Eve and the Snake: A Review of "The Witches of Eastwick"

In the small American town of Eastwick, where Christian values of morality and family life serve as the law, strange and violent events begin to occur with the arrival of a new, big city, millionaire charmer by the name of Darrell Van Horn (Nicholson). His entrance is seemingly brought on by the wish of three single women, who are supposedly Witches (played by Cher, Pfeiffer and Sarandon), who can make anything happen by wishing it at the same time. Soon we see Van Horn seducing and having a polygamous relationship with the three witches, which leads to happiness, laughter and disaster. Who exactly is this Van Horn character and is this the beginning of a new era in family values?



Like its other 80�s contemporaries, such as Working Girl and Fatal Attraction, The Witches of Eastwick doubles as a social commentary on the state of women in a male dominated society, as well as a simple point A to point B story. Here, the focus is on the new breed of middle aged single women, who can be mothers and career women and still have time for a cocktail at the end of the day, without the need for a providing husband.



While the film does work as a thought inducing critique on the perception of modern women and the men who have always tried to exploit them, as a whole, it lacks focus. At various points it tries to be a thriller, a satire and a serious look at modern America, but director George Miller never really manages to blend these different tones into one cohesive whole. As a result, the film seems a little confused. On the plus side though the whole cast give fantastic performances, especially Nicholson and Sarandon, who clearly seem to be having more fun playing their mischievous roles than others and the film does have quite a few dark �laugh out loud� moments.



For those of you looking for a fun, camp eighties movie, it might be a better idea for you to revisit Working Girl or Overboard, since you will clearly be disappointed by this picture. Fans of Nicholson and �Gurrrl Power�(in it�s most radical sense) should definitely check this one out.