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The Witches of Eastwick (1987) movie poster

Plot Summary

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1987 · 118 min · English
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Directed by
George Miller
Starring
Michelle Pfeiffer, Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon, Cher

Three women, Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, living in the quiet town of Eastwick, find their lives dramatically changed by the arrival of the mysterious and alluring Daryl Van Horne. As they form an unexpected friendship with him, they begin to experience strange and wonderful events, realizing they possess extraordinary powers. However, their newfound joy is threatened as they uncover a dark secret behind Daryl's charm and the true nature of his intentions.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like The Witches of Eastwick
  7. 7 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Witches of Eastwick: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Witches of Eastwick (1987) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Alexandra Medford, Jane Spofford, and Sukie Ridgemont are three discontented women residing in the charming town of Eastwick, Rhode Island. Alex, a sculptor, navigates life as a single mother, while Jane, a recently divorced music teacher, grapples with her inability to conceive. Sukie, a columnist for the local newspaper Eastwick Word, balances her life with six kids. Each of them has faced the hardships of lost relationships; Alex's husband has passed away, Jane's has left her, and Sukie's has walked out. Unbeknownst to them, they form a coven, convening weekly to share their thoughts on their ideal partners.

When a mysterious man acquires the town's iconic Lenox Mansion, his presence piques the interest of the entire town, save for Felicia Alden, the devout spouse of newspaper editor Clyde Alden, who also happens to be Sukie's boss. She instinctively senses that the newcomers’ intentions are sinister.

During a recital hosted by Jane, this enigmatic figure makes a memorable entrance, stirring up gossip. As Sukie receives flowers from him, she remembers his name—Daryl Van Horne. The excitement escalates when Sukie's pearl necklace breaks, sending beads scattering and causing Felicia, who had earlier mocked Daryl’s name, to tumble down the stairs, resulting in a broken leg.

In an unexpected twist of fate, Daryl’s seductive charm intrigues Alex the next day; although he initially offends her with his remarks, she finds herself manipulated into compliance after attempting to leave. Later, during a calm conversation, he captures the attention of the reserved Jane, leading to a wild and passionate duet on the cello that ends in flames, leaving Jane utterly enthralled.

Daryl's charm soon attracts all three women, igniting feelings of jealousy and rivalry among them. To their astonishment, they discover their shared magical abilities when they accidentally levitate a tennis ball. As they embrace their newfound powers, they decide to share Daryl, but the townspeople, incited by Felicia's rumors, begin to ostracize them. When the women’s loyalty falters, Daryl leads them into a dark spell directed at Felicia, who, after a violent episode, meets her demise at the hands of her husband in a fit of rage.

Following Felicia's untimely death, the trio opts for separation to regain control over their chaotic powers. Heartbroken over their abandonment, Daryl exploits their deepest fears: Alex envisions herself surrounded by snakes, Jane experiences rapid aging, and Sukie endures unbearable pain. Recognizing that only through witchcraft can they rid themselves of Daryl, they agree to feign reconciliation.

The following morning, with Daryl distracted, Alex crafts a voodoo doll using his hair and wax, hoping to weaken his hold on them. To their astonishment, as they perform acts of harm to the doll, Daryl feels each impact, leading him to a church filled with worshippers where he, overcome with rage, curses the witches before, astonishingly, regurgitating cherry pits, just like Felicia.

In a frenzy, Daryl storms back to exact revenge on the witches, but as they attempt to act nonchalantly, he shows up disheveled and furious. His fury drives the situation further into chaos, ultimately breaking the doll and transforming Daryl into a colossal monster. In their desperate bid for survival, the witches toss the doll into a fire, diminishing Daryl to a shriveled homunculus before he vanishes entirely.

Eighteen months later, the women share a reformed life in Daryl’s mansion, each with a bouncing baby boy. As the children play, Daryl re-emerges, this time on a wall of television screens, beckoning them to "give Daddy a kiss." However, the united women swiftly shut off the screens, preventing Daryl from reclaiming any shred of his past power.

Last updated: November 08, 2024 at 16:23

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Plot questions answered

The Witches of Eastwick Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Witches of Eastwick (1987): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why was Daryl Van Horne interested in the three women?

Daryl specifically sought out Alex, Jane, and Sukie because they had already formed an unconscious coven through their weekly gatherings about ideal partners. Their shared dissatisfaction and unmet desires created a magical potential that Daryl could exploit. He manipulated them into awakening their powers so he could feed on their energy and use their witchcraft for his own purposes.

  • daryl van horne
  • seduction
  • manipulation
  • witchcraft
  • coven
Q2

How did the three women discover they had magical powers?

The women discovered their powers accidentally while playing tennis. When a ball flew over the fence, all three simultaneously willed it back, causing it to levitate and hover between them. This moment of shared intention proved they possessed genuine magical abilities and had unknowingly been forming a real coven.

Foreshadowing: Their weekly meetings to discuss ideal partners had been unknowingly channeling magical energy.

  • powers
  • magic
  • levitation
  • tennis ball
  • discovery
  • coven
Q3

What happened to Felicia Alden and why did her husband kill her?

Felicia became obsessed with exposing what she perceived as the women's sinister intentions with Daryl. The three women, manipulated by Daryl, performed a dark spell against Felicia. The spell caused her husband Clyde to fly into an uncontrollable rage, leading him to beat Felicia to death. Her death was indirectly caused by the women's spell, though Clyde was the one who physically killed her.

Foreshadowing: Felicia had warned the town about the women's suspicious relationship with Daryl and actively campaigned against them.

  • felicia alden
  • clyde alden
  • death
  • murder
  • spell
  • husband
Q4

How did the women use the voodoo doll to defeat Daryl?

