The Stepfather (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Stepfather | |
|---|---|
 film poster |
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| Directed by | Joseph Ruben |
| Produced by | Jay Benson |
| Written by | Carolyn Lefcourt Brian Garfield Donald E. Westlake |
| Starring | Terry O'Quinn Jill Schoelen Shelley Hack |
| Music by | Patrick Moraz |
| Cinematography | John Lindley |
| Editing by | George Bowers |
| Distributed by | New Century |
| Release date(s) | January 23, 1987 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Gross revenue | $2,488,740[1] |
| Followed by | Stepfather II |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Stepfather is a 1987 American thriller film starring Terry O'Quinn in the title role. It is (very) loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List. It was directed by Joseph Ruben and written by Carolyn Lefcourt (story), Brian Garfield (story) and Donald E. Westlake (also screenplay).
The film was also followed by two sequels. They were released in 1989 and 1992. The third part was released as a tv movie. In it, O'Quinn was replaced in the title role by Robert Wightman. On June 6, 2006 Screen Gems announced they will be remaking The Stepfather for a 2009 release.
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[edit] Plot summary
Jerry Blake is a severely mentally disturbed man whose entire adult life revolves around his quest to have the perfect family. As a child, he was traumatized by being constantly exposed to idealized versions of the American family, while at the same time being forced to cope with his own, unsavory family. One day, when he realizes that his own family is turning into the family in which he grew up, and he faces becoming his own father, he murders his entire family, moves to another state, and marries a widow whose daughter distrusts Blake from the beginning and slowly begins to learn the truth about her stepfather's past.
[edit] Main cast
- Terry O'Quinn — Jerry Blake/The Stepfather
- Jill Schoelen — Stephanie Maine
- Shelley Hack — Susan Maine
[edit] Reception
During its opening weekend, The Stepfather grossed around $260,587, the movie was released in 148 movie theatres and had a total domestic gross of $2,488,740. [1]The film was included in Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments on spot #70. [2] Film critic Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun Times, gave the movie 2.5 stars, and commented: "Violence itself seems to sell at the box office, even when it's divorced from any context. Maybe that's what the filmmakers were thinking. What often happens, though, is that in an otherwise flawed film there are a couple of things that are wonderful. "The Stepfather" has one wonderful element: Terry O'Quinn's performance". [3] Joseph Ruben, the director of this film, was honoured with the Critics award at the 1988 Cognac Festival. [4]Terry O'Quinn was nominated for both a Saturn and a Independent Spirit Award for his performance. On Combustible Celluloid, the movie ranked 3 out of 4 stars, with reviewer Jeffrey M. Anderson commenting "Joseph Ruben directs competently but perhaps not as playfully as the material could have used, but O'Quinn gets in a few prime moments, such as the startling one in which he forgets which persona he's currently occupying. Nevertheless, The Stepfather is still a high water mark of 1980s horror/suspense". [5] The film was also nominated for the International Fantasy Film Award for Best Film at the 1990 Fantasporto [6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "The Stepfather". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-07-30.
- ^ "100 Scariest Movie Moments Countdown". Retrieved on May 24, 2008.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (1987-03-02). "The Stepfather". Retrieved on 2008-07-30.
- ^ "Cognac Festival du Film Policier: 1988". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on May 24, 2008.
- ^ Anderson, Jeffrey M. "The Stepfather (1987)". Who Am I Here?. Retrieved on May 24, 2008.
- ^ "Fantasporto: 1990". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2008-07-30.
