Honestly, if you haven't seen George Miller's 1987 supernatural romp lately, you're missing out on a masterclass in chaotic energy. It’s weird. It’s loud. It features Jack Nicholson at his most "Jack Nicholson." The Witches of Eastwick isn't just a movie about spells and hexes; it's a fever dream about what happens when women realize they don't actually need the man they’ve been wishing for.
Most people remember the cherries. Or maybe the tennis match where the ball defies physics. But looking back at it now, through a modern lens, the film feels surprisingly ahead of its time, even if the production was a notorious nightmare behind the scenes. It's based on John Updike’s novel, but let’s be real: Miller took the source material and turned the volume up to eleven.
The Casting Magic That Shouldn't Have Worked
Think about this lineup. Cher. Michelle Pfeiffer. Susan Sarandon. In 1987, these were three of the biggest stars on the planet, and putting them together was a massive gamble for Warner Bros.
Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie are bored. They're stuck in the fictional, buttoned-up town of Eastwick, Rhode Island. They’re all "unlucky in love," which is the classic 80s trope for "too smart for the local men." When they accidentally conjure up their "ideal man" during a rainy night of drinks and gossip, they get Daryl Van Horne.
Jack Nicholson’s entrance is iconic. He’s essentially playing the Devil, though the movie keeps it slightly coy for the first act. He’s vulgar. He’s hairy. He’s kind of a slob. Yet, he manages to seduce all three women by telling them exactly what they want to hear. It’s a fascinating look at manipulation.
Interestingly, the casting was originally shuffled. Susan Sarandon was supposed to play the role Michelle Pfeiffer eventually took, but she was swapped at the last minute. Sarandon has been vocal in interviews about how she arrived on set only to find out she had to learn the cello in a week because her character had changed. She was pissed. You can actually see that edge in her performance as Jane. It worked.
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The Chaos Behind the Camera
George Miller, the guy who gave us Mad Max, was constantly at odds with the studio. He actually quit the film several times because of executive interference. At one point, Nicholson had to step in and tell the brass to back off and let Miller work.
The production was plagued by technical issues. The special effects—groundbreaking for the time—were a headache. That famous scene where the women are flying? It looks whimsical on screen, but the actors were reportedly miserable in harnesses for hours on end.
What People Get Wrong About the Ending
There’s this common misconception that the movie is a lighthearted comedy. It’s really not. It’s a dark, often grotesque satire. By the time we get to the third act, the "Voodoo doll" sequence takes a turn into body horror that feels more like The Exorcist than a romantic comedy.
The women eventually realize Daryl is a parasite. He feeds on their energy and their magic. The resolution isn't about finding a better man; it’s about the three of them forming a self-sufficient unit to raise their children. It’s a radical ending for a big-budget 80s studio flick.
Why We Are Still Talking About Eastwick
There is a specific aesthetic to this film that hasn't been replicated. The costume design by Aggie Guerard Rodgers is phenomenal. As the women gain power, their looks evolve. They go from drab, repressed townies to big-haired, vibrant goddesses.
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- The Hair: It’s the 80s, so obviously the hair is a character itself. But it symbolizes their growing wildness.
- The Sets: Daryl’s mansion, the Lenox Mansion in real life (located in Massachusetts), is an architectural marvel of excess.
- The Score: John Williams. Need I say more? The "Devil’s Dance" is one of his most underrated themes.
We see the DNA of The Witches of Eastwick in everything from Charmed to Practical Magic. It established the "Rule of Three" in modern witch cinema. But unlike the "cozy" witch movies that followed, Eastwick has teeth. It’s messy. It deals with the isolation of single motherhood and the stifling nature of small-town gossip, personified by the character Felicia Alden.
Veronica Cartwright’s performance as Felicia is genuinely terrifying. Her descent into "cherry-pit-puking" madness is one of the most visceral things ever put in a mainstream movie. She represents the "moral majority" that fears the liberation of the three protagonists.
A Legacy of Practical Effects
In an era where everything is CGI, the practical effects in The Witches of Eastwick hold up remarkably well. The snake in the bed, the levitating tennis ball, and the final transformation of Daryl Van Horne into a giant, bumbling monster are all achieved with animatronics and clever camera work.
It feels tactile. When Daryl is being tossed around the room by the internal "wind" the women have created, you feel the weight of it.
The film also captures a specific New England autumn vibe that is hard to fake. Filming in Cohasset, Massachusetts, gave the movie an authenticity that a backlot never could. The townspeople were used as extras, which adds to that feeling of a real community watching these "sinful" women with judgmental eyes.
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Key Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going to sit down and watch this again, pay attention to the color palettes. Alexandra (Cher) is often in earthy tones, Jane (Sarandon) in fiery reds after her awakening, and Sukie (Pfeiffer) in airy, light colors. Their magic corresponds to their personalities—Earth, Fire, and Air.
Also, look for the subtle ways Nicholson mimics each woman to seduce them. He reflects their insecurities back at them. It’s a masterclass in acting that often gets overshadowed by his more "manic" moments.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Cinephiles
- Check out the book: John Updike’s novel is much darker and less "fun" than the movie. It provides a fascinating contrast to how Hollywood adapts complex literature.
- Visit the locations: If you’re ever in Massachusetts, Cohasset still looks remarkably like the Eastwick of 1987. The "Little Harbor" area is where many of the iconic exterior shots were filmed.
- Watch the failed pilots: Believe it or not, there have been several attempts to turn The Witches of Eastwick into a TV show (in 1992, 2002, and 2009). None of them captured the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry of the film's trio.
- Study the lighting: Notice how the lighting shifts from flat and naturalistic to high-contrast and expressionistic as Daryl’s influence grows.
The movie serves as a reminder that the best supernatural stories aren't really about the monsters or the spells. They’re about the people. In this case, it’s about three women finding their voice in a world that would rather they stay quiet. Whether you're in it for the 80s nostalgia or the feminist subtext, The Witches of Eastwick remains a foundational piece of genre cinema that deserves a spot in your permanent rotation.
To fully appreciate the film’s impact, watch it back-to-back with Mad Max: Fury Road. Seeing George Miller’s trajectory from the chaotic set in Rhode Island to the precision of the Wasteland shows just how much he learned about directing power dynamics and high-stakes visuals.