwent extensive rewrites, reshoots, and re-editing after test screenings. These changes altered the film's tone and contributed to continuity problems noted by viewers and critics.

• John Cusack and Joan Cusack were originally attached to play the married couple at the center of the story. They withdrew shortly before filming began because of a family illness.

• Much of the movie was filmed in Connecticut, including locations in Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Greenwich, and Fairfield County.

• The film's elaborate suburban look deliberately exaggerates mid-century domestic design, pastel colors, coordinated costumes, and immaculate landscaping to make Stepford's perfection appear artificial.

• Although the film received largely negative reviews, it was notable for assembling a high-profile ensemble around a science-fiction satire and for bringing the Stepford concept to a new mainstream audience.

• The production's troubled reputation later became part of the film's legacy, with several participants expressing dissatisfaction with the finished version or with the compromises made during production.