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超完美嬌妻
The Stepford Wives
遠離俗世的小鎮史代福（Stepford）環境悠和寧靜，彷如世外桃源，每個太太都美麗動人，而且對丈夫唯命是從，絕對是很多男士的夢想，然而近乎沒有人性的完美又是否能夠完全解決我們心中的麻煩和難題呢？
故事簡介
漂亮能幹的祖安娜（妮歌潔曼飾）可謂事業家庭兩得意，一方面她是EBS電視網絡歷來最年輕的總裁，另一方面她又有一個殷勤周到的丈夫華特（馬修波特歷飾）和兩個美麗可愛的子女，生活美滿快樂。
但一天她似乎交上惡運，突然遭解僱、婚姻出現問題，總之壞事接踵而至。祖安娜與華特遂決定搬到康湼狄格州一個偏遠的效區小鎮史代福重新開始，華特對這個環境優美、鄰居又親切的地方再滿意不過，而且更被以威邁克先生（基斯杜化華堅飾）為首的男士協會所深深吸引。
然而祖安娜總覺得這個看似平靜的小鎮怪裡怪氣，每個太太都像威卡萊太太（格蓮高絲飾）一樣高貴大方、笑容可掬，而且入得廚房，出得廳堂，以滿足取悅她們的另一半為己任，對丈夫言聽計從得像機械人一樣，充滿不安感覺的她遂與同是來自紐約的波比（比提美娜飾）試圖揭開真相。
舊版vs新版
眾所周知本片是改編自作家艾華利雲（Ira Levin）的暢銷著作，而且75年已首度被拍成同名電影，之後又相繼有續集《Revenge of Stepford Wives》及《The Stepford Children》等電視電影面世，事隔多年《超完美嬌妻》再次搬上銀幕，但明顯地本片與舊作有不少分別，並非純粹一部重拍電影。
75年舊版上映時婦解運動正如火如荼，當年女主角嘉芙蓮羅絲（Katharine Ross）扮演一名象徵獨立自主的女攝影師，30年後的今天女性擁有更大權力，本片因應社會轉變而加入現代故事背景，妮歌飾演的女主角已成為一個電視台高層，而同性戀問題近年在美國愈鬧愈熱，因此一對同性戀伴侶也順理成章在本片出現。
此外，舊版純粹是一部科幻驚慄片，但本片則加入不少笑料，比較接近黑色喜劇。導演法蘭奧茲（Frank Oz）接受訪問時也說：「觀眾可以視本片為一種滑稽有趣的模仿、諷刺戲劇、具喜劇元素的驚慄片，或者是黑色喜劇。」
史代福是完美的象徵，世人的夢想樂土，攝製隊不惜走遍康湼狄格州及新澤西州找尋合適房屋及地區取景。而且由於住在Stepford的人都是生活得極為奢華和富品味，所以他們的生活方式也是與別不同，其中男士協會就是很多男士都希望進入的一個天堂，那裡大家會食上等的雪茄，喝名貴的威士忌及穿著他們特別製造的外套，以凸顯其獨特的身份，入面還有高質素的等離電視機、電腦及電視遊戲等，總之令一眾男士們有賓至如歸的感覺。
而女士方面，威卡萊太太則發明了一種以其名字命名的卡萊健康舞，她教導一眾家庭主婦配合日常家居活動達到修身效果，例如一位太太像洗衣機般不停狂扭動身體，使可以瞬間減去其粗大的腰圍，寓家務於娛樂。
另一方面，本片開始時觀眾會看見到處都是鋼筋水泥、高廈林立的紐約市，導演法蘭無非希望展露現實世界的冷漠荒涼感覺，藉此與人傑地靈的鄉郊小鎮史代福形成一個強烈對比。
妮歌轉型演喜劇
由於近年金像影后妮歌潔曼（Nicole Kidman）多主演較嚴肅的劇情電影，因此她今次決定參演本片，除了渴望與一眾才華橫溢的演員及電影人合作，同時也想藉此改變一下步伐，重拾喜劇感覺。
妮歌接受訪問時說：「完成一部緊張激烈的劇情片，我準備做一些有趣的東西，而且我也喜歡與格蓮及比提合作。我同時喜愛編劇保羅盧歷（Paul Rudnick）把政治及流行文化混合一起的方式，當然導演法蘭也很精於處理這些素材，我知道他會引導我進入一個嶄新的喜劇領域。」而曾在《情陷紅磨坊》中載歌載舞的她，今次又會與唱家班比提美娜及菲芙希爾一起大展歌喉。
此外，妮歌為接拍本片，更推辭演出多部大製作，包括放棄在大導演馬田史高西斯（Martin Scorsese）執導的《The Aviator》中，扮演已故影后嘉芙蓮協賓（Katharine Hepburn），及與畢彼特（Brad Pitt）在《Mr. And Mrs. Smith》中飾演殺手夫婦。
服裝佈置不惜工本
史代福的世界就是完美的象徵，所以片中無論服裝衣飾、佈置擺設以至一花一草都極為講究。曾憑《別問我是誰》奪得奧斯卡最佳服裝設計的著名服裝設計師安洛芙（Ann Roth）在服裝上花了不少心思，她在男演員的服裝用上紫色、紅色及紅褐色等色彩，女演員的服裝則加添鮮花的顏色作配搭，其中在仲夏餐舞會的場面，女演員華麗的晚裝、髮型及頭飾均是經過精心設計。
而且本片的服裝皆為特別訂製，就以妮歌製作蛋糕時所穿著的裙子為例，價值就高達7500美元（約58500港元），而著名美國歌手菲芙希爾亦擔演一角，她在舞會和烹飪時穿著的戲服也各值5000美元（約39000港元），可謂不惜工本。
本片在佈置擺設上也是一絲不苟，就以比提飾演的波比家中的廚房為例，除了極為寬敞及設計硫現代外，還配以高級器具的及由名師設計的傢俱，予人豪華無瑕的感覺，花卉專家Christopher Basset也扮演一個重要角色，他認為鮮花非常有效地把外面的世界帶進室內，以及把一個平凡居所轉化為一個夢想居亭，因此他加添精巧而珍貴的鮮花進一步彰顯史代福奢華的一面。拍攝仲夏餐舞會的場面時，Christopher就安排專人在場景中擺放了數以千計的鮮花，當中包括由新西蘭空運入口的名貴蘭花、巨大的花球及各種顏色的玫瑰花，務求令整個畫面更奪目。
歷史遺跡作場景
為了突出史代福是一個充滿優雅田園風味的社區，工作人員特別在Kaufman片場搭建了兩個複雜的場景，一個是男士協會神秘的控制室，另一個則是為拍攝仲夏餐舞會場面而設、充滿十九世紀豪宅感覺的超大豪華舞廳場景。攝製隊特別在康湼狄格州多個不同地點取景，其中在達連（Darien）的一幢超級豪宅就成為了菲芙希爾扮演的辛莎拉與丈夫的住所，在新迦南區的一間價值數以百萬美元計的房子則被佈置成妮歌與馬修波特歷在史代福的新居。而新迦南區內建於1909年的市會堂也被徵用為片中拍攝政治集會場面時的背景。
位於康州諾瓦克的Lockwood-Mathews大宅博物館更加是本片最重要的場景之一，其實這間大宅在舊版《The Stepford Wives》中已首次被徵用，當年佈置成史代福男士協會的基地，而今次則變成史代福一眾太太們活動聚腳的地方，這幢歷史悠久的建築物也是唯一在舊版及本片中都有出現的景點。這幢豪華大宅建於1860年代，全屋共有62個房間，是當時17世紀全國最華麗堂煌的住宅之一，但LeGrand Lockwood住了三年後便逝世，據知興建成本高達一百五十萬美元（約一千一百七十萬港元）的大宅，其後只以九萬美元（約七十萬港元）售出，諾瓦克市政府最終在1941年購入這幢建築物，1971年更獲政府指定為國家歷史地標。
由於大宅已有140年歷史，攝製隊同意進行全面的翻新工作。美術指導積遜迪高維亞（Jackson De Govia）憶述說：「在正式開拍前數月，我們美術部辛勤地翻新大宅的入口及圓形大廳。經過我們小心的搜索後，美術師及工匠開始修補木地板、填補裂縫及為樓梯的木造部份重新上色，同時又在牆壁髹上配合那個年代的顏色。他們甚至模仿從前曾掛在大宅內的大量名畫，繪成多幅複製品，所以大家可以在片中欣賞到大宅最初的模樣。」
眾演員化身舞林高手
本片的歌舞場面充滿懷舊氣息，不下於經典歌舞片，經驗豐富的排舞師Pat Birch可謂居功不少。其中一場講述眾演員參與鄉村舞舞會的場面，她要指導一班主要演員及接近一百名臨時演員，如何把深具美國先民親近大自然、洋溢原始、開創及活潑精神的方形舞發揮得淋漓盡致。而拍攝仲夏餐舞會時，Pat又要向一眾主要演員傳授跳華爾茲舞的技巧，並同時找來50對精於舞技的跳舞拍檔，穿上華麗的禮服及晚裝，在舞池上搖曳生姿。
除了基斯杜化華堅（Christopher Walken）可以藉此展現其高超舞技外，原來比提美娜（Bette Midler）也十分鍾愛片中的舞會場面，她說：「童年時我看的第一部電影就是歌舞片《風流寡婦》（The Merry Widow），片中無論色彩、旋轉飛舞的裙子、音樂及美國的演員都令我著迷。我曾向監製史葛魯汀表示已有40年末在電影中看過美麗的華爾茲，現在這部電影竟然連燈光也十分相似。」
加添特效增強喜劇感
為了更能凸顯史代福太太們機械人式的動作，本片特別以視覺特效強化當中過程。主要的拍攝工作完成後，負責特別視覺效果的史葛修達立即展開工作，史葛任職於世界其中一間具領導地位的動畫及視覺效果製作公司Tippett Studio，他率領超過40名工作人員，為電影加添125個特技效果鏡頭。
史葛不諱言為喜劇製作特別效果是一個挑戰，他說：「視覺上的幽默及時間的安排要拿捏得很準確，不能有半分差錯，幸好法蘭很擅於判斷甚麼是有趣的東西。其實喜劇配合特別效果是很與別不同的。以特技製作而成的怪物和異形是一回事，但用特技逗人發笑又是另一回事。」
而在本片作處女演出的菲芙希爾相信會身同感受，片中的方形舞場面中講述飾演辛莎拉的她突然出現短路，開始不斷旋轉，菲芙為了配合特別效果，她須在一幅全綠色的幕前拍攝，好讓技術人員加插一些模仿機械人動作的電腦特技，而最終的成果也令大家十分滿意。
特效人員另一傑作就是機械狗路華，它是負責歡迎初到貴境的祖安娜和華特夫婦。原來路華的設計是來自製作總監積遜的概念，他希望這隻機械狗同時具有生動、簡單及優雅等特質。史葛說：「這隻狗的設計必須很特別，因為它對整部電影的情節很重要，它將成為祖安娜的盟友，提醒她一些令她變成機械人的計劃正進行中。」
幕後班底合作純熟
法蘭奧茲今次能順利完成本片拍攝工作，絕對要感謝與他並肩作戰的同事，本片的幕後班底大部份都曾與法蘭合作過，大家都十分了解對方的要求，自然事半功倍。其中曾為法蘭舊作《忽然囉囉孿》撰寫劇本的本片編劇保羅盧歷（Paul Rudnick），坦言一直期待與對方再結片緣，他說：「法蘭是一個編劇的夢想及一個很好的合作夥伴，他知道誰人有趣和如何令某演員變得有趣。」
此外，本片的攝影師洛夏恩（Rob Hahn）曾為法蘭的《極盜爆破》及《忽然囉囉孿》擔任攝影師，而美術指導積遜迪高維亞（Jackson De Govia）則與法蘭合作過《極》片及《偷拍凸工隊》，服裝師安洛芙（Ann Roth）也在《忽》片中負責服裝設計工作，可見眾人的關係相當密切。
演員簡介
妮歌潔曼
在夏威夷出生的妮歌潔曼（Nicole Kidman），數年後隨家人到澳洲定居，她在童年時便開始學習芭蕾舞及入讀演藝學校，14歲已首度參與電影演出。年紀輕輕的她其後演出過多部電影，並於89年主演進軍美國的首部電影《怒海驚情》（Dead Calm）而嶄露頭角，翌年她更獲天皇巨星湯告魯斯（Tom Cruise）青睞，邀請參演賽車電影《雷霆壯志》（Days of Thunder），二人一片定情，身高接近5呎11吋的妮歌於同年12月下嫁5呎7吋高的湯告魯斯。
妮歌婚後並無減產，92年與丈夫湯合演《大地雄心》（Far and Away），95年她終憑黑色喜劇《不惜一切》（To Die For）首度榮膺金球獎喜劇/音樂劇組別最佳女主角。99年妮歌與湯第三度合作，主演殿堂級導演史丹尼寇比力克（Stanley Kubrick）遺作《大開眼戒》（Eyes Wide Shut），但此後兩夫婦關係日差，最終於01年初宣布分手，並於同年8月正式離婚。
回復單身的妮歌更加自強，01年推出的兩部電影《情陷紅磨坊》（Moulin Rouge!）及《不速之嚇》（The Others）均大獲好評，她更以《情》片首獲奧斯卡影后提名，並第二度獲金球獎喜劇/音樂劇組別最佳女主角殊榮。翌年妮歌終憑《此時．此刻》（The Hours）中扮演患有精神病的著名作家吳爾芙（Virginia Woolf）的出色表現，成為奧斯卡、柏林影展、英國電影大獎及金球獎四料影后，風頭一時無倆。
現年37歲的妮歌是荷李活影壇最炙手可熱的女星之一，她接拍本片及奧斯卡提名電影《亂世情天》（Cold Mountain）的片酬均為1500萬美元（約1億1170萬港元）。妮歌片約不絕，現正與奧斯卡影帝辛潘（Sean Penn）拍攝電影《The Interpreter》，之後會與本片男主角馬修波特歷再度合作，演出《The Producers》電影版。
馬修波特歷