Alex created a voodoo doll using Daryl's hair and wax while he was distracted. When the women stabbed, burned, and otherwise harmed the doll, Daryl experienced each attack in real time, at one point feeling the pain while in a church, where he regurgitated cherry pits just like Felicia did before her death. This proved the doll worked and gave them power over him.

  • voodoo doll
  • hair
  • wax
  • defeats
  • cherry pits
  • spell
Q5

What caused Daryl to transform into a monster?

When Daryl discovered the women were attacking him through the voodoo doll, he stormed back to the mansion in a rage. His fury was so intense that it triggered a physical transformation, he grew into a colossal, grotesque monster. The women's fear and the overwhelming magical energy caused this terrifying metamorphosis.

  • transformation
  • monster
  • fury
  • rage
  • monstrous form
Q6

Why did the three women decide to separate after Felicia's death?

After Felicia's death, the women's magical powers became dangerously unstable and difficult to control. Their emotions were heightened, their powers were erratic, and being together amplified the chaos. They chose to separate hoping that distance would help them regain control over their abilities and their lives.

Foreshadowing: Their powers had already shown signs of becoming uncontrollable during the Felicia incident.

  • separation
  • powers
  • control
  • chaos
  • emotional
Q7

What was the significance of Daryl regurgitating cherry pits?

When Daryl was being attacked through the voodoo doll, he suddenly regurgitated cherry pits in the middle of a church. This connected him to Felicia Alden, who had also spit cherry pits just before her death, indicating that the spell the women had cast on Felicia had somehow linked Daryl to her fate or that he shared her magical essence.

Foreshadowing: Felicia had spit cherry pits during her violent episode, a detail that puzzled observers.

  • cherry pits
  • felicia
  • church
  • curse
  • connection
Q8

What happened at the end when Daryl appeared on television screens?

Eighteen months later, the women have rebuilt their lives in Daryl's mansion, each with a baby boy. When Daryl suddenly appears on multiple television screens asking them to 'give Daddy a kiss,' the women instantly recognize the threat and work together to shut off every screen immediately. This shows they remain united and powerful enough to prevent any return of his influence.

Foreshadowing: The women's reconciliation was necessary to combine their powers against Daryl.

  • television
  • ending
  • screens
  • baby
  • reunion
  • victory
Q9

Why did Daryl want to get rid of Felicia Alden?

Felicia was the only person in Eastwick who instinctively sensed Daryl's evil nature and actively worked against him. She mocked him publicly, spread rumors about the women to the townspeople, and refused to be charmed by him. Her persistence threatened Daryl's control over the town and his influence over the three women, making her a dangerous obstacle he needed removed.

Foreshadowing: Felicia refused to attend the recital where Daryl made his entrance and warned others about him.

  • felicia alden
  • enemy
  • opposition
  • clyde
  • rumors
Q10

How did Daryl exploit each woman's fears after they separated?

After the women separated, Daryl visited each one individually to torment them using their deepest fears. Alex envisioned herself surrounded by deadly snakes. Jane experienced rapid aging, watching herself become elderly in moments. Sukie felt unbearable physical pain throughout her body. These psychological attacks were meant to break their will and bring them back to him.

  • fears
  • snakes
  • aging
  • pain
  • psychological torture

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Witches of Eastwick, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Witches of Eastwick tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about seductive supernatural empowerment like The Witches of Eastwick

Stories where women discover their hidden power through a dangerous, charismatic force. If you liked The Witches of Eastwick, explore more movies where women discover their hidden powers through a charismatic but dangerous catalyst. These films blend dark comedy, supernatural forces, and themes of female liberation, creating a chaotic and empowering viewing experience.

  • empowering
  • supernatural
  • seductive
  • chaotic
  • liberating
  • darkly comedic
  • Tone: dark, seductive, empowering
  • Pacing: variable, building to chaotic climax
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically involves a period of dissatisfaction or boredom in the protagonists' lives, disrupted by a seductive outsider. This catalyst unlocks a potential they never knew they had, leading to a period of wonder and chaos. The story culminates in a confrontation where the women must unite to overcome the very force that empowered them, claiming their autonomy.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a core theme of female empowerment unlocked through supernatural means, often with a darkly comedic tone. They feature a volatile mix of seduction, manipulation, and liberation, resulting in a high-intensity, variable-paced story that is both thrilling and ultimately affirming.

Movies about small-town supernatural secrets like The Witches of Eastwick

A quiet community is disrupted by sinister forces hiding in plain sight. Discover more movies like The Witches of Eastwick where a peaceful small town becomes the setting for dark secrets and supernatural upheaval. These stories feature charismatic outsiders, hidden powers, and a volatile mix of horror and dark comedy that disrupts suburban normality.

  • small-town
  • supernatural
  • secretive
  • chaotic
  • darkly comedic
  • mysterious stranger
  • Tone: dark, mysterious, whimsical
  • Pacing: variable, starting steady, ending fast
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative begins by establishing the quiet, sometimes suffocating, normality of a small community. The arrival of an enigmatic figure or occurrence acts as a catalyst, revealing supernatural elements and long-buried secrets. The story progresses as the townspeople, often a core group, grapple with the unfolding chaos, leading to a climactic confrontation that restores a new, altered order.

Why they belong together: This thread groups movies based on the shared setting of a small town disrupted by supernatural forces and the thematic focus on secrets, seduction, and the dark side of community. They consistently blend a dark tone with comedic elements and feature a variable pacing that builds from steady mystery to explosive chaos.

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Every angle

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Witches of Eastwick in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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