| Bewitched | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Nora Ephron |
| Produced by | Nora Ephron Douglas Wick Penny Marshall |
| Written by | Sol Saks (TV series) Nora Ephron Delia Ephron |
| Starring | Nicole Kidman Will Ferrell Shirley MacLaine Michael Caine |
| Music by | George Fenton |
| Cinematography | John Lindley |
| Editing by | Tia Nolan |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 24, 2005 |
| Running time | 101 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $85 million[1] |
| Box office | $131,426,169[1] (worldwide August 2005) |
Bewitched is a 2005 family comedy-fantasy produced by Columbia Pictures and is a re-imagining of the television series of the same name (produced by Columbia's Screen Gems television studio, now Sony Pictures Television). The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2005. It was written, produced, and directed by Nora Ephron and featured as co-stars Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. Filming took place in late 2004 and early 2005.
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Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) is a narcissistic actor who is approached to play the role of Darrin in a remake of the classic sitcom Bewitched but insists that an unknown play Samantha.
Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) is an actual witch who decides she wants to be normal and moves to Los Angeles to start a new life and becomes friends with her neighbor Maria (Kristin Chenoweth). She goes to a bookstore to learn how to get a job after seeing an advertisement of Ed McMahon on TV. Jack happens to be at the same bookstore after attending some failed Samantha auditions. Jack spots Isabel and persuades her to audition. At the same time, while trying to settle into her new life, Isabel's intrusive father Nigel (Michael Caine) keeps appearing to convince her to return home, much to several rejections from Isabel. After Isabel succeeds in impressing several of the show's producers and writers (consisting of Stephen Colbert and David Alan Grier), Jack finally convinces Isabel to join the show. Also joining the show is legendary actress Iris Smythson (Shirley MacLaine) as Endora. After a successful taping of the first episode, Isabel happens to overhear a conversation Jack is having with his agent Ritchie (Jason Schwartzman), who are talking about how they tricked Isabel to appear without having any lines. Furious, Isabel storms off with Maria and new friend Nina close behind. She decides she only has three choices: Quit, get mad or live with it. Instead, Isabel's Aunt Clara visits and aides Isabel in casting a spell on Jack in order to make him fall in love with her. At the same time, Nigel is introduced to Iris and becomes infatuated with her.
The hex works and Jack becomes love struck by Isabel, insisting on several script changes to give her some dialogue and jokes, ignoring statements from test groups preferring Isabel over him. Jack's affection for Isabel grows into him bringing her on a date, making Isabel forget about the hex. But when he brings her home, she remembers and reverses it back to when she and Aunt Clara cast it. The next day, rather than the events the hex presented, Jack is outraged by the scores he received and takes his anger out on Isabel, who lashes back at him. Ritchie fires her, and she storms off. Rather than be angry at Isabel, Jack is fascinated with Isabel and chases after her, taking all her comments into thought. So, after another great taping (with Isabel getting dialogue), a love blossoms between the two. But the next day, Jack's ex-wife Sheila arrives, determined to woo Jack back. Isabel sees this and casts a spell on a fan to blow her hair off, sign the divorce papers and have her decide to move to Iceland. Jack, thrilled, announces he will be throwing a party at his house celebrating the divorce.
Nigel attends the party with Iris and when Nigel begins flirting with much younger guests, Iris reveals she is also a witch and casts a spell on each girl. When Jack makes a toast stating truth will be revealed with everyone, Isabel decides to tell Jack she's a witch. At first thinking she's an amateur magician, Jack officially believes her when she levitates him with her broom. Jack becomes frightened and begins shooing her away with a stick. Offended, Isabel flies off.
Jack takes this hard, being brought to the studios by the police and becoming disenchanted with the project. Isabel decides to return home as she no longer wishes to stay. Jack, imagining himself on the Conan O'Brien Show, is visited by Uncle Arthur (Steve Carell). Arthur convinces Jack not to let Isabel leave, because Jack still loves her and wouldn't be able to return for 100 years. Arthur drives him to the studio where he finds Isabel at the set. Jack apologizes to her and tells her he wants to marry her. They do and move into their new neighbourhood (which resembles the neighbourhood in the series).
The $85-million budgeted movie was panned by critics, and by many of the original show's fanbase, yet earned a worldwide gross of $131,413,159. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 24% of the critics gave positive reviews, based upon 182 reviews.[2] The total US gross was $63,313,159 with international at $68,100,000.
Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell's on-screen pairing was found lacking by moviegoers and earned the two a Razzie Award for "Worst Screen Couple." It was also nominated for four Razzies including Worst Director, Worst Actor (Will Ferrell), Worst Screenplay and Worst Remake or Sequel. The New York Times called the film "an unmitigated disaster."[3]
The DVD was released on October 25, 2005 by Columbia TriStar. The DVD included deleted scenes such as Jack and Isabel's wedding and an extended version of Isabel getting mad, several making-of featurettes, a trivia game, and an audio commentary by the director.
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