Storm of the Century

Infobox Television
show_name = Storm of the Century


caption = Cover of the published screenplay
genre = Drama, Horror, fantasy, Thriller
runtime = 256 min.
creator = Stephen King
developer =
producer =
executive_producer =
starring = Timothy Daly
Colm Feore
Debrah Farentino
Casey Siemaszko
Jeffrey DeMunn
country = flagicon|USA USA
location = Little Tall Island, Maine
language = English
network =
first_aired = February 14, 1999
last_aired = February 28, 1999
budget = $35,000,000
num_episodes = 3
website =
imdb_id = 0135659

"Storm of the Century", alternatively known as "Stephen King's Storm of the Century", is a 1999 horror TV miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. Promotional material for the miniseries claimed that it was King's first ever story written exclusively for a miniseries, but was actually his second after the not-as-well-known "Golden Years". King would later publish the screenplay in book form, with the screenplay format intact. The movie is rated PG-13.

Plot

A very powerful blizzard hits the fictional small town of Little Tall Island (also the setting of King's novel Dolores Claiborne) off the coast of Maine. While trying to deal with the storm, the citizens of the town are visited by Andre Linoge (Colm Feore), a menacing stranger who apparently knows all of the townsfolks' darkest secrets (among which are abortion, adultery, growing marijuana, and gay-bashing). After having killed one of the town's residents (martha clarendon), Linoge is jailed. Even though he is kept in jail by the town's trusted constable, Mike Anderson (Timothy Daly), Linoge is somehow able to force people to commit suicide or kill others from within his cell. Linoge constantly repeats "Give me what I want and I'll go away" through his victims as well as to his victims.

In a dream, the townspeople see themselves walking into the sea two-by-two with the word Croatoan (a reference to the colony of Roanoke) carved on their heads. Eventually, Mike figures out that Linoge is in league with the demon Legion (the former an anagram of the latter) and agrees to organize the townspeople so they can hear his demands.

What Linoge desires is an heir, one of the eight small children that he has incapacitated throughout the miniseries — someone to "carry on his work when he can no longer do it himself", as although Linoge's life spans centuries, he is not immortal. Any of the eight children, he states, will suit him. After he leaves, a strong argument breaks out in the town hall. Mike Anderson wants the townsfolk to unitedly reject Linoge's request and figure out a way to fight back, asking how they could possibly sacrifice a child to save themselves. The rest of the town, however (including Mike's wife, Molly), want to agree to Linoge's demand; they are fearful that the eight children will die if Linoge is not satisfied, a threat tacked on to them drowning themselves. Over Mike's arguments, the town gives in to Linoge's demand. Using a random drawing organized by Linoge (choosing the odd colored stone, Ralphie Anderson (Mike and Molly's son) is chosen. At that, Linoge removes Ralphie from the town over Mike and Molly's emotional breakdowns.

In the film's epilogue, Mike explains (in voiceover narration) that the community of Little Tall, which specializes in keeping secrets, has tried to heal from the traumatic events by attempting to return to a state of normalcy. The epilogue reveals that Molly, who is now remarried to Mike's deputy, has been going to therapy, in which she continues to deny what really happened to her son but admits (for reasons she refuses to specify) that Mike was right to leave her. Mike, meanwhile, is working as a federal marshal stationed in San Francisco, when he spots Linoge and Ralphie on a busy street. Mike is horrified to see that Ralphie is starting to take on some of Linoge's demonic characteristics. However, before Mike has a chance to react, he loses them both in the crowd.

ee also

*List of Stephen King films

External links

*imdb title|id=0135659|title=Storm of the Century
* [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:179424 All Movie Guide entry for "Storm of the Century"]