In suburban America of the 50’s, the ideal family was one that conformed to the standards of the community and knew their neighbors well. Such families were hard working and took part in social events in the community and were often ready to lend a hand when needed.

      Times have changed and with many families headed by working parents, many families struggle to find the balance between career and family, as there never seems to be enough hours in the day to do it all.

      One such person is Joanna Eberhard (Nicole Kidman), the hottest Network President in New York. Joanna has it all, power, fame, the appreciation and respect of her peers, and the top network in the nation. Things take a turn for the worse for Joanna when a contestant from a reality show causes an incident that forces the network to replace Joanna, thus setting her into a wave of depression.

      Seeing this change in life as a chance to save their faltering marriage, Joanna’s husband Walter Kresby (Matthew Broderick), moves them and their two children to Stepford Connecticut to reside in an exclusive community. At first it seems idyllic as the community is filled with amazing houses, lavish parties, and plenty of interesting and friendly people.

      One such person is Bobbie Markowitz (Bette Midler), a writer who trades quips with the flamboyant Roger Bart (Roger Bannister), and finds amble humor in the wives of Stepford, who look like refugees from 50’s sitcoms and are so perky and perfect that it borders on nauseating.

      The quirky nature of the town soon begins to wear on Chase, and she suspects something is very wrong in the town when the people around her seem to change into bizarre parodies of themselves overnight.

      Before long, Joanna and Walter have to confront the town leader Mike (Christopher Walken), and learn the hidden secret of the town that threatens to unravel the existence of their new lives.

      Based on the popular novel by Ira Levin, Director Frank Oz has crafted a biting social commentary about the dangers of conformity and losing ones individuality. Kidman, Walken, and Midler are solid and Bannister gives a breakout performance as the flamboyant Roger, easily getting the best lines in the film. Broderick seems sadly miscast, as though a gifted performer, he comes across blandly and does not generate much interest from the audience. In many ways, his character is little more than a generic husband, and he is often reduced to mobile scenery in many films.

      The film loses steam in the second half as it starts to drag and the outcome carries on a bit long, with Glenn Close chewing the scenery as the film builds to the climax, which is largely under-whleming. It was obvious that there were segments edited in the finale as scenes lack cohesion and do not seem to be setup properly making the outcome seem slap dash. That being said, “The Stepford Wives” is an entertaining if flawed film, and you should have fun just as long as you do not expect too much.