現年42歲的馬修波特歷（Matthew Broderick）17歲便與已故演員父親占士波特歷（James Broderick）合演舞台劇，自此之後馬修主演過多部舞台劇，並曾兩奪東尼獎。近年他再踏台板，主演空前賣座的舞台劇《The Producers》，並憑此劇再獲東尼獎最佳男主角提名。
83年馬修以《豪客光臨》（Max Dugan Returns）踏入影壇，同年他主演叫好叫座的電影《真假戰爭》（WarGames），奠定影壇地位。馬修其後再憑86年電影《咪走堂》（Ferris Beuller's Day Off）榮獲金球獎喜劇/音樂劇最佳男主角提名。擅演喜劇的他，89年與丹素華盛頓（Denzel Washington）及摩根費曼（Morgan Freeman）等好戲之人合演戰爭片《光榮》（Glory），展現他另一面的演藝才華。
近年馬修最賣座的作品可算是98年的大製作《哥斯拉》（Godzilla），其他主演的作品計有《衰鬼線人》（The Cable Guy）、《不知不覺愛上你》（Addicted to Love）、《呢個校園選乜鬼》（Election）、《數碼特工》（Inspector Gadget）及《請再靠緊我》（You Can Count on Me）等。
比提美娜
歌、影、視三棲的比提美娜（Bette Midler）是美國家喻戶曉的藝人，她畢業於夏威夷大學戲劇系，65年她在電影《Hawaii》中任臨時演員，正式開展其演藝生涯，同時她也活躍於舞台劇演出。其後比提在紐約的歌廳演唱大受歡迎，73年她推出首張大碟《The Divine Miss M》便賣個滿堂紅，並為她帶來首個格林美獎。
現年58歲的比提在電影上的成就也是無容置疑，她先後憑79年的《玫瑰狂熱》（The Rose）及91年的《龍鳳雙星》（For the Boys）兩度提名奧斯卡最佳女主角及兩膺金球獎喜劇/音樂劇組別影后，近年她演出過的電影還包括《關人矮事》（Get Shorty）、《大婆俱樂部》（The First Wives Club）及《偷聽女人心》（What Women Want）等。
在音樂領域上，比提曾四奪格林美獎，並在音樂電視頻道VH1舉辦的搖滾樂百大最偉大女性選舉中位列第51位。而在上月美國電影學院公布的百年百大最偉大電影歌曲排名中，比提以《莫負當年情》（Beaches）中的經典金曲《Wind Beneath My Wings》及《玫瑰狂熱》的《The Rose》分別入圍44及83位。此外她在電視上的精彩演出，也為她帶來三個艾美獎及金球獎電視電影組別最佳女主角榮銜。
基斯杜化華堅
現年61歲的基斯杜化華堅（Christopher Walken）在其接近40年的演藝生涯中，參演超過90部電影及電視作品，雖然他在大部份作品中只擔任配角，但毫無疑問他是電影史上其中一位最出色的演員，而且尤其擅長演繹一些心理不平衡的角色。
77年基斯杜化在名作《安妮荷爾》（Annie Hall）中扮演戴安姬頓（Diane Keaton）弟弟而嶄露頭角，翌年他更憑《獵鹿者》（The Deer Hunter）榮獲奧斯卡最佳男配角，其後他在《鐵金剛勇戰大狂魔》（A View to a Kill）、《蝙蝠俠再戰風雲》（Batman Returns）、《危險人物》（Pulp Fiction）及《無頭谷》（Sleepy Hollow）等名作中的演出也讓觀眾難以忘懷。02年基斯杜化的事業再次攀上高峰，他憑在史提芬史匹堡（Steven Spielberg）執導的《捉智雙雄》（Catch Me If You Can）中扮演里安納度狄卡比奧（Leonardo DiCaprio）的潦倒爸爸角色，連奪英國電影大獎及美國演員公會大獎最佳男配角，兼入圍奧斯卡最佳男配角提名。
由於基斯杜化在10歲時已開始學習演戲及跳舞，所以他曾參演過無數舞台劇及音樂劇，舞藝精湛的他更在史碧莊斯（Spike Jonze）執導、Fatboy Slim的《Weapon of Choice》經典MV中表演超凡舞技。
格蓮高絲
從影30年的格蓮高絲（Glenn Close）是荷李活影壇有數的演技派女星，她在舞台劇、電影及電視均取得卓越成就，74年格蓮作出其百老匯處女演出，參演舞台劇《Love for Love》，其後她曾三奪舞台劇界最高榮譽東尼獎，02年她更到英國參與新版《慾望號街車》（The Streetcar Named Desire）的舞台劇演出。
現年57歲的格蓮曾五度角逐奧斯卡，其中更憑《孽緣》（Fatal Attraction）及《孽戀焚情》（Dangerous Liaisons）連續兩年獲影后提名。她在87年電影《孽緣》中的精湛演出最令觀眾留下深刻印象，她在片中扮演的Alex Forrest更在美國電影學院舉辦的百年最偉大銀幕英雄及奸角選舉中的奸角排名榜位列第七位。另外格蓮也在95年憑《Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story》榮獲艾美獎電視電影組別最佳女主角。格蓮近年參演過的名作還包括《101斑點狗》（101 Dalmatians）、《火星人玩轉地球》（Mars Attacks!）、《空軍一號》（Air Force One）及《102斑點狗》（102 Dalmatians）等。
菲芙希爾
雖然本片是現年36歲的菲芙希爾處女演出，但她的名字在美國樂壇卻是無人不曉。在密西西比長大的她，當年只有19歲便跑到鄉謠重鎮納什維爾發展，93年她推出首張細碟《Wild One》便連奪流行榜四周冠軍，自此其音樂事業開始一帆風順。
身為鄉謠天后的菲芙至今在全球的唱片銷量接近3000萬張，她的歌曲曾十三度登上流行榜冠軍位置，單是其最近兩張大碟《Breathe》及《Cry》一推出便成為Billboard大碟銷量榜冠軍，可見她在樂壇的地位的確舉足輕重。
曾被《People》雜誌選為全球五十位美麗人士之一的菲芙，在樂壇獲獎無數，她曾四奪格林美獎，並在美國音樂頒獎禮及鄉謠音樂頒獎禮等屢獲殊榮。她也曾為《巫法闖情關》（Practical Magic）、《聖誕怪傑》（How the Grinch Stole Christmas）及《珍珠港》（Pearl Harbor）等電影獻唱歌曲，其中為《珍》片主唱的金曲《There You'll Be》更入圍奧斯卡最佳電影歌曲提名。其實菲芙早在02年便有機會參與電影演出，當年她曾獲邀在米路吉遜（Mel Gibson）主演的大製作《軍天壯志》（We Were Soldiers）中，扮演米路的妻子角色，可惜最終因種種原因而辭演。
導演簡介
法蘭奧茲
在英國出生的法蘭奧茲（Frank Oz）初期為電視節目擔任木偶劇表演者及配音工作，其中他在《布公仔》（The Muppets Movie）系列中聲演豬小姐等角色最為觀眾津津樂道，而在電影方面，他也為《星球大戰─帝國反擊戰》（Star Wars: The Empires Strikes Back）及《星球大戰─武士復仇》（Star Wars: Return of the Jedi）中的尤達大師一角配音。
1982年法蘭首次執導電影《魔水晶》（The Dark Crystal），自此展開導演之路，84年他執導《布公仔》系列電影版《星空奇遇布公仔》（The Muppets Take Manhattan），並在片中再為豬小姐等角色配音。法蘭曾多次與笑匠史提夫馬田（Steve Martin）合作，當中包括《綠魔先生》（Little Shop of Horrors）、《偷心大少》（Dirty Rotten Scoundrels）、《霧水丈夫》（HouseSitter）及《偷拍凸工隊》（Bowfinger）。他執導過的作品還有《忽然囉囉孿》（In & Out）及由馬龍白蘭度（Marlon Brando）與羅拔迪尼路（Robert De Niro）主演的《極盜爆破》（The Score）。
| 演員： | 妮歌潔曼 （Nicole Kidman） |
《亂世情天》（Cold Mountain） 《此時．此刻》（The Hours） 《情陷紅磨坊》（Moulin Rouge） 《大開眼戒》（Eyes Wide Shut） 《不惜一切》（To Die For） |
||
| 馬修波特歷 （Matthew Broderick） |
《請再靠緊我》（You Can Count on Me） 《數碼特工》（Inspector Gadget） 《哥斯拉》（Godzilla） 《衰鬼線人》（The Cable Guy） 《光榮》（Glory） |
|||
| 比提美娜 （Bette Midler） |
《偷聽女人心》（What Women Want） 《大婆俱樂部》（The First Wives Club） 《關人矮事》（Get Shorty） 《龍鳳雙星》（For the Boys） 《玫瑰狂熱》（The Rose） |
|||
| 基斯杜化華堅 （Christopher Walken） |
《捉智雙雄》（Catch Me if You Can） 《無頭谷》（Sleepy Hollow） 《危險人物》（Pulp Fiction） 《蝙蝠俠再戰風雲》（Batman Returns） 《獵鹿者》（The Deer Hunter） |
|||
| 格蓮高絲 （Glenn Close） |
《102斑點狗》（102 Dalmatians） 《空軍一號》（Air Force One） 《101斑點狗》（101 Dalmatians） 《孽戀焚情》（Dangerous Liaisons） 《孽緣》（Fatal Attraction） |
|||
| 菲芙希爾 （Faith Hill） |
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| 導演： | 法蘭奧茲 （Frank Oz） |
《極盜爆破》（The Score） 《偷拍凸工隊》（Bowfinger） 《忽然囉囉攣》（In & Out） 《霧水丈夫》（HouseSitter） 《綠魔先生》（Little Shop of Horrors） |
| 上映日期： | 10月7日 | |
| 發行﹕ | 泛亞影業有限公司 聯合國際影片公司 |
|
| 片長： | 94分鐘 | |
| 級別： | IIA | |
| 院線： | 嘉禾港威、嘉禾旺角、UA金鐘、UA太古城、AMC及奧海城百老匯 |
"THE STEPFORD WIVES"
Production Information
A subversive and comic look at rampant consumerism and the quest for perfection, "The Stepford Wives" exposes what it really means to be human by looking beneath the perfect veneer of an idyllic community nestled in our very imperfect world. Featuring an extraordinary cast, "The Stepford Wives" stars Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, Faith Hill and Glenn Close in a comedic thriller about a community that dares to be perfect and learns that to err is human.
Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) thinks she's made it to the top of her world.
