Toward the end of the Vietnam era, in a snug little Rhode Island seacoast town, wonderful powers have descended upon Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, bewitching divorcées with sudden access to all that is female, fecund, and mysterious. The Washington Post wrote that the second half "lost its magic and degenerated into bunk. Their happy little coven takes on new, malignant life when a dark and moneyed stranger, Darryl Van Horne, refurbishes the long-derelict Lenox mansion and invites them in to play. Their coven is upset by the arrival of Darryl Van Horne, who buys a neglected mansion outside of town. She works as a writer at the Eastwick Word, a small-time New England newspaper. Jack Nicholson also won Best Actor awards from the New York Film Critics Circle (for his work in Witches, Ironweed and Broadcast News) and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (for Witches and Ironweed), the latter shared with Steve Martin for Roxanne (1987). After giving a self-confessed "terrible" audition in which she struggled with the "tough" dialogue, Huston realized she had lost the role, and it was eventually offered to Cher. The film is based on John Updike's 1984 novel of the same name. The film's Oscar-nominated score was composed by John Williams. Appalled, she tells him off, refuses his amorous advances, and begins to walk out. [12] Castle Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts, was used for the exterior of the Lenox Mansion, while the lobby of the Wang Center in Boston stood in for the main hall. Realizing the source of his troubles, he begins ranting about the women, cursing them as a group before vomiting cherry pits like Felicia did. "[24] The Washington Post wrote that Nicholson was "undisputably the star of The Witches of Eastwick, despite formidable competition from his coven played by Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon," although even more praise was reserved for Veronica Cartwright in an eccentric, scene-stealing supporting role. It starred Jason O'Mara as Darryl, Marcia Cross as Jane, Kelly Rutherford as Alexandra, and Lori Loughlin as Sukie. As the women spend more time at Daryl's mansion, Felicia spreads rumors about their indecency. Realizing the only way to get rid of Daryl is by using witchcraft against him, the women reunite with him, pretending to have made amends. The film won a BAFTA Award, however, in the category of Best Special Effects, and received a nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. In 2000, the novel was adapted into a stage musical by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe. Upset by this abandonment, Daryl uses his own powers to bring their worst fears to life. Updike described his novel as "about female power, a power that patriarchal societies have denied."
The Witches of Eastwick. This sparks Sukie's memory, finally revealing the man's name as Daryl Van Horne. Alexandra Medford (Cher), Jane Spofford (Susan Sarandon), and Sukie Ridgemont (Michelle Pfeiffer) are three dissatisfied women living in the picturesque town of Eastwick, Rhode Island. Sukie has admirably shouldered the entire parenting load since her husband left her. Alex is a sculptor and single mother of one daughter; Jane is a newly divorced music teacher unable to have children; while Sukie has six daughters and works as a columnist for the Eastwick Word, the local newspaper.
Una… Jane’s husband is a … Later that night, Daryl encourages Jane to play her cello with wild abandon, never before achieved, playing faster and faster while accompanied by Daryl on the piano, until finally the strings emit smoke, the cello catches fire, and Jane flings herself upon Daryl with passion. Alexandra, a sculptor, summons thunderstorms; Jane, a cellist, floats on the air; and Sukie, the local gossip columnist, turns milk into cream. The witches resolve to take revenge by giving her cancer through their magic.
For other uses, see, "The witching hour: Halloween chick flicks", "Witches of Eastwick—Skinner, Noll & Donovan—Sing in Revised U.S.
Thenceforth scandal flits through the darkening, crooked streets of Eastwick—and through the even darker fantasies of the town’s collective psyche.