The Witches Of Eastwick (1987)

In the New England town of Eastwick, three women: a widow (Cher), a divorcee (Susan Sarandon) and a single mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) with six children, are dissatisfied with their humdrum single lives. When a mysterious stranger (Jack Nicholson) arrives in town and buys an historical mansion, he makes the women aware of their magical prowess. While those attached to the John Updike novel that served as the source material will be understandably resentful, the film takes a different tact. It's an impudently entertaining, especially the film's first two thirds, dark comedy. At his best, there always seemed to be a bit of the devil in Nicholson's characters and performances. Here, finally, he can let it all loose as the Devil. Talk about born to play a certain role, Nicholson seems to know it and having a devilishly good time doing it. Fortunately, the three lead actresses are strong enough not to let Nicholson completely take over. If the film's last act seems rather desperate, it's not enough to dampen one's overall impression. There's a fourth witch, a neurotic Puritan, played by Veronica Cartwright that comes pretty close to stealing the film. The Oscar nominated underscore is by John Williams and it's a beauty. Directed by George Miller (THE ROAD WARRIOR). With Richard Jenkins, Keith Jochim and Carel Struycken.