The youngest president in the history of the EBS television network, she also has an attentive husband and two beautiful children. On the surface, Joanna's life appears to be, well, perfect… until one catastrophic day when it all comes crashing down around her. Fired from her job, her perfect marriage in trouble, unable to remember where her kids go to school, Joanna is starting to look like a candidate for electroshock therapy.
Yes, there's nothing like a nervous breakdown to make Joanna and her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) reexamine their priorities, pack up the family and make a fresh start in the idyllic suburban paradise of Stepford, Connecticut.
But something strange is happening in the quaint little town of Stepford, and Joanna is suspicious. So is Bobbie Markowitz (Bette Midler), who recently moved to town with her irascible frat-boyish husband Dave (Jon Lovitz). And Roger Bannister (Roger Bart), an architect who came to Stepford hoping to save his rocky relationship with his conservative partner Jerry (David Marshall Grant), is wondering what's going on, too.
It's the wives. They're all like Claire Wellington (Glenn Close) - beautiful, happy and unusually creative with crafts. They can bake a cake, paint the house, mow the lawn, play with the kids and still greet their husbands in lacy lingerie at the end of a busy day.
Disturbed by the stunning but subservient women she meets in Stepford, Joanna grows increasingly uneasy. On the other hand, Walter couldn't be happier. He's especially impressed by the Stepford Men's Association, a fortress-like mansion in the center of town.
"This town, and the houses, and this place - it's like a dream," enthuses Walter. "Like the way life should be."
Until Joanna Eberhart gets in the way.
Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures present A Scott Rudin/De Line Pictures Production, A Frank Oz film starring Nicole Kidman, "The Stepford Wives." Directed by Frank Oz from a screenplay by Paul Rudnick, based upon the book by Ira Levin, the comedy also stars Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, Faith Hill and Glenn Close. Produced by Scott Rudin, Donald De Line, Edgar J. Scherick and Gabriel Grunfeld, the film is executive-produced by Ron Bozman and Keri Lyn Selig. Rob Hahn, ASC, is the director of photography. Ann Roth is the film's costume designer, Jackson De Govia is the production designer and Jay Rabinowitz, A.C.E., is the editor.
Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and music.
This film has been rated PG-13 for sexual content, thematic material & language.
ABOUT THE STORY
When producers Scott Rudin and Donald De Line, director Frank Oz and screenwriter Paul Rudnick got together to update "The Stepford Wives," the 1975 motion picture thriller based on Ira Levin's best-selling book, they recognized its potential to become, as Rudnick puts it, "a real modern American comedy." Although both the novel and original movie were considered a response to the first wave of feminism in America during the 1970s, they all acknowledge that social changes during the last 30 years inspired some new twists in the story.
"In today's world, women can be enormously powerful," observes Rudnick. "They've made enormous strides, but that still doesn't always sit well with their husbands. So, by creating this town of 'model' wives and laughing at the notion of it, I was able to give the story a contemporary spin."
To Oz, whose previous comedic credits include "Bowfinger," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "Little Shop of Horrors" and "In & Out," the film's appeal was in the way it mixed comedy with darkness.
"Comedy is kind of a dangerous thing to do when you're dealing with social commentary, with characters' feelings and with darkness and evil," says Oz. "But I think people will feel that the edginess of our humor is right on target."
Rudnick, who wrote the original screenplay for the successful 1997 comedy hit "In & Out," agrees, adding that through the film's unique comedic perspective the underlying themes of consumerism and greed rise to the surface.
"Stepford is the perfect American suburb, which on the surface seems like the ultimate bourgeois dream," says Rudnick. "It's a town of gorgeous McMansions, SUVs, sports cars, perfect moms, perfectly behaved children and perfectly happy dads…more perfect than humanly possible. And any vision of that nature is a little too perfect to last."
A skilled satirist, Rudnick looked forward to his reunion with Oz, especially because the director has such a reverence for comedy. "Frank is a writer's dream and a wonderful collaborator, but what I personally adore about him is that he gets the joke," says Rudnick. "He knows who's funny or how to make someone funny."
"I'm kind of like a mountain-climbing guide," laughs Oz. "I don't climb the mountain - the actors do. But I like to show them which way to go."
One of the actors happy to follow Oz's direction was Nicole Kidman, who earned the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2003 for her compelling performance as author Virginia Woolf in "The Hours." For Kidman, the change of pace was exactly what she was looking for, not to mention the chance to work with such talented filmmakers and co-stars.
