THE STEPFORD CHILDREN
US, 1987, 96 minutes, Colour.
Arthur Hill, Don Johnson, Sharon Gless, Richard Anderson, Don Murray, Barbara Eden, Tammy Lauren, James Coco, James Staley, Pat Corley, Randall Batinkoff, John Cameron Mitchell.
Directed by Alan J. Levi.
The Stepford Children is the third in a series which began with the film version of Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives, written by William Goldman and directed by Bryan Forbes. There was a telemovie, The Revenge of the Stepford Wives, which virtually repeated the plot of the original. In the sequel, Arthur Hill, from the original, gets his comeuppance, especially at the hands of Sharon Gless. Don Johnson is her self-centred husband.
The third film repeats the plot of the original but transfers it to the children of Stepford. Once again there is the men's club with its old-fashioned American attitudes. There are the subservient doll-like wives who are robots. There are the high school kids who are transformed into clones of '50s attitudes.
Don Murray is the husband who wants his family to return to Stepford. Richard Anderson takes the Arthur Hill part as the sinister presider over Stepford and its transforming the women and children into robots. Barbara Eden is the heroine who confronts the Stepford men.
The basic idea was an interesting and exciting one in terms of science fiction - and it is transferred quite well here to the children.
1. The interest in The Stepford Wives? The sequels and their value? From the 1970s to the '80s?
2. The basic plot, '80s and the repetition of the plot and the application to the children?
3. The town of Stepford and its style? American apple pie town? The men's club, The glamorous and subservient women, the old-fashioned high school? Children? Special effects? musical score?
4. The husband, a widower, the truth about his life in Stepford, and the death of his wife, his decision to take the family to Stepford? The planning, the arrival, the meeting of friends, the clash with his children, his wife's career? The fights in the house, the pressure on him to transform the family? The accidents and his reaction? The visits to the men's club? His daughter and the transformation? The attack on his wife? His final destruction?
5. The wife, busy, career, legal skills, the decision to go, her love for her husband, her children? The arrival in Stepford and her suspicions, the encounter with the people, setting up her practice? Her friend and the vigour of the jogging, the conversation? her reaction to the change? Preparing the kids for school? Their reactions? The confrontation of her husband? The accident? Her decision to investigate? The finale and the explosions, the escape?
5. The son and daughter and their style, New York, going to Stepford, school and, fashions, the old style response, the son and his girlfriend and her vigour, the visit to the house, outings? Suspicion?
6. The build-up to the escape, the accident, seeing her as a robot, in hospital? The daughter and her relationship with her father, being taken out, taken to the finale in the laboratory? The escape?
7. The men, their philosophy of life, their sense of order, the American way, controlling? Turning humans into robots?
8. The children of Stepford, at school, clothes, manners, way of speaking, the dance, the rock and roll and its upsetting them? The cliches? The recording and the repetition of phrases?
9. The effect of the changes on the various children? On the wives of Stepford?
10. The build-up to the confrontation, the men, the pursuit, the laboratory exploding?
11. Contemporary science fiction and fantasy? Contemporary themes about the quality of life?
