20 best film witches of all time
The Witches of Eastwick
While so many other film witches are busy wreaking horror, others aren’t afraid to delve into the realm of comedy. At least that’s the case in the 1987 comedy-fantasy, The Witches of Eastwick, based on the John Updike novel of the same name.
It all begins in Eastwick, Rhode Island, a picturesque if boring little town. Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) are three women who are particularly unsatisfied with their lives in small Eastwick.
It’s not as if life in general has dealt them all a cushy hand. Jane is divorced and cannot have children. Alex is a sculptor, which is cool enough, and has one daughter. Sukie, meanwhile, can hardly make her way through the crowd of her own six children. She somehow manages to take care of them all while working as a newspaper columnist, despite the fact that her husband has abandoned her and the children.
These three friends are somehow unaware of their nascent magical powers. When they begin to spend time together, they therefore form an unwitting coven.
Meanwhile, the strange and charismatic Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) shows up in town. Besides flaunting his oddly forgettable and yet seriously on-the-nose name, Daryl likes to stir up drama and make a spectacle of himself. He also tries to seduce all three of the friends. He’s more or less successful, though the growing jealousy amongst the three women leads to them finally discovering their powers via a levitating tennis ball. Tensions temporarily forgotten, they all agree to move in with Daryl into his sumptuous mansion.
“Temporary” is the operative word, however. Daryl continues causing trouble, and the women’s lifestyle leads to serious rumors. Alexa, Sukie and Jane are also becoming understandably freaked out by their growing powers. They agree to take a break from their friendship and from Daryl in order to gain some steadiness. Daryl, however, does not like abandonment and causes trouble that requires the three friends to draw on their powers once again.