The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 American dark fantasy-comedy film directed by George Miller and starring Jack Nicholson as Daryl Van Horne, alongside Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon as the titular witches. The film is based on John Updike's 1984 novel of the same name, telling the story of three women who are unaware of the power of the words they speak; as they tell each other their deepest desires, a man arrives just in time and fulfills them, but has a dark side of his own. Plot Alexandra Medford, Jane Spofford, and Sukie Ridgemont are three dissatisfied women living in picturesque Eastwick, Rhode Island. Sculptor Alex is a single mother of one, newly divorced music teacher Jane can't have children, and Sukie has six and is a columnist for the newspaper Eastwick Word. The friends lost their husbands (Alex's died, Jane's divorced her, and Sukie's abandoned her). Unaware of being witches, they unwittingly form a coven, meeting weekly to discuss ideal men. A mysterious man buys the town's landmark property, the Lenox Mansion. His arrival fascinates everyone except Felicia Alden, the devoutly religious wife of newspaper editor Clyde Alden, Sukie's boss. She senses he (whose name is easily forgotten) is ill-intentioned. One night, at Jane's recital he appears and makes a spectacle, leading to more gossip. Receiving flowers from D sparks Sukie to remember his name is Daryl Van Horne. Chaos over the name spreads through the crowd. Falling to the floor, it causes Felicia (who had mocked his name) to fall down stairs, breaking her leg. The next day, Daryl seduces Alex. He says insensitive, disgusting, and rude things whenever he speaks. Appalled, she tells him off, refuses his advances and begins to walk out. Before she opens the door, he manipulates her emotions until she eventually agrees. The next morning, Daryl visits the shy and insecure Jane. They sit and politely converse, as she explains the Lenox Mansion was built on a site where witches were executed. Later that night, Daryl encourages Jane to play her cello with wild abandon, playing increasingly fast while accompanied by him on piano, until the strings emit smoke, the cello catches fire, and Jane passionately flings herself upon him. The following week, Daryl invites all three over, now seeking Sukie. Envy and rivalry emerge among them, they inadvertently levitate a tennis ball. Now aware of their magical abilities, the