"Coming off of an intense drama I was ready to do something fun, and I loved the idea of teaming up with Glenn and Bette," says Kidman, who portrays Joanna Eberhart, the perfect example of what women are capable of doing with their lives today. "I also love the way Paul Rudnick mixes politics and pop culture, and of course, Frank Oz is so adept with this sort of material, I knew he could guide me into new comedic territory."
Much of the humor comes from Kidman's character, a powerful executive whose career has overshadowed her humanity and made her a living example of taking success too far. Also overshadowed, is Joanna's husband Walter, who thanks to modern technology, discovers that in Stepford even the most average guy reigns like a king.
"Stepford is a great concept," laughs two-time Tony winner ("The Producers," "Brighton Beach Memoirs") Matthew Broderick, who portrays Walter. "There's a Men's Association where we go to smoke cigars, have bourbons and wear our special jackets to show that we're part of a club. We have plasma screen TVs, computers, video games - it's a real guy place where we feel comfortable and at home."
Leading the men of Stepford is Mike Wellington, portrayed by Academy Award winner Christopher Walken, who observes that the men in the fictional town are like modern guys in many ways.
"They're deeply confused by all the social movements of the last half-century," says Walken. "They feel left behind, picked on…and they're mad as hell. So the Men's Club is very important. It's where the guys hang out, have fun and…plan more Stepford wives."
Supreme party hostess, organizer of Stepford events, head of the town book club and exercise maven is Wellington's very own perfect wife Claire, portrayed by five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close.
"I suppose Chris Walken's character and mine could be construed as the king and queen of Stepford," laughs Close. "He made me everything I am, I worship him and together we are the couple that everyone in Stepford aspires to be."
Close had tremendous fun with an exercise class her character leads at the Simply Stepford Day Spa. The class, called "Claireobics," teaches housewives to stay fit by combining exercise with daily domestic activities. For example, a good Stepford wife twists her torso vigorously back and forth like a washing machine, thereby whittling away her waistline in no time.
"Glenn's character embodies Stepford in its comedic persona, in its mad passion, and in its dementia," observes Rudnick, who adds that Close is hysterically "perfect" in the role.
"When I first thought about doing this movie, I thought it would be great fun working with a great ensemble of actors," remembers Close. "Now I think the film resonates far more than I first imagined because it's about materialism, rampant consumption and appearances - all things our society is obsessed with today."
Taking full advantage of the technology boom, Rudnick wanted to explore America's absolute mania for makeovers. "We live in a makeover culture, believing that perfection will solve all our problems," says Rudnick. "This film truly investigates whether perfection is really worth all the trouble we go to in pursuit of it."
One character who thinks the perfection in Stepford isn't all it's cracked up to be is Bobbie Markowitz, portrayed by two-time Oscar nominee and four-time Grammy winner Bette Midler.
"Bobbie is a sardonic character from New York's Upper West Side with a sharp tongue and an even sharper wit," explains Midler. "She knows there's something strange behind all the beautiful women in Stepford and she makes it her business to find out what's going on."
Almost immediately, Bobbie connects with new arrival Joanna Eberhart, a fellow New York professional, and the two gravitate to another newcomer from Manhattan, a flamboyant gay architect named Roger Bannister, portrayed by Roger Bart.
Director Frank Oz observes that the reason the New York trio connects is that they feel like aliens in a strange land. "It's like going out of the country and there are no Americans around," explains Oz. "Then suddenly you see two other Americans, so you all pal around."
Nowhere is the contrast between the Stepfordites and the New Yorkers more obvious than at the Fourth of July party where these three characters meet for the first time. Filmed on a country property amid rolling hills in rural New Jersey, the fantastical atmosphere of a huge red barn draped in red, white and blue bunting was only heightened by the picture-perfect food, game booths and gingham-dressed Stepford wives teetering around on high heels. It all comes as a shock to urban sophisticates like Joanna, Bobbie and Roger.
Nicole Kidman feels her growing connection with Bobbie and Roger is also a result of how each of them is feeling disconnected from their partners. "At the heart of the film the story is about relationships," observes Kidman, "and I think that will really resonate with audiences."
Matthew Broderick agrees, pointing out that a major focus of the film revolves around the marital conflict between Walter and Joanna. "This story is really a romance. It's about a marriage that's lost its footing and about the two people who've come to Stepford to right it."
Says director Oz: "They come to a place that's perfect, where the women are gorgeous, the men are deliriously happy and the houses are beautiful. But in the end, it's the acceptance of imperfection which makes us more human, and ultimately saves Joanna and Walter."
"In the course of the film, you see that Joanna and Walter's love is tested in the most extreme degree," says Rudnick. "I think it's a very modern love story in many ways."
Rudnick, who further updates the 1970s story with the introduction of a gay couple, Roger (Roger Bart) and Jerry (David Marshall Grant), which in itself isn't unique, adds that what is fresh about their inclusion is how they don't fit in the Stepford community either; and yet, there they are, shooting for perfection just like everyone else.
"A gay couple has every right to the same insane quest for perfection as heterosexuals," laughs Rudnick. "In fact, Roger and Jerry, like a lot of gay men, are every bit as confused by the enormous and rapid changes of our culture. So when they wind up in Stepford, they get in just as much trouble as every straight couple there."
Making her feature film debut in "The Stepford Wives" is Grammy Award nominee Faith Hill, who portrays Sarah Sunderson, the former CEO of an airline whose husband turns her into a "robotically challenged" model of a Stepford wife.
"To put it mildly, Sarah is kind of a little off," laughs Hill. "I think in the process of creating his idea of perfection, my husband Herb - wonderfully played by Matt Malloy - might have made a mistake or two. The character was great fun to play. I mean, when I malfunction, things go a little crazy and the sparks really fly. It was an 'electrifying' experience all around!"
A comedic take on the American suburban dream that combines a mixture of satire and thriller, "The Stepford Wives" takes on a little bit of everything - from the battle of the sexes to stereotypes to the need for individuality. And it asks the question: In a world where breaking the mold makes someone special, why is it so dangerous to step out of line...in Stepford?
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
While there is no real town of Stepford in the state of Connecticut, there are indications that Ira Levin, the novel's author, was inspired by the small towns of Fairfield County, beautiful suburban communities with enormous homes and manicured lawns. To bring this fictional town to life, director Frank Oz reunited with Rob Hahn, his cinematographer from "The Score" and "In & Out"; production designer Jackson De Govia, who worked with him on "The Score" and "Bowfinger"; and Academy Award -winning costume designer Ann Roth, his collaborator on "In & Out."
Production designer De Govia understood exactly what the filmmakers were looking for - a wealthy suburb of New York City where people come to relax and to enjoy their gains, whether ill-gotten or not.
"People in Stepford are living at the height of stylish luxury and they make no apologies for their lifestyle," says De Govia. "No one questions whether they deserve the opulence. They simply have it and intend to take full advantage of it."
To contrast the idyllic Stepford from the "real world," director Oz begins the film in New York, concentrating on stark shots of steel, glass and concrete. "It's a little harsh, and we meant it to be that way," explains Oz. "That way, when we get to Stepford, everything looks that much more lovely and soft, including the women."
Scouting dozens of communities in Connecticut as well as New Jersey, the filmmakers looked for homes and neighborhoods that reflected the stylistically idealized town the script called for.
"The look of Stepford is defined by new money," says Oz. "It's money made by computer people, electronics people and dot-coms. Their homes are new and gorgeous and there's no real history or texture to this town."
Paul Rudnick compares Stepford to a Martha Stewart/Ralph Lauren style of living. "It's very centered on a kind of sentimental Norman Rockwell vision of the world, a lifestyle that, in reality, you couldn't achieve without an enormous staff and plenty of servants," explains Rudnick. "The ideal for the female side of Stepford involves a lot of baking, doilies and difficult-to-iron linen tablecloths. As for the male influence, it's all mahogany and suede, a kind of post-college frat house feel."
Renowned costume designer Ann Roth adds that the male side is filled with saturated colors and heavy with pigment, while the female side is enhanced by floral colors. "Martha Stewart's colors come from nature and spring," explains Roth. "That's why you see all these peaches and aquas and greens and yellows in the homes and why you see all these purples and reds and mahoganies on the men's side. It sort of begs the question: How can a guy like this get a girl like that? And the answer is they made them - all beautiful, all with high perfect bust lines, all with 25-inch-or-less waists and all perky as hell!"
When production commenced at Kaufman Astoria studios, the company began with the interior scenes in Bobbie Markowitz' (Bette Midler) kitchen, a huge, modern layout combining a kitchen and great room. Set decorator Debra Schutt established the gilded lifestyle with high-end appliances and designer furniture, and florist Christopher Bassett played a pivotal role throughout the shoot, using elaborate and exotic flowers to further illustrate the luxurious Stepford home.
"There's something about the metaphor of those flowers, perfectly arranged, which is really powerful," suggests Bassett. "Flowers are a very effective way of bringing the outside world in and transforming a home into a dream house."
As for the set decoration, Schutt had a fantastic time creating all the homes, but Bobbie Markowitz' was probably one of the most radical.
"Bobbie's home is transformed from a rat's nest of magazines, newspapers, frozen food containers and dirty clothes to a sumptuous and spotless home that you might find in the pages of Architectural Digest," explains Schutt. "It is something of a metaphor for the Stepford wives who are transformed into architectural perfection, as well."
As the company moved back to the stages at Kaufman Astoria, the scenes shifted to an old-fashioned square dance held inside a picturesque barn. Choreographer Patricia Birch stepped up to the challenge of teaching the film's principals and almost one hundred Stepford extras to square dance.
"Glenn Close, as Stepford's ambassador extraordinaire Claire Wellington, was up on stage calling the dance and everyone was really getting into it," remembers Birch. "It was quite a spectacle!"
