Director Nora Ephron takes an imaginative idea and turns it into a flat, skill-less dud.
Bewitched (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:179
Fresh:44
Rotten:135
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Bewitched is haunted by scattered laughs and a lack of direction.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $62,252,415
Synopsis: In Columbia Pictures' 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... In Columbia Pictures' 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 shows under the direction of Nora Ephron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Delia Ephron for producers Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall and Nora Ephron. Out in California's San Fernando Valley, Isabel (Nicole Kidman), is trying to reinvent herself. A naive, good-natured witch, she is determined to disavow her supernatural powers and lead a "normal" life. At the same time, across town, Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) a tall, charming actor is trying to get his career back on track. He sets his sights on an updated version of the beloved 1960's 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 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. Columbia Pictures Presents A Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wich/Penny Marshall Production Bewitched starring Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine. The film also stars Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth, Heather Burns, Jim Turner, Stephen Colbert, David Alan Grier and Steve Carell. The director is Nora Ephron. Written by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron. The producers are Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall and Nora Ephron. The executive producers are James W. Skotchdopole, Steven H. Berman and Bobby Cohen. The production designer is Neil Spisak. The editor is Tia Nolan. The costume designer is Mary Zophres. The music is by George Fenton. -- © Columbia Pictures [More]
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth, Steve Carell
Director: Nora Ephron
Director: Nora Ephron
Screenwriter: Delia Ephron, Nora Ephron
Producer: Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall, Nora Ephron
Composer: George Fenton
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Reviews for Bewitched
Too fluffy even for TV with a miscast Will Ferrell doing his best to keep the uneven pace moving.
Ephron is so attached to formula that she is unable to put someone’s creative thinking to good use.
...a fairly mediocre little comedy that proves that Nicole Kidman should probably stay away from the genre.
Bewitched is a poorly executed mess that no wiggle of the nose can save.
The artificiality of Bewitched is so exaggerated that it almost works in the movie's favor for the first 20 minutes or so, before that heavy synthetic Ephron odor really sets in.
A phony and cynical look at how Hollywood might make or remake a television show.
Kidman doesn't compete with Montgomery's memory because she doesn't need to. She has crafted her own memorably witchy woman.
The '60s TV sitcom Bewitched was never as good as the woman who played Samantha the witch — the late actress Elizabeth Montgomery. Ditto the new Bewitched, an only mildly entertaining sitcom enlivened by Nicole Kidman.
Screenwriters Ephron and her sister Delia are able to get laughs and make character points even in the moments of laying out a fairly involved exposition, and that's no small thing. That's skilled craftsmanship.
The remake of a TV show should have come with canned laughter because after awhile it was hard to tell that this was supposed to be a comedy.
Ephron seems unsure as to whether she's filming a zany retro comedy or a conventional romance, and the film zips back and forth between genres, never really settling.
Ephron piles one scenario on top of another, but is less adept than Kaufman at keeping them sorted.
The result of people trying so hard to wring magic out of a dry well, all that's left to see is their flop sweat.
Alas, there are limits to movie magic. Especially for a movie that doesn't have much to begin with.
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