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Craig Younkin
Box Office Controversy: The Stepford Wives
By Lee Tistaert Published June 11, 2004
This year barely any films have aimed at the adult audience to a significant extent, and this is the first movie that has offered such an ensemble cast that could sizzle with the right script.
If you were to ask someone if they wanted to see The Stepford Wives, the remake of the 1975 movie, the answer might be no. The trailer isn?t that funny and despite the strong ensemble cast, it feels as if the movie might be struggling for a consistent tone. When it comes to estimating its box office debut, I?ve seen predictors' weekend forecasts range from $10 - 18 million based off the observations already noted, even in 3,057 theaters.
However, over time I?ve tried to crack down on who is saying what regarding what movies. It is one thing to say that a movie doesn?t look that good, but if you are not in the target audience then one?s opinion might not matter, thus making that opinion biased compared to the general ratio. My general feeling is that most people (mostly on online message boards) who are saying that Stepford Wives doesn?t look that good are between the ages of 17 and 25 (more or less). On the average week movies that open are targeted toward that young demographic, and on some occasions it might be useful to listen to those comments to have more of a universal state of mind (box office wise).
But with Stepford Wives, there?s a pretty strong chance that its audience is going to be in the 35 ? 65-year old bracket (and dominantly women), an age group whose opinions rarely coincide with those of young people. Some young demographics are willing to see anything that opens in theaters, whereas the older demographics usually wait for a film that has a bigger chance of being good or ?different.? Stepford Wives might not be generally appealing to young crowds, but does it need to be to achieve a box office hit status?
In a general year there?s usually a big gap in time when movies don?t target the over-30 crowd to a significant extent. And then once a film does arrive, breaking the pattern, the movie sometimes triumphs at the box office. This has been proven with releases like The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (though on a smaller scale in this situation), which had an ensemble cast aimed at adult women and senior citizens (the latter group being an age that rarely attends mainstream movie theaters). Ya-Ya didn?t have big marquee names attached, but its names were familiar enough to open the movie to $16.2 million in 2,507 theaters, averaging $6,448 per-screen.
This box office pattern was proven once again with the release of Under the Tuscan Sun, Diane Lane?s cutesy breakout movie (after Unfaithful had put her on the map). Though she?s in her late 30?s, Lane attracted moviegoers in her age bracket as well as in their senior age range (though the film had the advantage of being based off a novel). The comedy scored a $9.8 million opening weekend, though it only played in 1,226 theaters, averaging a very impressive $7,954 per-screen. Ya-Ya Sisterhood has a darker tone, whereas Tuscan Sun has more of a light-hearted mood, which made the latter release a slightly easier sell to a broader audience.
In July of 2001, America?s Sweethearts opened to $30.2 million, averaging $10,024 per-screen. With an ensemble cast including Julia Roberts (though in a co-starring role), Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack, and brief appearances by Hank Azaria and Christopher Walken, the comedy tapped into a demographic that hadn?t been served in a while. The flick managed to attract an audience in their 30?s and even up into their 60?s and 70?s.
When I watch the trailer for The Stepford Wives it feels as if I?ve seen 75% of the movie already, which leads me to question if I actually want to see it ? I?m willing to, considering the cast and director. However, this film is targeted at an audience that doesn?t always take the bait when new releases are out, either because they don?t know enough about a movie or just aren?t interested.
Many would?ve argued back when Paramount released Double Jeopardy that its ads were too spoiler-heavy, spelling out every plot note, even the ending. This marketing tactic made box office analysts wonder if this movie was going anywhere, as the story?s outcome was a no-brainer. The Ashley Judd thriller ended up grossing $23.1 million in its opening weekend, averaging a stellar $9,057 per-screen for such a predictable, simple story. The beauty of that ad-campaign was that women had a craving to see a female character get back at her deceiving husband who?d do such a thing, and that spoiled expectation from the ads increased their desire.
With Stepford Wives, a good chunk of the movie might be presented in the trailer, but it?s also aimed at an audience that wants to be assured of what they are walking into. This demographic doesn?t often like surprises, and so if the trailer lays out a lot of information they have a lot of insight as to whether it will be worth their time. Stepford Wives might not come off as that entertaining or funny to young demographics, but to older moviegoers who admire the cast, this flick can appear to be a cute fun time, a description that sells.
Some people are using box office comparisons like The Others, Bowfinger, and The Score as key tools in figuring out Stepford?s opening weekend chances, all three of which are good examples. However, it is always important to look at the scenario in two ways. The Others might have only grossed $14.1 million in its debut, but that was from only 1,678 theaters, making its per-screen average of $8,396 quite impressive for Nicole Kidman being on her own. The film had the benefit of being a spooky story (a genre that usually sells to some extent), but the actress? presence surely brought in an extra demographic that probably wouldn?t have showed up otherwise.