Also at the Kaufman Studios were two complex sets: the Hunt Room, an elegant, wood-paneled room that is home to the infamous Stepford Men's Association; and an enormous ballroom in a garden setting that is the site of Stepford's glamorous Midsummer's Dinner Dance.
Roger Bart describes the Hunt Room by quoting from some of his character's dialogue, "It's as if Ralph Lauren meets Sherlock Holmes at a kegger," laughs Bart. "The place has miles of corduroy and Corinthian leather all whooshed up in a yummy testosterone cocktail."
As for the magnificent ballroom, production designer Jackson De Govia describes it as "an imaginary wing of a nineteenth century mansion and what happens when you have a lot of money and very, very good taste."
Enhancing the elegant Midsummer Dinner Dance were literally thousands of flowers, including exotic orchids imported from New Zealand, gigantic hydrangeas and multicolored roses. Classical columns and tables full of crystal made the scene as chic as the champagne that flowed throughout.
"The ballroom set, in particular, is a perfect symbol for the Stepford world," says De Govia. "It's also a very good paradigm for the wives themselves. They're beautiful, they smell good, they taste good and they're expensive. But they're plants."
The ballroom sequences brought choreographer Pat Birch back to the set once again, this time to teach the principals how to waltz and to find fifty Stepford couples who could glide across the floor in ball gowns and tuxes. One of the dolled-up wives was Bobbie Markowitz, portrayed to a "T" by "The Divine Ms. M."
"I really love the ballroom scene because the first movie I ever saw when I was a child was 'The Merry Widow,' starring Lana Turner and Fernando Lamas," remembers Bette Midler. "It made such an impression on me - the color and the swirling dresses and the music and the beautiful people. So I told Scott Rudin that I hadn't seen beautiful waltzing in a film for forty years and he suggested I see 'The Merry Widow' again. Of course I ran out and got it, and there it was - even the lighting is similar!"
Midler was not alone in enjoying the ballroom scenes. "How many times do you get to see a group of actors of this caliber together in one room?" asks Paul Rudnick. "Chris Walken, Matthew Broderick, Faith Hill, Glenn Close, Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler… I'd go see these people if they were in a car commercial."
In addition to being an opportunity for Walken to demonstrate his enviable prowess on the dance floor, the Midsummer's Dinner Dance is also the occasion for the Stepford wives to dress up in all their finery. Glamorous ball gowns, upswept hair, and even tiaras were de rigueur for the town's biggest party of the year, and therefore, one of the movie's biggest sequences.
Going all out in her costume design for the event in the film that defines the decadence and the unworldliness of Stepford, Ann Roth dressed Nicole Kidman in a gossamer gown that gives her character Joanna a Barbie doll and Cinderella look rolled into one.
"I wanted Joanna to be ethereal and not quite earthbound," says Roth. "The ivory color of her dress is meant to blend in with her skin, making her that much more unreal looking."
For Kidman, the costume designs were pure genius. "We were very lucky to have Ann Roth on this film because she's very bold in her vision," says the actress. "She takes her designs right to the edge, and as far as I'm concerned, I'd do every film with her!"
As for the colorful pants and wild tuxedo jackets on the men, Roth says she was inspired by Lily Pulitzer fabrics and madras plaids that you might see at a country club party, and in the end, the best word for the whole scene was simply extravagant. In fact, from the magnificent set decorations to the fanciful costumes to the elegant choreography, the scene embodied the community and ideals of Stepford.
The Stepford homes were key to defining the idyllic community as well, and various locations in Connecticut turned out to be, well, perfect. A super-sized home in Darien that was on the real estate market became the interior for the Herb and Sarah Sunderson (Matt Malloy and Faith Hill) house, while a multi-million dollar home in the exclusive community of New Canaan served as Joanna and Walter's (Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick) new Stepford abode. Later, New Canaan's beautiful Town Hall, built in 1909, served as the backdrop for the big political rally scene, complete with thousands of balloons and lots of stylish Stepford fanfare.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk, Connecticut became the center of all Stepford wives activity. The museum, which had housed the Stepford Men's Organization in the original 1975 film, was the only former location site revisited by the current production.
Built in the 1860s by financier LeGrand Lockwood, the 62-room mansion is one of the finest Second Empire-style country houses surviving today and was one of the grandest houses in the country during the seventeenth century. It was said to have cost $1,500,000 to build, but sold for a mere $90,000 when Lockwood died three years after moving in. The city of Norwalk bought the home in 1941 and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
As part of the arrangement to close the museum and film inside, the production team agreed to do extensive renovation work on the 140-year old building.
"For several months prior to the actual shoot, our art department worked diligently to restore and renovate the home's opulent entry and rotunda," remembers production designer Jackson De Govia. "After carefully researching the original building, artists and craftsmen repaired the wood floors, filled cracks, stained the woodwork on a magnificent stairway and painted the walls with colors appropriate to the time. They even painted replicas of enormous Hudson River School paintings, which had once hung in the home, so what you see in the film is a pretty good take on the original structure."
De Govia also supervised the design and construction of Joanna and Walter's lavish house. Built at the Hudson River Stages in Yonkers, New York, the enormous 3500 sq. ft. interior was constructed on the same stage that a month before had been dressed as a full-size supermarket, and later became the site of a top secret laboratory run by the Men's Association.
When principal photography ended, a new phase of the production began involving visual effects supervisors Scott Souter and Frank Petzold. Together, with their team, they conceived and coordinated the special effects that illustrate the Stepford wives.
Souter, who works for Tippett Studio in Berkeley, California, a company regarded as one of the world's leading character animation and visual effects houses, met with director Frank Oz and his production team to brainstorm about ways to heighten the film's comedic elements through imaginative visuals.
"The visual humor and timing had to be very precise," explains Souter. "There was no room for error. Fortunately, Frank was wonderful about getting us where we want to be. He's a great judge of what's funny."
Faith Hill, who portrays Stepford wife Sarah Sunderson, received a crash course in visual effects technology from the Tippett team.
"During the Stepford square dance, Sarah short-circuits and begins spinning," explains Souter. "Faith helped us create the effect by working in front of a green screen and it came out perfect."
In another sequence, Sarah descends the stairs of her home at the same time that Roger Bannister (Roger Bart) picks up a remote control with her name on it.
"He's taking inventory of Sarah's functions by pushing various buttons," says Souter. "To achieve what we were looking for, we extracted Faith Hill against the green screen to add certain robotic effects that correspond to each button press, and once again, her functions and malfunctions were perfect."
Among the team's favorite assignments was the creation of Rover, a robotic dog that greets Joanna and Walter when they first arrive in Stepford.
"Rover is a terrier-like dog based on a design by Jackson De Govia that was very graphic, simplistic and elegant all at the same time," says Souter. "The dog needed to be special because he is very important to the plot in that he becomes Joanna's ally, alerting her to the fact that plans are in the works for her to become a robot, too."
Both Souter and Petzold agree that working on "The Stepford Wives" was a challenge, but a lot of fun. "This has been a great project because comedy is so different when it comes to creating special effects," suggests Souter. "Scary monsters and aliens are one thing, but being funny is a whole other game."
ABOUT THE CAST
NICOLE KIDMAN, Joanna Eberhart, leaves the pressures of corporate life and moves with her family to Stepford, Connecticut.
A 2003 Academy AwardR winner as Best Actress for her role as Virginia Woolf in "The Hours," Kidman's riveting performance also earned her the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress and a Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear Award for Best Actress.
Kidman's range and versatility have won her a reputation for daring performances. Last year she co-starred with Jude Law and Renee Zellweger in Anthony Minghella's "Cold Mountain," for which she received both a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice nomination as Best Actress. In 2002, her roles in Baz Luhrmann's musical "Moulin Rouge" and Alejandro Amenabar's thriller "The Others," two distinctively different films, earned her dual Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Musical and Best Actress in a Drama. She won the Golden Globe, received an Academy AwardR nomination and earned a London Critics Circle Film Award for her performance in "Moulin Rouge."
Born in Hawaii and raised in Australia, Kidman studied ballet as a young child and enrolled in drama school at the age of 10. She made her professional debut in the Australian film "Bush Christmas" at the age of 14, but it was her role three years later in the miniseries "Vietnam" that made her a virtual overnight star in Australia. Her subsequent portrayal of a terrorized wife in the 1989 psychological thriller "Dead Calm," directed by Phillip Noyce, brought her international critical acclaim.
Kidman's true breakout role was Suzanne Stone, a woman obsessed with becoming a TV personality, in Gus Van Sant's widely acclaimed black comedy "To Die For," for which she won her first Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in 1995. In 1996, Kidman starred in Jane Campion's adaptation of Henry James' "The Portrait of a Lady."
Other films include Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut," Jez Butterworth's black comedy "Birthday Girl," director Robert Benton's screen adaptation of Philip Roth's "The Human Stain," "The Peacemaker," "Practical Magic," "Days of Thunder," "Billy Bathgate," "Malice," "My Life," "Far and Away" and "Batman Forever." She made a highly lauded London stage debut in 1998, starring in David Hare's "The Blue Room," and moved to New York with the production for a sold-out five-month run on Broadway. She was the recipient of the 2003 American Cinematheque Award for excellence in film.
This past year, Kidman teamed creatively again with Jane Campion, but as a producer on "In the Cut," which starred Meg Ryan. She was most recently seen in Lars Von Trier's controversial "Dogville." Upcoming, she stars in "Birth," directed by Jonathan Glazer, with an ensemble cast that includes Lauren Bacall and Paul Bettany. In addition, she has begun filming for director/producer Sydney Pollack, "The Interpreter," with Sean Penn.
MATTHEW BRODERICK portrays Walter Kresby, the supportive husband of Joanna Eberhart, who takes desperate measures to save his marriage.
