The Stepford Children

Infobox Film
name = The Stepford Children


image_size = 200px
caption =
director = Alan J Levi
writer = Novel:
Ira Levin
Screenplay:
William Bleich
starring = Barbara Eden
Don Murray
Randall Batinkoff
Tammy Lauren
Richard Anderson
producer = Edgar J. Scherick (exec.)
Gary Hoffman
music = Joseph Conlan
cinematography = Stephen Shaw
editing = Michael Berman
distributor = NBC
Taft Entertainment Television
budget =
gross =
released = 15 March 1987 (USA)
runtime = 96 min.
country = United States
language = English
imdb_id = 0094036

"The Stepford Children" is the second of three made-for-television sequels to the 1975 cult film "The Stepford Wives". The film premiered on the NBC network on March 15th, 1987. The film was directed by Alan J. Levi and written by William Bleich.

Plot summary

Laura and Steven Harding(Barbara Eden and Don Murray) move with their children to the town of Stepford, Connecticut where Steven had lived with his first wife who had died mysteriously. While Laura is occupied with passing the Bar Exam, Steven is disturbed by their children, athletic but unfocused David (Randall Batinkoff) and free-spirited, music loving Mary (Tammy Lauren). Steven joins the Men's Association, which is still assimilating their wives into robots. This time, they have begun to turn their out of control teens into robots as well. Once they are assimilated, the children are obedient, homework loving, accomplished droids, but with little personality.

The Hardings befriend the Gregsons, Laura with sloppy and high-spirited mom Sandy (Sharon Spelman), and David dates their sly humored daughter Lois (Lois Barker) with whom he shares a love of motorcycles. Laura is confused when the principal discourages her plans to establish a PTA, and Mary feels unnerved by her passive classmates as well as (unknowingly) the methods used to collect her image, hair, body information for her double. At the school's Parents' Night, Laura becomes aware of the disconnect between her and Steven's parenting styles. She allows the children space while he has become obsessed with a perfect image.

The night of a dance, David, Mary, and Lois become suspicious when Sandy seemingly has changed, having become obsessed with cleaning and bundt cakes. They make the best of the dance, playing rock music--over the local choice of big band music--but cause a riot as the children awkwardly dance (never having been programed to dance freestyle). The kids are arrested, but released on Steven's and Mr. Gregson's vows to do something about the kids.

Lois calls David, upset, asking him to help her as all the men in town have gathered at her house and are "coming for her". They escape on their motorcycles, but Lois crashes when a car tries to run them off the road. David goes to the hospital where Lois lies entirely wrapped in bandages. When he sneaks into her room, he sees one of her limbs is missing in an unnatural manner as well as her vacant eyes, and he runs in fear.

The next day, Lois appears back to normal--but she is now a mindless cheerleader who dates a boy she previously had dismissed. David and Laura visit the Gregsons where she witnesses the change in Sandy as well. After an evening's "shopping trip" with dad, Laura finds Mary has also changed, discarding all her individuality. Laura digs open the grave of Steven's first wife, and finds an android in the coffin. Returning home, Laura learns Steven has taken David out for a "shopping trip" just before Mary's duplicate attacks Laura with a knife. Mary malfunctions in the scuffle and Laura escapes.

Laura goes to the Men's Association to find David; while investigating a greenhouse, she discovers the true Mary strapped to a table. (She has not yet been killed because her double is not yet perfected.) They are surrounded by Steven and the other Men's Club members as well as half-completed robots, who seem to have some organic material. Having escaped his father earlier, David bursts in on his motorcycle and causes a diversion, allowing Laura and Mary a reprieve. As the Hardings escape, damage to the machines causes an explosion which destroys the Men's Association, its members (including Steven) and the robots. Laura and the kids race out of town.

Cast

*Barbara Eden as "Laura Harding"
*Don Murray as "Steve Harding"
*Randall Batinkoff as "David Harding"
*Tammy Lauren as "Mary Harding"
*Sharon Spelman as "Sandy Gregson"
*Ken Swofford as "Frank Gregson"
*Debbie Barker as "Lois Gregson"
*Richard Anderson as "Lawrence Denton"
*Dick Butkus as "Tom Wilcox"
*James Coco as "Mr. Jamison"
*John Cameron Mitchell as "Kenny"
*Judith Baldwin as "Kimberly Summer"

Production Notes

Judith Baldwin had a role in the original 1975 version of "The Stepford Wives"

Kenny, the boy kidnapped on the lake early in the film would later become famous as Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

The robots evolved from the original depiction in the first film, who closely resembled mannequins or the animatronics found at Disneyland. The advanced versions resemble "the Visible Man" toy, and this design was similarly recreated in the 2004 remake of "The Stepford Wives".

Like the sequel "Revenge of the Stepford Wives", the film was shot in California as evidenced by "Canyon Road", not in Connecticut.

DVD release

While never being released on any format in the USA, it received a theatrical release in Europe and was released on VHS under the Worldvision European label.

References

External Links

* [http://www.stomptokyo.com/movies/s/stepford-children.html#back1 Stomp Tokyo review]