Bowfinger opened in August of 1999 to the tune of $18.1 million, averaging a nice $6,700 per-screen in 2,700 theaters. Like Stepford, the comedy was directed by Frank Oz, but despite starring Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, Bowfinger wasn?t a sizzling product. The film?s ad-campaign might have been amusing, but its exclusive Hollywood-oriented story would only sell to so many people who would ?get? the in-jokes or care about them to begin with. The project was aimed more so at intellectual filmgoers who liked Martin?s slanted sense of humor than those who attend theaters on a regular basis for lighter entertainment pieces. And at the time, Martin was not a marquee name like he recently achieved with Bringing Down the House?s debut.
The Score, Frank Oz?s 2001 heist picture, opened to $19.0 million, though it averaged $8,933 per-screen from 2,129 theaters. The thriller offered a to-die-for cast, bringing Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, and the up-and-coming Edward Norton together for the first time. Even if the story wasn?t all that fascinating, moviegoers were killing to see these talents bounce off each another in their performances. The Score was also advertised as a smart and serious film, a relief after some of the sour career moves Brando and DeNiro had made since their acclaimed acting days.
In 1996, a similar to-die-for ensemble featuring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton stormed the screen with the comedy, The 1st Wives Club, heavily aimed at adult women over 30. In 1,922 theaters, the movie opened to $18.9 million, averaging roughly $9,800 per-screen; with ticket price inflation since then, Wives? gross would be $26.8 million today (The Day After Tomorrow debuted right in line with Independence Day in the same argument).
There has also been talk of bad pre-release buzz on The Stepford Wives, with an online New York Post article revealing the hellish conditions that arose on set. Apparently some of its actors were a little ticked off with the screenplay, and some of their egos got big enough that they engaged in heated arguments regarding what tone the movie should possess. I?ve heard comments that such a news report could kill any box office chances the movie had.
But my view on this topic is much like my view when movies get mediocre or poor reviews from critics. There is a group of people who do follow up on this pre-release buzz, but generally speaking it is an extremely small film group ? most people who go to movies don?t know what kind of buzz a film may have been carrying (unless the media had fun exploiting that).
Similarly, when a movie receives mixed or negative reviews, a comment that is often brought about is that the film might perform modestly or even poorly. My favorite argument is when people mention the review web-site, Rotten Tomatoes, as core evidence on box office. If you actually figured out the number of people who go to movies regularly or even in general out in the world, versus the amount who visit that web-site on a weekly basis, the latter is very few.
Critics are also harder on movies than mainstream moviegoers ? just because a critic dislikes something doesn?t mean another person will agree with him/her. Critics often hope that films have material beneath the surface or convey originality to some extent, while moviegoers don?t always care about either aspect ? if it?s entertaining or at least diverting, the movie works for them. The 1st Wives Club received reviews that were far from glowing, though if you asked audiences nationwide (the comedy grossed $105.4 million domestically, proving its word of mouth) the critics were uptight, though a problem might have been with the film?s exclusive aim at women.
One thing that has served as a box office guide for me is noting what movies play at what local theaters ? one area, Westwood, has always been a very good indicator. The factor that counters my argument is that I expected The Stepford Wives was going to be booked at the second largest theater (1100 seats) in that area. The Birdcage ($18.3 million - $9,372 per-screen) and The 1st Wives Club ($18.9 million - $9,844 per-screen) opened there, and so did Mean Girls ($24.4 million - $8,634 per-screen), What Women Want ($33.6 million - $11,160 per-screen), and Runaway Bride ($35.1 million - $10,907 per-screen).
Stepford Wives is instead playing at the third biggest theater there, offering 680 seats. Within the movie?s genre, this venue has played Something?s Gotta Give ($16.1 million - $6,012 per-screen), You?ve Got Mail ($18.4 million - $6,841 per-screen), Shallow Hal ($22.5 million - $8,210 per-screen), and Me, Myself & Irene ($24.2 million - $8,019 per-screen). The theater has never played a comedy that scored a high $20?s debut, though it has played kids? movies of that height ? the original Spy Kids grossed $26.6 million ($8,552 per-screen), and Dr. Dolittle 2 grossed $29.0 million ($10,479 per-screen).
When I had predicted Stuck on You to open to $20 million, I was surprised that it was going to a theater that usually plays movies coming off Westwood's bigger theater runs (there have only been a handful of films that have opened well at this theater). When I was at that theater on opening night with fewer than 200 people in attendance (of 560 seats), I knew the movie was doomed.