A two-time Tony Award-winning stage actor, Broderick's career has spanned theater, film and television with impressive versatility. His upcoming films include "The Last Shot," for director Jeff Nathanson as well as "Marie and Bruce," opposite Julianne Moore.
A New York native, Broderick made his professional stage debut opposite his father, James Broderick, at age 17 in the production of "On Valentine's Day." Following his performance in Harvey Fierstein's "Torch Song Trilogy," Broderick won his first Tony Award for Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and later starred in the play's sequel "Biloxi Blues." He won his second Tony for his role as J. Pierrepont Finch in the Broadway revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Most recently, he starred opposite Nathan Lane in the record-breaking Broadway run of "The Producers," for which he was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor in a musical.
Broderick starred in the critically acclaimed film "You Can Count on Me," opposite Laura Linney and earned considerable acclaim starring opposite Reese Witherspoon in the Independent Spirit Award-winning political satire "Election." Among his additional film credits are "Godzilla," "Addicted to Love," "The Cable Guy," "Inspector Gadget," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Glory," "WarGames" and "The Lion King," as the adult voice of Simba. Additional credits include "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," "Biloxi Blues," "Max Dugan Returns," "Project X," "Torch Song Trilogy," "Family Business," "The Freshman" and "The Night We Never Met."
In addition to his stage, screen and Broadway credits, Broderick starred in the recent ABC movie musical "The Music Man." He appeared in the Showtime film "Master Harold and the Boys" and received an Emmy nomination for the TNT production of David Mamet's "A Life in the Theater," opposite Jack Lemmon.
BETTE MIDLER, who portrays Bobbie Markowitz, began her career as an extra in "Hawaii," which prompted a move from her Honolulu hometown to New York in 1965. Within months, she debuted on stage in "Miss Nefertiti Regrets," and went on to take over the role of Tzeitel in the hit Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof."
Following singing engagements at New York cabarets, Midler opened a record-breaking run at the Continental Baths, which led to a recording contract, and in 1973 she won a Grammy for her platinum-selling debut album, The Divine Miss M. She later earned Grammys for the title song from "The Rose," "Blueberry Pie" and the "Beaches" soundtrack album, featuring "Wind Beneath My Wings." Her appearance at Broadway's Palace Theatre earned a Tony Award and her 1993 tour Experience the Divine broke all box office records for a concert by an individual.
Midler's feature credits include 1979's "The Rose," (Oscar nomination and two Golden Globe Awards), and starring roles in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Ruthless People," "Outrageous Fortune," "Big Business," "Beaches," "Stella," "Scenes From a Mall" and "For the Boys," (Golden Globe winner and Oscar nomination for Best Actress), "Hocus Pocus," "Get Shorty," "The First Wives Club" and "Isn't She Great," among many others.
On television, Midler won a People's Choice and a TV Guide Award for her debut series role in the comedy "Bette." She's headlined two HBO specials, the Emmy Award-winning CBS special "Ol' Red Hair is Back" and HBO's concert film "Diva Las Vegas," which brought an Emmy Award for her performance and received a record 10 nominations for the year. She won an Emmy for her moving appearance on Johnny Carson's final "Tonight Show" episode, as well as a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review award for her performance in the 1992 television adaptation of the musical "Gypsy."
Midler just completed her national, sold-out concert tour, Kiss My Brass. She released the Grammy-nominated Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook in 2003.
Midler is the founder and very active guiding light of the New York Restoration Project, which she established in 1997. The organization works to uncover, reclaim and clean neglected public spaces, in part through partnerships with government, but fundamentally by nurturing community empowerment and fostering civic pride in local communities. The NYRP brings these spaces back to life, gives them back to the public and secures the resources to make all that happen.
Midler is married to Martin Von Haselberg and has a daughter, Sophie.
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, who portrays Mike Wellington, won the 1978 Academy AwardR for Best Supporting Actor for his astonishing performance in Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter," a role that also earned him a New York Film Critics Circle Award and a Golden Globe nomination. Walken also received a 2002 Academy AwardR nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won BAFTA and SAG awards for his role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can," for DreamWorks.
Christopher Walken's film career skyrocketed after his unforgettable role as Duane Hall, brother to Diane Keaton's title character in Woody Allen's OscarR-winning Best Picture "Annie Hall." Since then, Walken has appeared in more than 50 feature films including Herbert Ross' OscarR-nominated "Pennies from Heaven"; David Cronenberg's adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dead Zone"; James Foley's "At Close Range," opposite Sean Penn; Mike Nichols' "Biloxi Blues," based on the Neil Simon play; Abel Ferrara's gritty crime-drama "King of New York"; Joe Roth's comedy "America's Sweethearts," co-starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal and John Cusack; and Peter Berg's "The Rundown."
Walken has succeeded in creating some of the most memorable characters in film history, appearing in supporting and cameo roles such as Vincent Coccotti in Tony Scott's "True Romance," Captain Koons in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," Carlo Bartolucci in "Suicide Kings," The Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" and crooked businessman Max Shreck in Burton's "Batman Returns."
Walken began acting and dancing at the age of ten. He trained to be a dancer at the Professional Children's School in Manhattan and eventually went on to appear in numerous stage plays and musicals. He received the Clarence Derwent Award for his performance in the Broadway production of "The Lion in Winter," an Obie Award for his role in "The Seagull," a Theatre World Award for "The Rose Tattoo" and the 1997 Susan Stein Shiva Award for his work with Joseph Papp's Public Theatre. In the fall of 1999, he co-starred in the stage adaptation of James Joyce's "The Dead." In the summer of 2001, Walken again appeared in a revival of Chekhov's "The Seagull" for the New York Shakespeare Festival, directed by Mike Nichols, opposite Meryl Streep.
On television, Walken has hilariously and memorably hosted "Saturday Night Live" a total of 6 times since 1990 and contributed a mesmerizing dance performance to the Spike Jonze-directed music video for Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice.
Walken was recently seen in Barry Levinson's "Envy," with Ben Stiller and Jack Black; in Tony Scott's "Man on Fire," opposite Denzel Washington; and will be seen in "Around the Bend," opposite Michael Caine. Walken has commenced principal photography on "Wedding Crashers," opposite Owen Wilson, and on John Turturro's "Romance & Cigarettes."
ROGER BART portrays Roger Bannister, a charismatic New York architect who moves to Stepford with his uber-conservative partner, Jerry.
Bart, who earned a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actor for his memorable role as Carmen Ghia in the award-winning musical "The Producers," went on to play the lead role as Leo Bloom. In 1999, he earned both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Snoopy in the Broadway revival of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."
Among his Broadway and first national touring credits are "Triumph of Love," "King David," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," "The Secret Garden," "Big River" and The Who's "Tommy." Bart provided the singing voice for Hercules in Disney's animated musical "Hercules," as well as the singing voice of Scamp in Disney's "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure."
He was a series regular on the CBS sitcom "Bram and Alice," and has also appeared on "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "The George Carlin Show."
FAITH HILL makes her motion picture debut as Sarah Sunderson, a beautiful Stepford wife with some peculiar mechanical difficulties.
Her ten-year career as a Grammy-winning vocalist has marked one of the music industry's most successful and steady climbs. Hill has sold nearly 30 million records worldwide and has garnered thirteen #1 chart positions. Two of her releases, 1999's Breathe and 2002's Cry, both debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Album Chart and Country Chart collectively. They have sold in excess of thirteen million copies to date.
Hill has received countless nominations and statues from the Grammy Awards, People's Choice Awards, American Music Awards, The CMAs and ACMs. She provided her vocal talents for the OscarR-nominated track from Pearl Harbor, "There You'll Be," and has performed at Super Bowl XXXIV, The Academy AwardsR (twice), The Grammy Awards, VH1 Divas 1999 and 2000, and countless other events.
Raised in Star, Mississippi, Faith moved to Nashville at the age of 19. In 1993, her debut single "Wild One" spent four weeks at #1 and from there she never looked back.
GLENN CLOSE portrays Claire Wellington, the leading lady in Stepford society, who takes Joanna Eberhart under her wing. A distinguished actress who has received critical and audience acclaim for her work in stage, film and television, Close made her Broadway debut in "Love for Love" in 1974. In 1980, she received a Tony nomination for her role in the Broadway musical "Barnum" and has subsequently won three Tony Awards for performances in "The Real Thing," "Death and the Maiden" and "Sunset Boulevard." Her additional theater credits include "The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs," "Uncommon Women and Others," "Uncle Vanya," "Rules of the Game," "King Lear" and "The Rose Tattoo" among others. In 2002, she appeared as Blanche DuBois in Trevor Nunn's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," at London's National Theater.
Close has been honored with five Academy AwardR nominations: Best Supporting nominations for "The World According to Garp," "The Big Chill" and "The Natural"; and Best Actress for "Fatal Attraction" and "Dangerous Liaisons."
Close's numerous film credits include "Reversal of Fortune," "The House of the Spirits," "The Paper," "Mars Attacks!" "Air Force One," "Cookie's Fortune," "Immediate Family," "The Safety of Objects," "101 Dalmatians" followed by its sequel "102 Dalmatians" and "Le Divorce." Her next upcoming film is "Heights," for director Chris Terrio.
On television, Close served as executive producer and won an Emmy Award for her 1995 performance as Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer in "Serving in Silence," which also garnered a Peabody Award. She has received six additional Emmy nominations for roles in the telefilms "In the Gloaming," "Something About Amelia," "Sarah, Plain and Tall," "Skylark" (the second telefilm in the Sarah trilogy, which she also executive produced), as well as for a guest-starring role in the comedy series "Will & Grace." Other television starring/executive producer credits include "South Pacific" and "The Ballad of Lucy Whipple." She executive produced "Journey" and "Baby," both for Hallmark Hall of Fame. Close served as executive producer for "Broken Hearts, Broken Homes," and as associate producer on the documentary "Do You Mean There Are Still Real Cowboys?" On television, Close can be seen in "The Lion in Winter," for Showtime/Hallmark Entertainment, and in HBO's "Strip Search," directed by Sidney Lumet.
