The Witches of Eastwick

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) is set in a small New England town. Three friends: one widowed, one abandoned, one divorced. Drinking one evening, they describe their ideal man. The next day a man called Daryl Van Horne arrives in town with everything all three described. Without knowing it, they have summoned him. The source is John Updike's 1984 novel. George Miller directed, his first major Hollywood production after the Mad Max films. The production was contentious and the casting was at the centre of it. Anjelica Huston had been considered for Alexandra and had screen tested with Michelle Pfeiffer. When Cher joined the cast she insisted on playing Alexandra rather than the part she had been given. The producers agreed, and Susan Sarandon only learned her role had changed on the day she arrived on location to shoot. Jack Nicholson came in after Bill Murray left, expressing interest through his then partner Anjelica Huston. Filming was to have taken place in Little Compton, Rhode Island. When involving the town's church caused controversy, Warner Bros. moved the production to Massachusetts, using Cohasset, Marblehead and Scituate. It cost 22 million dollars and grossed 103 million worldwide. Reviews were mixed; Nicholson was praised while many critics wrote that the second half spiralled into absurdity. It runs 118 minutes. Good for: black comedy, Jack Nicholson, and eighties production design. Less good for: the second half turns into an effects showcase and the women's story falls behind. The vomiting scene is long and disgusting. The social criticism in Updike's novel is largely absent.