The Stepford Children
Encyclopedia
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 15, 1987. The film was directed by Alan J. Levi and written by William Bleich.
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 (Debbie Barker) with whom he shares a love of motorcycle
s. 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 cake
s. 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. They are surrounded by Steven and the other Men's Club members as well as the bodies of the town's children who are going through a bizarre bio-organic process to make them into docile drones; they are replaced by their robot doubles during the procedure. 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 half-processed children. Laura and the kids race out of town.
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 mannequin
s 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.
The Stepford Wives (1975 film)
The Stepford Wives is a 1975 science fiction–thriller film based on the 1972 Ira Levin novel of the same name. It was directed by Bryan Forbes with a screenplay by William Goldman, and stars Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Nanette Newman and Tina Louise...
. The film premiered on the NBC network on March 15, 1987. The film was directed by Alan J. Levi and written by William Bleich.
Plot summary
Laura and Steven Harding (Barbara EdenBarbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
and Don Murray
Don Murray (actor)
Donald Patrick "Don" Murray is an American actor.-Early life and career:Murray was born in Hollywood, California on July 31, 1929, the only child of Dennis Aloisius, a Broadway dance director and stage manager and Ethel Murray, a former Ziegfeld performer...
) 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
Randall Batinkoff
Randall Matthew Batinkoff is an American actor.Batinkoff was born in Monticello, New York and was raised on an egg farm near Ferndale, New York...
) and free-spirited, music loving Mary (Tammy Lauren
Tammy Lauren
Tammy Lauren is an American actress who has appeared in film and television. She starred in Wishmaster, portraying Alexandra Amberson, a young woman who accidentally awakens the Djinn, a powerful spirit more commonly known as a genie.-Career:To date, Wishmaster is the only feature film in which...
). 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 (Debbie Barker) with whom he shares a love of motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s. Laura is confused when the principal discourages her plans to establish a PTA
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
, 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 cake
Bundt cake
A bundt cake is a dessert cake that is baked in a bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ridged ring. The d in "bundt" is assimilated into the t. The term is used chiefly in North America....
s. They make the best of the dance, playing rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
—over the local choice of big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
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. They are surrounded by Steven and the other Men's Club members as well as the bodies of the town's children who are going through a bizarre bio-organic process to make them into docile drones; they are replaced by their robot doubles during the procedure. Having escaped his father earlier, David bursts in on his motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
and causes a diversion, allowing Laura and Mary a reprieve.
As the Hardings escape, damage to the machines causes an explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
which destroys the Men's Association, its members (including Steven) and the half-processed children. Laura and the kids race out of town.
Cast
- Barbara EdenBarbara EdenBarbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
as Laura Harding - Don MurrayDon Murray (actor)Donald Patrick "Don" Murray is an American actor.-Early life and career:Murray was born in Hollywood, California on July 31, 1929, the only child of Dennis Aloisius, a Broadway dance director and stage manager and Ethel Murray, a former Ziegfeld performer...
as Steve Harding - Randall BatinkoffRandall BatinkoffRandall Matthew Batinkoff is an American actor.Batinkoff was born in Monticello, New York and was raised on an egg farm near Ferndale, New York...
as David Harding - Tammy LaurenTammy LaurenTammy Lauren is an American actress who has appeared in film and television. She starred in Wishmaster, portraying Alexandra Amberson, a young woman who accidentally awakens the Djinn, a powerful spirit more commonly known as a genie.-Career:To date, Wishmaster is the only feature film in which...
as Mary Harding - Sharon Spelman as Sandy Gregson
- Ken Swofford as Frank Gregson
- Debbie Barker as Lois Gregson
- Richard AndersonRichard AndersonRichard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television, known to TV audiences as Steve Austin's and Jaime Sommers' boss, Oscar Goldman, in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman TV series and their three subsequent TV movies: The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man...
as Lawrence Denton - Dick ButkusDick ButkusRichard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
as Tom Wilcox - James CocoJames CocoJames Coco was an American character actor.- Early life and career :Born James Emil Coco in New York City, son of Feliche Coco, a shoemaker and Ida Detestes Coco, James began acting straight out of high school. As an overweight and prematurely balding adult, he found himself relegated to character...
as Mr. Jamison - John Cameron MitchellJohn Cameron MitchellJohn Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
as Kenny - Judith BaldwinJudith BaldwinJudith Lee Baldwin is an American film and television actress who replaced Tina Louise in the role of Ginger Grant in Rescue From Gilligan's Island and The Castaways on Gilligan's Island . Baldwin amassed 46 screen credits between 1969 and her leading role in 2005's Every Secret Thing.- Early...
as Kimberly Summer
Production notes
Judith Baldwin had a role in the original 1975 version of The Stepford WivesThe Stepford Wives (1975 film)
The Stepford Wives is a 1975 science fiction–thriller film based on the 1972 Ira Levin novel of the same name. It was directed by Bryan Forbes with a screenplay by William Goldman, and stars Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Nanette Newman and Tina Louise...
Kenny, the boy kidnapped on the lake early in the film would later become famous as Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch may refer to:* Hedwig and the Angry Inch * Hedwig and the Angry Inch...
.
The robots evolved from the original depiction in the first film, who closely resembled mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
s or the animatronics
Animatronics
Animatronics is the use of mechatronics to create machines which seem animate rather than robotic. Animatronic creations include animals , plants and even mythical creatures...
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
The Stepford Wives (2004 film)
The Stepford Wives is a 2004 American science fiction film. The film is a remake of the 1975 film of the same name; both films are based on the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives...
.
Like the sequel Revenge of the Stepford Wives
Revenge of the Stepford Wives
Revenge of the Stepford Wives is a 1980 made-for-television sci-fi/horror film inspired by the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives. It was directed by Robert Fuest with a screenplay by David Wiltse. Sharon Gless, Julie Kavner, Don Johnson, Arthur Hill, and Audra Lindley starred in the film...
, the film was shot in California as evidenced by "Canyon Road", not in Connecticut.