DAVID MARSHALL GRANT plays Jerry Harmon, a conservative lawyer who brings his partner Roger to Stepford with hopes of changing him. A versatile actor who met with success immediately after graduating from the Yale School of Drama, Grant has played memorable roles in feature films, TV movies and theatrical productions. In 1979-80, he appeared opposite Richard Gere on Broadway in "Bent," a powerful study of gays imprisoned during WWII in a Nazi concentration camp. Grant later portrayed Joe Pitt, the troubled Mormon in the original Broadway production of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" and its companion piece "Angels in America: Perestroika."
He made his film debut as a college student spending his junior year abroad in the teen comedy "French Postcards" and attracted attention opposite Kevin Costner as the younger and more reckless of two bicycling brothers in "American Flyers." His additional feature credits include "Bat*21," "Air America," "The Chamber" and "People I Know."
In 1989, Grant played the role of a gay man who enters the yuppie circle on TV's acclaimed "thirtysomething." His television projects have also included "Citizen Cohn" and "And the Band Played On."
A playwright whose work "Snakebit" has been performed in regional theaters throughout the country, Grant was also a co-writer of the CBS telefilm "Jenifer," based on the life of Jenifer Estess, who founded Project ALS to research a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease.
JON LOVITZ portrays Dave Markowitz, who couldn't be happier once he and his wife Bobbie move to Stepford. A versatile comedic actor who became an audience and critical favorite as a cast member of TV's "Saturday Night Live," Lovitz created such popular characters as Tommy Flanagan of Liars Anonymous, Master Thespian and the Devil.
Among his early film credits were "Last Resort," "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "!Three Amigos!" but his role as the fast-talking baseball recruiter Ernie "Cappy" Capadino in Penny Marshall's "A League of Their Own" in 1992 earned him widespread acclaim. Subsequent film credits include "Mom and Dad Save the World," "City Slickers II," "The Wedding Singer," "Happiness," "Rat Race" and "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."
Lovitz has provided a voice for the animated features "The Brave Little Toaster," "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" and "Cats & Dogs," and was heard as Jay Prescott Sherman and Woody Allen on the animated series "The Critic." He has also provided a guest voice on "The Simpsons."
Lovitz grew up in Tarzana, California and graduated from the University of California, Irvine.
LORRI BAGLEY, who portrays the statuesque Charmaine, made her motion picture debut in "Tommy Boy" and has since appeared in such films as "54," "Mickey Blue Eyes" "Trick," "The Crew" and "Shallow End." Her performance in "Peroxide Passion" earned her a Star on the Horizon Award in 2001 at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, but it was her comedic abilities in "Trick" that led to her casting as a series regular in "Veronica's Closet," starring Kirstie Alley.
Raised in Dallas, Texas, Bagley was training to become a professional dancer when she was discovered by the Ford Modeling Agency at the age of 15. She spent the next six years as a model in London, Paris, Los Angeles and New York, and enjoyed a successful five-year relationship with Victoria's Secret.
Bagley has studied acting under Sheila Gray and performed in such plays as "Bus Stop," "Born Yesterday" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
The filmography of FRANK OZ (Director) includes such films as "The Score," "Bowfinger," "In & Out," "What About Bob?" "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "Little Shop of Horrors."
SCOTT RUDIN (Producer) Film: "The School of Rock," "The Hours," "Changing Lanes," "Orange County," "Iris," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Zoolander," "Shaft," "Sleepy Hollow," "Angela's Ashes," "Rules of Engagement," "Wonder Boys," "Bringing Out the Dead," "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut," "The Truman Show," "A Civil Action," "In and Out," "Ransom," "Mother," "Marvin's Room," "The First Wives Club," "Twilight," "Clueless," "Sabrina," "Nobody's Fool," "The Firm," "Searching for Bobby Fischer," "Sister Act," "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit," "The Addams Family," "Addams Family Values," "Little Man Tate," "Regarding Henry," "Pacific Heights," "Flatliners," "Jennifer Eight," "Mrs. Soffel" and "He Makes Me Feel Like Dancing" (Academy Award - Best Documentary).
Theater: "Passion" (Tony Award - Best Musical), "Indiscretions," "Hamlet," "Seven Guitars," "Skylight," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "On the Town" (with the New York Shakespeare Festival), "The Chairs," "The Judas Kiss," "Stupid Kids," "The Blue Room," "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," "Closer" (London and New York), "Amy's View," "The Wild Party" (with the New York Shakespeare Festival), "The Ride Down Mt. Morgan" "Copenhagen" (Tony Award - Best Play), "The Designated Mourner," "The Caretaker" (London), "The Goat" (Tony Award - Best Play), "Medea," "Beckett/Albee" and "Caroline, or Change."
Upcoming Films: Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate," M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village," Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic," David O. Russell's "I Huckabee's," Brad Silberling's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," Mike Nichols' "Closer," Trey Parker's "Team America" and Kenneth Lonergan's "Margaret."
DONALD DE LINE (Producer) joined Paramount Pictures in 1998 where he established De Line Pictures under a first look deal with the studio. Under his De Line Pictures banner, he produced the highly successful remake of "The Italian Job," starring Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg, "Domestic Disturbance," with John Travolta and Vince Vaughn, and the upcoming "Without a Paddle."
Prior to his producing deal at Paramount, De Line spent eight years at Touchstone Pictures and was named President of Touchstone in 1993. Under his leadership, Touchstone produced such box-office hits as "Pretty Woman," "Sister Act," "Phenomenon," "Ransom," "ConAir, "Armageddon" and "The Waterboy." The films he oversaw grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box-office receipts, as well as 24 Academy AwardR nominations. De Line is on the board of directors of Aids Project Los Angeles and a member of The Next Generation Council of the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Currently, he is serving as President of Paramount Pictures and Vice Chairman of the Motion Picture Group.
EDGAR J. SCHERICK (Producer), who recently died from Leukemia, was highly regarded as one of America's most successful and versatile independent producers. Scherick was credited with over 70 films, including the original Stepford Wives in 1975. Other credits include "Take the Money and Run," Woody Allen's first feature film; "Sleuth," starring Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine; Neil Simon's "The Heartbreak Kid"; "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3"; "Mrs. Soffel," starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson; and "Rambling Rose," starring Robert Duvall and Laura Dern. Scherick was also a pioneer in television, from creating the revolutionary "Wide World of Sports" to heading the programming department at ABC, where he was responsible for the creation of shows including "Bewitched" and "Batman." Additionally, Scherick produced numerous Emmy Award-winning television movies, including "The Kennedys of Massachusetts" and the recent HBO film, "Path to War."
GABRIEL GRUNFELD's (Producer) expertise in the entertainment industry is culled from over 20 years of experience as a writer, director, producer, agent, manager and executive. He has optioned, developed and set up major properties such as best sellers Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, by John Gray; Speak Softly and The Big Stick, by Lawrence Alexander; Captain Nemo, by Kevin Anderson; and the Angel series of books by Karen Goldman (The Angel Book, Angel Encounters and Angel Voices), among others.
Grunfeld was partnered with the late Edgar Scherick in Scherick/Grunfeld Entertainment. Currently, he is the president and owner of G&G Entertainment, Inc., which develops, packages and produces motion pictures, television movies and television series. The company specializes in financing and international co-productions. He has produced "The Only Thrill," with Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard and Diane Lane, and co-produced the independent film "Warriors," as well as a number of European co-productions.
As a writer/producer, Grunfeld has developed such projects as "Intimacy," a John Sayles pilot for Warner Bros. and ABC-TV; "Keystone Kops" (CBS); "Twirl" (NBC); "Teddy Roosevelt Mysteries" and "Into the Heart: The Ken Good Story."
Currently, Grunfeld is a partner in the animation house Studio-Free Studios and is executive producing the animated feature "Big Bug Man." In addition, he is an executive producer (with Stan Lee) of the reality series "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" for MTV. Finally, as part of his extensive background in theater, Grunfeld is a producer on the Odyssey Theater's international hit, "The Chicago Seven Conspiracy Trial," which is Broadway bound.
PAUL RUDNICK's (Screenwriter) plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and
around the world. They include "Valhalla," "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," "The Naked
Eye," "Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach," "I Hate Hamlet" and "Jeffrey," for which he won
an Obie, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award.
His novels are Social Disease and I'll Take It, both published by Knopf. His articles and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New York Times.
He is rumored to be quite close to Premiere magazine's film critic Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns have been published under the title If You Ask Me.
His screenplays include "Addams Family Values," the screen adaptation of "Jeffrey" and "In & Out."
RON BOZMAN (Executive Producer) earned an Academy AwardR in 1991 as producer of "The Silence of the Lambs," one of seven projects in which he has collaborated with director Jonathan Demme.
Bozman served as associate producer on "Something Wild" and "Married to the Mob" before becoming a co-producer on "Miami Blues" and executive producer on "Philadelphia," "Eddie," "Beloved," "Scout's Honor," "For Love of the Game," "Autumn in New York," "Changing Lanes" and most recently, "The Human Stain," which co-starred Nicole Kidman. Additional producer credits include "Waiting for the Light," "Sister Mary Explains It All" (for television) and "The Ref."
He first worked with Frank Oz in 1984 as the first assistant director on "The Muppets Take Manhattan."
KERI LYN SELIG (Executive Producer) actively produces features and television projects through her own production company, Intuition Productions. Her produced credits include "Three to Tango" and "After the Rain."
