Director: Nora Ephron
Writer: Nora Ephron, Delia Ephron, Adam McKay
Producer: Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall, Douglas Wick
Composer: George Fenton
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman
Genre: Comedy
Rating : 2/5
Plot Summary
An all-star cast led by Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell cast their spell on the movie version of one of TV’s most memorable and guiling shows, “Bewitched”. Will Ferrell plays an actor taking on the role of Darren in a new version of the classic television show, while Nicole plays the actress hired to play Samantha in the show…except that she’s really a witch!
Bewitched is one of a trifecta of movies coming out this summer based on an old television series, with the other two being the horrible The Honeymooners and the other being the yet to be released The Dukes of Hazzard. I just hope that Dukes isn’t as shitty as its predecessors.
The movie stars Nicole Kidman as Isabel Bigelow, a reformed witch who lands a starring role as Samantha in the television remake of the sitcom Bewitched. The remake will also feature washed up movie star Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) as Darren and Iris Smythson (Shirley MacLaine) as Endora. Athough Isabel has sworn off witchcraft as she attempts to lead a “normal” life, Jack’s obnoxious behaviour prompts her to cast a spell on her co-star and use her magic for various hijinks on the set of the show. If you are lucky, you might laugh two or three times throughout this entire movie.
Story
At least Bewitched has the smarts to reinvent itself, contemporizing rather than going for a straight remake. First, we meet Isabel (Nicole Kidman), a naïve, good-natured witch who wants to give up her supernatural powers to lead a “normal” life–much to the chagrin of her warlock father, Nigel (Michael Caine). He doesn’t believe she can do it. Neither do we. Then, on the other side of town, we meet Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell), a nearly washed-up actor who’s done one too many bad films. To get back on track, he decides to do an updated version of the beloved 1960s sitcom Bewitched. As the mere-mortal Darrin, Wyatt would be the star of the show, not the actress cast as Samantha. In order for that to happen, a nobody must play the witch. Lo and behold, Jack runs into Isabel, who can manipulate her dainty nose in just the right wriggle. He persuades her to take the part, while she sees Jack as the quintessential mortal man with whom she can settle down and lead the normal life she so desires. Think it’ll work out?
Acting
We all know Kidman can play complicated and romantic, and Ferrell can do comedy. But in Bewitched, they each try to do something beyond those skill sets. Unfortunately, they can’t quite pull it off. Kidman, of course, is a consummate actress. She can take on just about any character and make it her own, including the slightly ditzy, eternally cute Isabel. And so she taps into her inner witch once again (like she did in Practical Magic). But trying to remake comedies (like The Stepford Wives), especially something as balls-out as Bewitched, doesn’t really suit the Oscar winner all that well. And in Ferrell’s case, he hilariously handles all of Bewitched’s improvisational, comedic moments, as expected. But watching him try to be a romantic leading man is a bit cringe-worthy. I mean, if you can make smooching on Nicole Kidman look uncomfortable, you certainly aren’t doing the job. As far as the rest of the cast, everyone is pretty much wasted in one form or another. Caine, as Isabel’s debonair roué of a father, and Shirley MacLaine, as the diva-esque actress who plays Bewitched’s wonderful Endora, have a couple of bright moments but don’t get nearly enough to do. The same goes for Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), as Jack’s unctuous agent, and Kristin Chenoweth (from the Broadway musical Wicked), as Isabel’s spirited neighbor. Even Steve Carrell (TV’s The Office), as the irascible Uncle Arthur, can’t offer the right spontaneity. What a shame.
Direction
One of Bewitched’s saving graces, however, is writer-director Nora Ephron. She knows romantic comedies, having helmed such hits as Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, as well as writing the quintessential romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally…. Bewitched is right up her alley, and she fluffs it up like a pro. Yet, overall, the film is just too darn silly for its own good. Maybe Bewitched suffers from the whole TV-turned-film phenomena, in general. The idea of taking such classic TV favorites and adapting them into feature films continues to prove there isn’t a shred of originality left in the studio system. But sometimes the concept works (Starsky & Hutch is one that comes to mind). Fans, like me, are curious as to how filmmakers will rework the material and are especially interested in who they decide to cast to play those beloved icons. We end up giving each one of these big-screen treatment iterations a chance–and are usually disappointed. Bewitched is no exception. Besides being only mildly entertaining to diehard fans, Bewitched’s inside jokes will most likely go over the heads of those who can’t tell Samantha, Darrin, Endora, Aunt Clara, Uncle Arthur or Mrs. Kravitz from the characters on I Dream of Jeannie. Probably best just to own the sitcom’s DVD collection instead.
I only wish the film’s script had somewhere to go after its initially engaging premise that creatively sets these folks in a TV remake of the old “Bewitched? television series (ironic that even in the production within the movie, they’re still remaking shit, instead of coming up with anything original), but it doesn’t and once Kidman’s witch character is hired to “act? like a witch in the series, you pretty much just sit back and wait for the rest of the obvious pieces of the puzzle to fall into place…and they do. Nothing creative happens after the initial concept is laid out, and sadly for the audience, not much magic or romance is displayed either, as Kidman’s character is actually trying NOT to use her powers anymore (so if we’re watching a film entitled BEWITCHED and the lead witch isn’t using her witching powers…doesn’t that make the film a basic romantic comedy? – kinda like “the tree falling in the forest? thing). Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine are also tossed in for the older generation, but their characters aren’t really all that interesting, and are actually left, unresolved at the end of the picture. I’m sure I missed several “in-jokes? as well, since I’m not familiar with the original series.
Warning: vicious personal-sounding attacks to follow. I want revenge on those who stole 100 minutes of my life.