Something?s Gotta Give might be a comparison for Stepford, but there are two factors that keep me away from its box office territory: the cast and story (of Gotta Give). The one mistake some people (including I) made with that Nancy Meyers comedy was failing to realize that its trailer was not all that special. The ad lacked highlight scenes to make the romantic comedy look different or unique. There was the scene with Nicholson reacting to Keaton?s naked body which was definitely amusing, but the ad-campaign suggested that this was not going to be anything too out of the ordinary in terms of comedy (we probably would?ve seen some pretty funny scenes advertised otherwise).
Something?s Gotta Give was also more of an older people?s movie, whereas What Women Want had a cast that appealed to rather young moviegoers as well. I also don?t think there was a big rush to see a movie where Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton were predictably going to be together at the end after all the chaos. The story appeared to be simple and formulaic, while What Women Want presented an original concept and a memorable ad-campaign.
When I saw the trailer for The Stepford Wives in front of The Ladykillers ($12.6 million - $7,981 per-screen) back in March on its opening weekend, the crowd mostly consisted of 40+ aged moviegoers, and the men-to-women ratio was fairly even. The crowd seemed enchanted by Wives? cast as each actor was introduced, and there were chuckles when the preview concluded.
Regardless of how good Stepford Wives is, the film boasts a very impressive cast. Nicole Kidman is very well admired amongst adult women and Matthew Broderick has become a big name after the success of The Producers (after a break in time when he wasn?t that favored anymore). Christopher Walken should also pose as a solid reason to see the flick for adults across the board, and Bette Midler and Glenn Close are likely to be magnets for older women.
Some are pegging The Stepford Wives as a dark comedy (a genre that is very tough to sell in the marketplace), but the trailer presents the film as more of a quirky comedy with a sci-fi touch, a combination that could prove to be appealing to its age group. The ad may not be that funny, but sometimes all a movie needs to do is come off as ?cute? to its demographic and the ticket sales come in. This year barely any films have aimed at the adult audience to a significant extent, and this is the first movie that has offered such an ensemble cast that could sizzle with the right script. Critics might not care too much about the feature, but that doesn?t mean mainstream moviegoers won?t.
The higher end of forecasts (amongst predictors) is around $21 million for The Stepford Wives? debut, which is the lower range of my prediction. Yes, there is a chance that this movie will make me look like a madman once again (and some of you are probably hoping that happens, understandably) if it opens to under $20 million (or even bombs), but Stepford Wives just feels like that one film that could finally give adults something to see. Should it so happen that I went overboard on this one, so be it, but I think there?s hope in the movie?s fate.
However, over time I?ve tried to crack down on who is saying what regarding what movies. It is one thing to say that a movie doesn?t look that good, but if you are not in the target audience then one?s opinion might not matter, thus making that opinion biased compared to the general ratio. My general feeling is that most people (mostly on online message boards) who are saying that Stepford Wives doesn?t look that good are between the ages of 17 and 25 (more or less). On the average week movies that open are targeted toward that young demographic, and on some occasions it might be useful to listen to those comments to have more of a universal state of mind (box office wise).
But with Stepford Wives, there?s a pretty strong chance that its audience is going to be in the 35 ? 65-year old bracket (and dominantly women), an age group whose opinions rarely coincide with those of young people. Some young demographics are willing to see anything that opens in theaters, whereas the older demographics usually wait for a film that has a bigger chance of being good or ?different.? Stepford Wives might not be generally appealing to young crowds, but does it need to be to achieve a box office hit status?
In a general year there?s usually a big gap in time when movies don?t target the over-30 crowd to a significant extent. And then once a film does arrive, breaking the pattern, the movie sometimes triumphs at the box office. This has been proven with releases like The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (though on a smaller scale in this situation), which had an ensemble cast aimed at adult women and senior citizens (the latter group being an age that rarely attends mainstream movie theaters). Ya-Ya didn?t have big marquee names attached, but its names were familiar enough to open the movie to $16.2 million in 2,507 theaters, averaging $6,448 per-screen.
This box office pattern was proven once again with the release of Under the Tuscan Sun, Diane Lane?s cutesy breakout movie (after Unfaithful had put her on the map). Though she?s in her late 30?s, Lane attracted moviegoers in her age bracket as well as in their senior age range (though the film had the advantage of being based off a novel). The comedy scored a $9.8 million opening weekend, though it only played in 1,226 theaters, averaging a very impressive $7,954 per-screen. Ya-Ya Sisterhood has a darker tone, whereas Tuscan Sun has more of a light-hearted mood, which made the latter release a slightly easier sell to a broader audience.
