Beguiling romantic comedy, Bewitched, an all-star cast led by Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine cast their spell on the movie version of one of TV's most memorable and beloved 1960s shows, Bewitched.
Bewitched comes to big screen under the direction of Nora Ephron, who co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the Bewitched movie with Delia Ephron.
In the newest version of Bewitched, Isabel (Nicole Kidman) is a naïve, good-natured witch, who is determined to disavow her supernatural powers and lead a normal life.
Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) a tall, charming actor is trying to witch his career back on track. He sets his sights on an updated version of the beloved 1960s situation comedy “Bewitched,” reconceived as a starring vehicle for himself in the role of the mere-mortal Darrin.
Fate steps in when Jack accidentally runs into Isabel. He is immediately attracted to her and her nose, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the nose of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha in the original TV version of “Bewitched.” He becomes convinced she could play the witch Samantha in his new Bewitched series.
Isabel is also taken with Jack, seeing him as the quintessential mortal man with whom she can settle down and lead the normal life she so desires. It turns out they’re both right but in ways neither of them ever imagined.
Ephron’s approach transformed the idea of adapting a Bewitched TV series to the big screen in a fresh and exciting manner.
What makes the Bewitched series feel contemporary, even though it is an old-fashioned TV show, is that it’s about the balance of power between a man and a woman, and that’s always worth exploring. It did have certain elements that were specific to the period.
Underneath all humor and nose twitching, the show was still about a couple with a very strong connection and their ability to deal with one another given the fact that she was a powerful human being.
What appealed to everyone involved in the Bewitched movie was that Nora Ephron’s idea paid homage to the cult 1960s TV show without trying to imitate it.
“What Nora and Delia did was to somehow manage to maintain the romance and comedy of the original series,” says Bewitched producer Douglas Wick, “and suffuse it with a smart, modern spirit.”
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