Selig's television credits include two projects for Showtime, "Harlan County War," directed by OscarR winner Tony Bill, starring OscarR winner Holly Hunter and "In the Company of Spies," starring Tom Berenger and Ron Silver. She also produced "Point of Origin," for HBO, starring Ray Liotta and John Leguizamo; CBS' "It Must Be Love," starring Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen and "Mafia Doctor," starring Paul Sorvino and Olympia Dukakis. Currently, Selig is executive-producing a one-hour TV series for UPN entitled "Two Kings."
Selig spent 1999 through 2001 as executive senior vice president of production at Bel-Air Entertainment ("Pay It Forward, "Proof of Life,") the Warner Bros. based feature production and finance company. Prior to that, Selig was senior vice president of production at Kopelson Entertainment ("Seven," "The Fugitive"). From 1996 to 1998, she served as senior vice president at the Cort/Madden Company ("Save the Last Dance," "Mr. Holland's Opus.")
Currently Selig is producing "Passengers" by Ronnie Christensen for Senator International, "The VA" with Roland Joffe directing and Jim Carabatsos writing, and "The Life of Coco Chanel," to be directed by Christian Duguay.
LESLIE CONVERSE (Co-producer) attended NYU, where she majored in film. In 1994, she took a job as Frank Oz's assistant and worked with him on "The Indian in the Cupboard," as well as on "In & Out." Converse served as post-production supervisor on "Bowfinger" and "The Score," and became a co-producer on "The Stepford Wives," where she oversaw the movie's visual effects.
ROB HAHN, ASC (Director of Photography) collaborates with Frank Oz for the third time, having worked with him previously on "In & Out" and "The Score."
The camera operator for such notable films as "The First Wives Club," "Marvin's Room," "Midnight Run," "The Addams Family," "I Love You to Death," "Grand Canyon," "French Kiss," "Batman Returns," "Havana" and "Searching for Bobby Fischer," Hahn worked with cinematographer Owen Roizman for almost twenty years before transitioning to director of photography.
He also worked as second-unit director of photography and did additional photography on "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and "Sabrina."
Born in Paris, Hahn was raised in New York City and was educated at NYU Film School, followed by the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles.
JACKSON DE GOVIA (Production Designer) is among the most sought-after production supervisors in the field.
Born in Oklahoma City, De Govia attended the University of San Francisco where he became involved in their campus theater group. While living in San Francisco, he continued designing for such local theater companies as The Magic Theater and the American Conservatory Theater, but got a break in motion pictures when he was hired by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope to work on a television movie called "The People," directed by John Korty.
Following a move to Los Angeles, he worked as a scenic artist, and began working at Universal Studios in the 1970s as the art director on "The Six Million Dollar Man." He transitioned into motion pictures in the 1980s, working on such films as "It's My Turn" and "My Bodyguard," but spent extensive time on ABC's 1983 mini-series "The Winds of War."
De Govia's numerous feature film credits include "Die Hard" as well as its sequels, "Roxanne," "Punchline," "Hudson Hawk," "Sister Act," "Speed," "Multiplicity," "My Giant," "Bowfinger," "The Score" and "Joe Somebody."
He served as president of the Art Directors Guild for three years, from 1999 to 2002.
JAY RABINOWITZ, A.C.E., (Editor) a longtime collaborator with film director Jim Jarmusch, has worked with him on "Night on Earth," "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" (also as music editor), "Dead Man," "Year of the Horse," "Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet" and the 2003 production of "Coffee and Cigarettes."
He also served as editor on such films as "Jimmy Hollywood," "Affliction," "Requiem for a Dream" (for which he was also the music editor) and "8 Mile," among others. He edited "Homicide: The Movie" in 2000 and worked on the television series of the same name in the 1990s. One of his most recent projects was as editor and music editor of "Bomb the System," a 2003 indie film that explores graffiti art in New York City.
ANN ROTH's (Costume Designer) distinguished career spans forty years of work on some of the industry's most memorable and high-profile films. She won an Academy AwardR in 1997 for "The English Patient" and has been nominated for OscarsR on three other films: "The Hours," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Places in the Heart." In 2002, she was presented with the Costume Designers Guild's honorary Career Achievement for Film Award.
Roth first began working as a scenery painter for the Pittsburgh Opera, but met legendary costume designer Irene Sharaff, who invited her to come work with her in California on such films as "A Star is Born" and "The King and I."
Her first solo costume design job was on "The World of Henry Orient" in 1964, and her abundant list of subsequent credits includes "Midnight Cowboy," "Klute," "The Day of the Locust," "The Goodbye Girl," "Coming Home," "California Suite," "Hair," "Jagged Edge," "Dressed to Kill," "Nine to Five," "The World According to Garp," "Bonfire of the Vanities," "Sabrina," "Finding Forrester," "Signs," "Adaptation" (Meryl Streep) and "The Hours."
Among her closest associations are those with Mike Nichols and Neil Simon, whom she first worked with on the Broadway production of "The Odd Couple." Her longtime relationship with director Mike Nichols began with "Silkwood," and includes "Heartburn," "Biloxi Blues," "Postcards from the Edge," "Regarding Henry," "Wolf," "The Birdcage," "Primary Colors," "What Planet Are You From?" "Wit" and the HBO miniseries "Angels in America."
Her collaboration with Simon extended to his plays "The Star-Spangled Girl" and "They're Playing Our Song," as well as such films as "Murder by Death," "The Goodbye Girl," "California Suite" and the remake of "The Out-of-Towners."
Her most recent projects include "Cold Mountain," for Anthony Minghella and the upcoming films "The Village," for director M. Night Shyamalan and "Closer," for Mike Nichols.
Roth created the costumes for the 74th Academy AwardsR presentation.
Last year, RANDALL POSTER (Music Supervisor) supervised the music in "The School of Rock," which spawned the Grammy-nominated soundtrack album. He also supervised the music on "Zoolander" and "The Royal Tenenbaums," and he will also supervise the music in Wes Anderson's upcoming "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."
Other recent credits include "Starsky & Hutch," "Along Came Polly" and "Mona Lisa Smile."
A veteran of critically acclaimed independent films as well as studio movies, Poster was the music supervisor on such films as "Rushmore," "Old School," "Kids," "Boys Don't Cry," "Meet the Parents" and "Velvet Goldmine," among others.
DAVID ARNOLD (Composer) has scored the music for many major motion pictures. He has been the composer for director Lee Tamahori's "Die Another Day," Roger Michell's "Changing Lanes" and Ben Stiller's "Zoolander." A frequent collaborator with directors Michael Apted, Roland Emmerich and John Singleton, Arnold scored Apted's "Enough" and "The World is Not Enough"; Emmerich's "Godzilla," "Stargate" and "Independence Day"; and Singleton's "Baby Boy," "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "Shaft."
Arnold won the Ivor Novello Award for the Best Film Score in 2000 for "The World is Not Enough," and the talented composer won the 1997 Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, for "Independence Day."
His other credits as composer include "Tomorrow Never Dies," for director Roger Spottiswoode and "The Musketeer," for director Peter Hyams.
In addition to his film score work, Arnold has written and produced records for many contemporary artists, including Bjork, Iggy Pop, Damien Rice, Aimee Mann, The Propellerheads, Leftfield, Chrissie Hynde, Garbage, kd lang, Scott Walker and Pulp, to name a few.
SCOTT SOUTER (Visual Effects Supervisor) began working with the renowned Tippett Studio in 1996 as technical director on "Starship Troopers." He worked on "Virus" and "Armageddon" and then moved into a senior role as the liaison between the art department and technical directors on "The Haunting." Subsequently, he developed visualizations for the "water man" and "smoke man" sequences in "Hollow Man." Souter became co-VFX Supervisor on "Cats & Dogs," and in 2001 and 2002, he served as VFX Supervisor on a series of elaborate commercials for Blockbuster Entertainment, the first of which aired at the Super Bowl. In 2002, Souter was the visual effects supervisor on "Men in Black 2" and later joined "The Matrix Revolutions" visual effects team.
Souter graduated from Claremont McKenna College and the University of Southern California in 1996 with a BA in management engineering and a BS in computer engineering with a minor in film, respectively.
Before joining Tippett Studio, FRANK PETZOLD (Visual Effects Supervisor)enjoyed a successful career in Germany as a cameraman specializing in shoots with visual effects components. In 1995, he joined the Tippett team as a plate producer, miniature shoot supervisor and technical director for "Starship Troopers." Over the next few years he worked in one or more of these capacities on "Virus," "My Favorite Martian," "Armageddon" and "Practical Magic." His knowledge of set lighting was invaluable to developing the TD department at Tippett Studio. With his background in traditional filmmaking and computer graphics, Petzold helped to create the studio's unique style, using a technique of marrying photographic and computer graphic elements together.
When "Komodo" started production, Petzold became the CG supervisor, in charge of look and lighting.
In 1999, he assisted on "The Haunting," and then advanced again to VFX supervisor for Universal Movie Magic and for the OscarR-nominated "Hollow Man." In 2001, he joined Phil Tippett as his co-VFX supervisor for "Evolution."
In 2002, Petzold led the highly successful Carl & Ray pet shop campaign for Blockbuster Entertainment as the visual effects supervisor. The first of six spots aired on the 2002 Super Bowl and three of the aired spots have garnered the studio four 2002 Clio awards.
After Blockbuster, Petzold went on to supervise Tippett Studio's contribution to Gore Verbinski's "The Ring," where he oversaw the creation of a CG horse, as well as a television spot for Capital One and D'Arcy Advertising, New York.
In 2003, Petzold joined Scott Souter to co-supervise all of the visual effects for "The Stepford Wives." Together, they led a crew of more than 40 artists completing the 125 shots for the movie's release.
Petzold is a member of the Visual Effects Society.
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