In July of 2001, America?s Sweethearts opened to $30.2 million, averaging $10,024 per-screen. With an ensemble cast including Julia Roberts (though in a co-starring role), Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack, and brief appearances by Hank Azaria and Christopher Walken, the comedy tapped into a demographic that hadn?t been served in a while. The flick managed to attract an audience in their 30?s and even up into their 60?s and 70?s.
When I watch the trailer for The Stepford Wives it feels as if I?ve seen 75% of the movie already, which leads me to question if I actually want to see it ? I?m willing to, considering the cast and director. However, this film is targeted at an audience that doesn?t always take the bait when new releases are out, either because they don?t know enough about a movie or just aren?t interested.
Many would?ve argued back when Paramount released Double Jeopardy that its ads were too spoiler-heavy, spelling out every plot note, even the ending. This marketing tactic made box office analysts wonder if this movie was going anywhere, as the story?s outcome was a no-brainer. The Ashley Judd thriller ended up grossing $23.1 million in its opening weekend, averaging a stellar $9,057 per-screen for such a predictable, simple story. The beauty of that ad-campaign was that women had a craving to see a female character get back at her deceiving husband who?d do such a thing, and that spoiled expectation from the ads increased their desire.
With Stepford Wives, a good chunk of the movie might be presented in the trailer, but it?s also aimed at an audience that wants to be assured of what they are walking into. This demographic doesn?t often like surprises, and so if the trailer lays out a lot of information they have a lot of insight as to whether it will be worth their time. Stepford Wives might not come off as that entertaining or funny to young demographics, but to older moviegoers who admire the cast, this flick can appear to be a cute fun time, a description that sells.
Some people are using box office comparisons like The Others, Bowfinger, and The Score as key tools in figuring out Stepford?s opening weekend chances, all three of which are good examples. However, it is always important to look at the scenario in two ways. The Others might have only grossed $14.1 million in its debut, but that was from only 1,678 theaters, making its per-screen average of $8,396 quite impressive for Nicole Kidman being on her own. The film had the benefit of being a spooky story (a genre that usually sells to some extent), but the actress? presence surely brought in an extra demographic that probably wouldn?t have showed up otherwise.
Bowfinger opened in August of 1999 to the tune of $18.1 million, averaging a nice $6,700 per-screen in 2,700 theaters. Like Stepford, the comedy was directed by Frank Oz, but despite starring Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, Bowfinger wasn?t a sizzling product. The film?s ad-campaign might have been amusing, but its exclusive Hollywood-oriented story would only sell to so many people who would ?get? the in-jokes or care about them to begin with. The project was aimed more so at intellectual filmgoers who liked Martin?s slanted sense of humor than those who attend theaters on a regular basis for lighter entertainment pieces. And at the time, Martin was not a marquee name like he recently achieved with Bringing Down the House?s debut.
The Score, Frank Oz?s 2001 heist picture, opened to $19.0 million, though it averaged $8,933 per-screen from 2,129 theaters. The thriller offered a to-die-for cast, bringing Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, and the up-and-coming Edward Norton together for the first time. Even if the story wasn?t all that fascinating, moviegoers were killing to see these talents bounce off each another in their performances. The Score was also advertised as a smart and serious film, a relief after some of the sour career moves Brando and DeNiro had made since their acclaimed acting days.
In 1996, a similar to-die-for ensemble featuring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton stormed the screen with the comedy, The 1st Wives Club, heavily aimed at adult women over 30. In 1,922 theaters, the movie opened to $18.9 million, averaging roughly $9,800 per-screen; with ticket price inflation since then, Wives? gross would be $26.8 million today (The Day After Tomorrow debuted right in line with Independence Day in the same argument).
There has also been talk of bad pre-release buzz on The Stepford Wives, with an online New York Post article revealing the hellish conditions that arose on set. Apparently some of its actors were a little ticked off with the screenplay, and some of their egos got big enough that they engaged in heated arguments regarding what tone the movie should possess. I?ve heard comments that such a news report could kill any box office chances the movie had.
But my view on this topic is much like my view when movies get mediocre or poor reviews from critics. There is a group of people who do follow up on this pre-release buzz, but generally speaking it is an extremely small film group ? most people who go to movies don?t know what kind of buzz a film may have been carrying (unless the media had fun exploiting that).
Similarly, when a movie receives mixed or negative reviews, a comment that is often brought about is that the film might perform modestly or even poorly. My favorite argument is when people mention the review web-site, Rotten Tomatoes, as core evidence on box office. If you actually figured out the number of people who go to movies regularly or even in general out in the world, versus the amount who visit that web-site on a weekly basis, the latter is very few.
