The Witches of Eastwick

There is something about late ‘80s/early ‘90s comedies. An unidentifiable appeal or aesthetic that just draws me to them. Maybe it’s the central trio of fantastic casting choices like in The First Wives Club, or maybe it’s the earthy way in which these movies tend to be shot; a sort of un-scrubbed, un-Hollywood type of way. Regardless of the reason, I was recently pulled towards The Witches of Eastwick; a quirky adaptation of John Updike’s book, which I just finished reading and absolutely adored, featuring an incredible cast of Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer! 

A bit of a loose adaptation of the book, it tells the story of Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Sarandon), and Suki (Pfeiffer), three divorced women living in a small New England town and dreaming of Mr. Right. One night they speak aloud all their desires for the perfect man and suddenly a charismatic stranger (Nicholson) moves in to town. As he startlingly fulfils each woman’s romantic fantasy, the three start to notice horrible things happening throughout the town. Is dreamy Darryl van Horne truly the perfect guy, or have the girls unconsciously conjured a devil? 

While the movie isn’t a close adaptation of the book, it definitely captures Updike’s quirkiness and mischievous tone; eradicating certain story parts, but highlighting others and making them more captivating (sometimes in a cringing and gruesome way). Much like the book, the film actually keeps you guessing as to what sort of genre it really is because whilst it does begin as something of a strange magical comedy like Groundhog Day, it suddenly takes a turn into comedy/horror territory with a few zealously religious characters and one or two expulsion scenes that could rival The Exorcist. The weird fusion of the two subgenres of unexplained-magical-romantic-comedy and religious-horror-movie, whilst a little cumbersome and not quite as polished as some of today’s genre blends, still manages to successfully create the weird and quirky tone of the film, which is what keeps you watching. 

As can be expected from such a brilliant cast, the performances are all great, though admittedly I think Cher fell a little bit into the backseat, as did Pfeiffer. Sarandon’s performance is interesting because she’s the one that really goes through a viewable transformation from timid wallflower to smouldering sex kitten. But beyond any doubt, Nicholson is the star of the show! A bit of a cross between insane Jack in The Shining and maniacal Joker in Batman, which admittedly was two years to come, Nicholson is charming, charismatic, narcissistic, hilarious, and sometimes frightening. He’s Jack Nicholson; who doesn’t love Jack Nicholson!? 

As with any ‘80s movie dealing with supernatural themes that require computer wizardry, the CGI is pretty terrible, adding somewhat to the horror element of the movie. Thankfully, there is only one scene in which it takes centre stage; the rest is just solid achievements in makeup and prosthetics. 

You can draw whatever meaning you like from the ending, as you can come to your own conclusions about what the movie is saying about the institution of family and community. Regardless, The Witches of Eastwick, whilst being quite different from the book, is still a fun and quirky ‘80s movie that is worth the watch if you like the cast or are interested in the story. 

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright, Richard Jenkins, Keith Jochim, Helen Lloyd Breed, and Carel Struycken 

Rating: M