The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 American comedy-fantasy film based on John Updike's novel of the same name. Directed by George Miller, the film stars Jack Nicholson as Daryl Van Horne, alongside Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon as the eponymous witches.
Plot[]
Alexandra Medford, Jane Spofford, and Sukie Ridgemont are three dissatisfied women living in the picturesque town of Eastwick, Rhode Island. Alexandra is a sculptress and single mother of one daughter; Jane is a newly divorced music teacher incapable of having children; and Sukie is an extremely fertile woman with six daughters, who also works as a journalist at the "'Eastwick Word." Besides an everlasting friendship, these three women also share the similar misfortune of losing their husbands (Alex's is deceased, Jane's divorced her, and Sukie's abandoned her). Unaware that they are witches, the women unwittingly form a coven where they have weekly get-togethers and share their fantasies about ideal men.
The day after one such gathering, a mysterious man arrives in the town and immediately stirs up trouble by buying the town's landmark property - the Lennox Mansion. The arrival of this enigmatic stranger causes fascination among the townsfolk, all except local townswoman Felicia Alden (Veronica Cartwright), the devoutly religious wife of newspaper editor, Clyde Alden (Richard Jenkins), who is also Sukie's boss. Although Felicia is not a witch, she is somehow able to sense that this man (whose name is easily forgotten) is up to no good. One night, at one of Jane's music recitals, the strange man appears and makes a spectacle of himself, which leads to more gossip among the people. After the recital, Jane receives a bouquet of flowers with the initial "D" written on it. This sparks Sukie's memory, finally revealing the man's name as Daryl Van Horne. However, as chaos over Daryl's name spreads throughout the crowd, Sukie’s beaded necklace inexplicably breaks and falls to the floor, causing Felicia (who had mocked Daryl's name) to trip down a large staircase and break her leg.
The following day, as Daryl sets out to seduce the women one by one, he begins with the self-assured Alexandra, who is at first appalled by Daryl's arrogance, but later falls in love with him. The next morning, Daryl visits Jane, who is considered very insecure and shy. As the two sit down and share polite conversations, Jane explains to Daryl how the Lennox Mansion was built on the same location where alleged witches were burned at the stake. Later that night, Daryl encourages Jane to stop living a life of doubt and learn to enjoy herself by living recklessly. Taking his advice to heart, Jane begins living carelessly by letting her hair down and indulging in alcohol, drugs, and sex. The following week, Daryl invites all three of the women over to his mansion, which finally allows him to set his sights on Sukie. Later, as envy and rivalry emerge among the women, they inadvertently cause a tennis ball to levitate. Finally aware of their magical abilities, the women agree to share Daryl, spending more and more time with him at his mansion.
Later, as the women continue their presence at Daryl's mansion, Felicia begins spreading rumors about the three women's indecency. Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie become social outcasts within the town. As the witches begin to question their loyalty to Daryl, the diabolical tycoon kills Felicia by causing the girls to unknowingly cast a spell against her. Later that night, as Felicia rants to her husband about Daryl being the Devil, she begins to gradually vomit cherry stones. Because he cannot bear to watch his wife's illness progress, Clyde beats Felicia with a fire poker, killing her.
Following the death of Felicia, the three women become frightful of their powers and agree not to see or speak to each other or Daryl until the situation has quieted down. Upset with the witches for abandoning him, Daryl uses his own powers against the girls by bringing their worst fears to life. Alexandra awakens to a bed full of snakes; Jane transforms into an old hag; and Sukie is forced to feel excruciating pain. Realizing the only way to be rid of Daryl is by using witchcraft against him, the girls reunite in order to seduce and ultimately vanquish him.
The next morning, as Daryl sets out to buy groceries, Alex creates a voodoo doll in his image out of wax and the women proceed to torture the doll. Once the spell begins to take effect and Daryl suffers excruciating pain, he races home to punish the girls for their betrayal. Terrified of Daryl's dominance over them, the witches toss the voodoo doll into a fire. Daryl vanishes.
Eighteen months later, the three women are living together in Daryl's mansion, each with a new baby son in addition to their existing children. The three baby boys are playing together when Daryl appears on the television set and invites them to come and "give Daddy a kiss." Before they can do so, Alex, Jane, and Sukie appear in the room and switch off the television.