Critics are also harder on movies than mainstream moviegoers ? just because a critic dislikes something doesn?t mean another person will agree with him/her. Critics often hope that films have material beneath the surface or convey originality to some extent, while moviegoers don?t always care about either aspect ? if it?s entertaining or at least diverting, the movie works for them. The 1st Wives Club received reviews that were far from glowing, though if you asked audiences nationwide (the comedy grossed $105.4 million domestically, proving its word of mouth) the critics were uptight, though a problem might have been with the film?s exclusive aim at women.
One thing that has served as a box office guide for me is noting what movies play at what local theaters ? one area, Westwood, has always been a very good indicator. The factor that counters my argument is that I expected The Stepford Wives was going to be booked at the second largest theater (1100 seats) in that area. The Birdcage ($18.3 million - $9,372 per-screen) and The 1st Wives Club ($18.9 million - $9,844 per-screen) opened there, and so did Mean Girls ($24.4 million - $8,634 per-screen), What Women Want ($33.6 million - $11,160 per-screen), and Runaway Bride ($35.1 million - $10,907 per-screen).
Stepford Wives is instead playing at the third biggest theater there, offering 680 seats. Within the movie?s genre, this venue has played Something?s Gotta Give ($16.1 million - $6,012 per-screen), You?ve Got Mail ($18.4 million - $6,841 per-screen), Shallow Hal ($22.5 million - $8,210 per-screen), and Me, Myself & Irene ($24.2 million - $8,019 per-screen). The theater has never played a comedy that scored a high $20?s debut, though it has played kids? movies of that height ? the original Spy Kids grossed $26.6 million ($8,552 per-screen), and Dr. Dolittle 2 grossed $29.0 million ($10,479 per-screen).
When I had predicted Stuck on You to open to $20 million, I was surprised that it was going to a theater that usually plays movies coming off Westwood's bigger theater runs (there have only been a handful of films that have opened well at this theater). When I was at that theater on opening night with fewer than 200 people in attendance (of 560 seats), I knew the movie was doomed.
Something?s Gotta Give might be a comparison for Stepford, but there are two factors that keep me away from its box office territory: the cast and story (of Gotta Give). The one mistake some people (including I) made with that Nancy Meyers comedy was failing to realize that its trailer was not all that special. The ad lacked highlight scenes to make the romantic comedy look different or unique. There was the scene with Nicholson reacting to Keaton?s naked body which was definitely amusing, but the ad-campaign suggested that this was not going to be anything too out of the ordinary in terms of comedy (we probably would?ve seen some pretty funny scenes advertised otherwise).
Something?s Gotta Give was also more of an older people?s movie, whereas What Women Want had a cast that appealed to rather young moviegoers as well. I also don?t think there was a big rush to see a movie where Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton were predictably going to be together at the end after all the chaos. The story appeared to be simple and formulaic, while What Women Want presented an original concept and a memorable ad-campaign.
When I saw the trailer for The Stepford Wives in front of The Ladykillers ($12.6 million - $7,981 per-screen) back in March on its opening weekend, the crowd mostly consisted of 40+ aged moviegoers, and the men-to-women ratio was fairly even. The crowd seemed enchanted by Wives? cast as each actor was introduced, and there were chuckles when the preview concluded.
Regardless of how good Stepford Wives is, the film boasts a very impressive cast. Nicole Kidman is very well admired amongst adult women and Matthew Broderick has become a big name after the success of The Producers (after a break in time when he wasn?t that favored anymore). Christopher Walken should also pose as a solid reason to see the flick for adults across the board, and Bette Midler and Glenn Close are likely to be magnets for older women.
Some are pegging The Stepford Wives as a dark comedy (a genre that is very tough to sell in the marketplace), but the trailer presents the film as more of a quirky comedy with a sci-fi touch, a combination that could prove to be appealing to its age group. The ad may not be that funny, but sometimes all a movie needs to do is come off as ?cute? to its demographic and the ticket sales come in. This year barely any films have aimed at the adult audience to a significant extent, and this is the first movie that has offered such an ensemble cast that could sizzle with the right script. Critics might not care too much about the feature, but that doesn?t mean mainstream moviegoers won?t.
The higher end of forecasts (amongst predictors) is around $21 million for The Stepford Wives? debut, which is the lower range of my prediction. Yes, there is a chance that this movie will make me look like a madman once again (and some of you are probably hoping that happens, understandably) if it opens to under $20 million (or even bombs), but Stepford Wives just feels like that one film that could finally give adults something to see. Should it so happen that I went overboard on this one, so be it, but I think there?s hope in the movie?s fate.
