Revisiting—or in a few cases, watching for the first time—and celebrating the work of Michelle Pfeiffer, the best actress of my lifetime.
I've always seen Sukie Ridgemont as the heart and soul of The Witches of Eastwick (1987). As brought to life by the resplendent Michelle Pfeiffer, Sukie is kind, goodhearted, and compassionate. Her fellow witches offer contrasting personalities, with Alexandra (Cher) the brash, bold leader of the group and Jane (Susan Sarandon) the awkward and timid mouse. But it's Sukie who balances them out, not only tempering their extremes, but injecting the threesome—and the film—with real warmth and light.
Much of this comes down to Pfeiffer's strong performance. Sukie has an awful lot going in her life: she's a mother of six (!) daughters whose husband abandoned her and the girls, yet still somehow (through the magic of film) she manages to hold down a gig as a columnist for the local paper. Imaging a young Pfeiffer in the role—she was not yet thirty years old at the time—is also a stretch, yet somehow, against all odds, she makes us believe. She's rarely been more adorable than she is as Sukie—watch the entertaining tennis match scene, when that adorableness shines through loud and clear.
Sukie isn't just cute though. of the three women, she's also the most leery of the strange new man in town, Daryl (Jack Nicholson)—who happens to be the Devil in disguise. Daryl's sagacious arrogance is disturbingly unctuous; he's the proto-male predator, the kind finally being on blast these days (think Weinstein, Spacey, Hoffman, et al.). Sukie, with her innate goodness always guiding her judgment, smells the rat. The Devil thinks he has a read on her, but her earnestness combined with a healthy sense of skepticism, keeps him off balance.
Daryl still winds up using his powers of Satanic persuasion to have his way with all three women. At times, the film presents this as harmless fun, with Pfeiffer, Cher, and Sarandon lounging seductively in lingerie and catering to Daryl's every whim. Yet whether the film intends to or not—and it seems to want to have it both ways—these scenes are deeply unsettling, offering a powerful commentary on toxic masculinity and the subjugation of the female. Ultimately, Sukie remains the voice of reason, the beating heart of the coven—and the film—with her perseverance sparking the women's eventual resistance and revolt against Satan's hold over them.
The Witches of Eastwick was a smash hit in 1987. Today it remains a flawed yet fascinating film, well worth revisiting, especially in light of the recent ascendance of the #MeToo movement. Michelle Pfeiffer is absolutely stunning, bringing to life a character whose tenderness and virtue simply cannot be diminished by anyone, including the Devil.
Much of this comes down to Pfeiffer's strong performance. Sukie has an awful lot going in her life: she's a mother of six (!) daughters whose husband abandoned her and the girls, yet still somehow (through the magic of film) she manages to hold down a gig as a columnist for the local paper. Imaging a young Pfeiffer in the role—she was not yet thirty years old at the time—is also a stretch, yet somehow, against all odds, she makes us believe. She's rarely been more adorable than she is as Sukie—watch the entertaining tennis match scene, when that adorableness shines through loud and clear.
Sukie isn't just cute though. of the three women, she's also the most leery of the strange new man in town, Daryl (Jack Nicholson)—who happens to be the Devil in disguise. Daryl's sagacious arrogance is disturbingly unctuous; he's the proto-male predator, the kind finally being on blast these days (think Weinstein, Spacey, Hoffman, et al.). Sukie, with her innate goodness always guiding her judgment, smells the rat. The Devil thinks he has a read on her, but her earnestness combined with a healthy sense of skepticism, keeps him off balance.
Daryl still winds up using his powers of Satanic persuasion to have his way with all three women. At times, the film presents this as harmless fun, with Pfeiffer, Cher, and Sarandon lounging seductively in lingerie and catering to Daryl's every whim. Yet whether the film intends to or not—and it seems to want to have it both ways—these scenes are deeply unsettling, offering a powerful commentary on toxic masculinity and the subjugation of the female. Ultimately, Sukie remains the voice of reason, the beating heart of the coven—and the film—with her perseverance sparking the women's eventual resistance and revolt against Satan's hold over them.
The Witches of Eastwick was a smash hit in 1987. Today it remains a flawed yet fascinating film, well worth revisiting, especially in light of the recent ascendance of the #MeToo movement. Michelle Pfeiffer is absolutely stunning, bringing to life a character whose tenderness and virtue simply cannot be diminished by anyone, including the Devil.
Pfabulous post, I especially love the gif. Just thinking about that tennis match puts a smile on my face. I haven't seen The Witches of Eastwick in a long time, my main memory is of the witches hair and Michelle's face in this film. Man oh man, I cannot get enough of Pfeiffer's face.
ReplyDeleteSukie certainly is one of Michelle's most adorably lovable characters. You just want to give her a hug. Let me know if you check out the film again soon. We can blither on some more about how great she is in it.
DeleteOut of all the witches, love Sukie the most. Can't believe how young Michelle is in this film, and how close in her film timeline this is to Grease 2. This is definitely one of my fave Nicholson films and think she had a sweet chemistry with him.
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