Firestarter

Since I recently did a post on the Drew Barrymore/Stephen King collaboration Cat's Eye, I went back and rewatched their first film together, 1984's Firestarter.

Barrymore stars as Charlie, who has the telekinetic ability to start fires with her mind. Her parents, Andy and Vicky, David Keith and Heather Locklear, met when they were test subjects for a sinister group known only as The Shop.The experiment has given Andy the ability to control people's minds. Years later, after the couple has married and had Charlie, they discover that Charlie has the firestarting power. The Shop wants the family so they can use their powers for evil. They kill off Vicky, forcing Charlie and Andy to go on the run. The father and daughter hope to get to the press and get their story out before The Shop catches up to them.

When I first saw this, I thought it was it was a good King flick, but not up there with his greats. Rewatching it today, I like and appreciate it more. Being a father to a girl who isn't much older than Charlie made me realize that this isn't just a horror film, it's a story about a father and daughter trapped in a horrible circumstance. And Barrymore and Keith do a terrific job with their roles. Barrymore was always a very talented child performer. And Keith has always been one of those actor's that I felt never got the recognition he deserved. King even said himself that Keith was way down on their list of choices to play Andy. He really nails the part. They are backed by a terrific cast that includes George C. Scott, Martin Sheen, Art Carney, and Louise Fletcher. Scott is particularly great in his role as an viscous assassin.

Action director Mark L. Lester was brought in after the studio fired original director John Carpenter. Carpenter was supposedly let go after Universal Pictures wasn't happy with his remake of The Thing. Hard to imagine. That being said, Lester does a fine job with the material. The father/daughter relationship is one he would further examine in his next picture Commando. Lester stated that this was the toughest picture he has ever shot.

Firestarter isn't the scariest of the King adaptations, but it is still a very suspenseful and terrific film.

It's available on dvd and blu ray.