Wuthering Heights  (2003)

Theatrical Release Information:
Wuthering Heights

Leave it to MTV to cook up a musical version of Emily Brontë's brooding 19th century British novel Wuthering Heights, updated to the 21st century and relocated to Southern California. This time around, the kindly Mr. Earnshaw (John Doe), father of spoiled-rotten Cate (not Cathy) and Hendrix (not Hindley) Earnshaw, lives in a reconverted lighthouse which he has christened Wuthering Heights. One day, Earnshaw brings home an abandoned child named Heath (not Heathcliff), whom he semi-adopts, much to the dismay of his natural son, Hendrix, but to the delight of the willful Cate. Upon reaching adulthood, Heath (Mike Vogel) declares his love for Cate (Erika Christensen), but they are kept separated by the envious Hendrix (Johnny Whitworth) and by the covetous Cate's intention to opt for wealth and security by wedding preppy snob Edward (not Edgar) Linton (Christopher Masterson). The spurned Heath decides to get even with Cate by spitefully entering into a marriage with Edward's sister, Isabel (not Isabella, played by Katherine Heigl), who manages to entrap the sexy Heath (who has achieved a measure of fame as a rock singer) with the help of her bitchy best friend, Raquelle (Aimee Osbourne), a character with surprisingly no counterpart in the Brontë original. The original songs were penned by Jim Steinman, the man largely responsible for Meat Loaf's classic album Bat out of Hell. Originally titled Wuthering Heights, CA, apparently out of concern that somewhere, someone might confuse this opus with the original novel, Wuthering Heights first aired on September 14, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide