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The Witches of Eastwick (film)

From Alfawiki
The Witches of Eastwick
Company typeFilm
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1987; 39 years ago (1987)
FounderGeorge Miller (director)
ProductsFilm

The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 American dark fantasy comedy film helmed by director George Miller, adapted from the 1984 novel by John Updike. The movie features performances by Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon.

The narrative follows three women who unknowingly constitute a coven of witches, whose lives are disrupted by an enigmatic man who courts each of them. The film achieved commercial success, earning $103 million against a $22 million production budget. Critics lauded the acting—particularly Nicholson's portrayal—while pointing out certain flaws in the storyline.

Plot

In the town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, Alexandra Medford, Jane Spofford, and Sukie Ridgemont are three women dissatisfied with their lives. Alexandra is a sculptor and single mother; Jane is a divorced music instructor who cannot have children; Sukie writes a column and has six offspring. Unbeknownst to them, their regular gatherings form an informal witch coven.

Daryl Van Horne, a mysterious stranger, purchases the Lenox Mansion, stirring curiosity and suspicion from Felicia Alden, wife of Sukie's employer. Daryl proceeds to seduce each woman individually, awakening their latent magical abilities amid escalating social unrest fueled by Felicia’s gossip.

Following rising tensions, Felicia mysteriously dies after vomiting cherry pits—a symptom Daryl later exhibits—prompting the women to distance themselves from him. In retaliation, Daryl manipulates their fears until they reunite and realize all three are pregnant.

Employing voodoo magic through a doll crafted from Daryl’s hair and wax, the witches inflict pain on him, forcing him into seclusion. When the doll breaks during a violent episode, Daryl transforms into a monstrous form but ultimately disappears after the witches destroy the doll.

Eighteen months later, the trio resides together in Daryl’s mansion with their newborn sons. When Daryl attempts to contact them via video screens seeking affection, they sever his access, asserting dominance over their powers and lives.

Cast

Casting

Jack Nicholson pursued the role of Daryl Van Horne with encouragement from then-partner Anjelica Huston, after original actor Bill Murray withdrew. Huston was considered for the role of Alexandra Medford and screen-tested alongside Michelle Pfeiffer (Sukie) and Amy Madigan (Jane). However, following an unsatisfactory audition, Huston was replaced by Cher. Cher advocated strongly for the role of Alexandra—a character initially assigned to Susan Sarandon. Consequently, Sarandon was recast as Jane without prior notification and only discovered this change upon arriving on set.

Filming

Originally slated for filming in Little Compton, Rhode Island, The Witches of Eastwick faced local opposition linked to the involvement of its Congregational church, prompting Warner Bros. to shift production to locations in Massachusetts. Principal photography commenced on July 14, 1986, lasting six weeks across Cohasset and nearby towns such as Marblehead and Scituate. The exterior shots of Lenox Mansion were filmed at Castle Hill in Ipswich; meanwhile, Boston's Wang Theatre lobby served as the main hall setting. Interior scenes were captured at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, with additional sets—like the swimming pool and Daryl’s library—constructed on Warner Bros.’ backlot.

Prior to filming, woodcarver Paul McCarthy was commissioned to create handcrafted wooden signs for various businesses featured in the movie, including The Eastwick Word, the newspaper where Michelle Pfeiffer's character worked.

An acclaimed documentary titled When the Witches Came to Town chronicles the film’s production process in Cohasset during the summer of 1986.

Music

The score for The Witches of Eastwick was both composed and conducted by John Williams. In 1987, Warner Bros. Records issued a soundtrack album featuring the film's music.

Critical response

Upon its debut, the movie garnered a range of reviews. It holds a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 93 critiques, with particular praise directed at Jack Nicholson's "decadent devilry." On Metacritic, the film achieved a score of 67 out of 100 from 11 reviewers, reflecting "generally favorable reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in a "B+" rating.

The Washington Post applauded the film for its flashy and unexpected moments, while Janet Maslin of The New York Times admired its "bright, flashy, exclamatory style." Variety described it as an "extremely funny and captivating setup."

Some reviewers believed the film's quality diminished toward the end. The Washington Post commented that it "lost its magic," and Time Out criticized the concluding 20 minutes for excessive special effects. Roger Ebert gave it three-and-a-half stars, remarking that although the finale was somewhat overdone, the narrative remained credible.

Nicholson’s portrayal was widely regarded as the film’s standout element. The Chicago Sun-Times emphasized his comedic skill and physical humor, while both The New York Times and Variety noted his commanding and uninhibited performance. Despite strong supporting roles from Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon, The Washington Post identified Nicholson as the unequivocal lead, also highlighting Veronica Cartwright’s particularly memorable scene-stealing act.

Ruth Crawford pointed out that the film’s fantasy aspects include an unrealistic depiction of a single mother juggling work alongside extravagant experiences in sex and magic, suggesting that many women might find such empowerment appealing if it were genuine.

Box office

In the United States and Canada, the movie earned $63.8 million. By November 30, 1987, international earnings reached $39.4 million, bringing the global total to over $103 million.

Accolades

The picture received two Academy Awards nominations: one for Best Original Score awarded to John Williams and another for Best Sound, but both were ultimately won by The Last Emperor. It secured a BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects and was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. John Williams earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Score and received a BMI Film Music Award.

Jack Nicholson won the Saturn Award for Best Actor, with the film obtaining six additional Saturn nominations including Best Fantasy Film, Best Actress (Susan Sarandon), Best Supporting Actress (Veronica Cartwright), Best Writing (Michael Cristofer), Best Music (John Williams), and Best Special Effects.

Nicholson also garnered Best Actor honors from both the New York Film Critics Circle (for this film along with Ironweed and Broadcast News) and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, sharing the latter award with Steve Martin for Roxanne.

Awarding body Award Nominee Result
Academy Awards Best Original Score John Williams Template:Nom
Best Sound Wayne Artman, Tom Beckert, Tom E. Dahl, Art Rochester Template:Nom
BAFTA Awards Best Special Visual Effects Michael Lantieri, Michael Owens, Ed Jones, Bruce Walters Template:Won
Grammy Awards Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score John Williams Template:Nom
Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation Template:Nom
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Actor Jack Nicholson Template:Won
(tied with Steve Martin)
New York Film Critics Circle Best Actor Template:Won
Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Template:Nom
Best Actor Jack Nicholson Template:Won
Best Actress Susan Sarandon Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actress Veronica Cartwright Template:Nom
Best Writing Michael Cristofer Template:Nom
Best Music John Williams Template:Nom
Best Special Effects Michael Lantieri Template:Nom


External links

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