The Stepfather (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Stepfather


image_size =
caption = film poster
director = Joseph Ruben
producer = Jay Benson
writer = Carolyn Lefcourt
Brian Garfield
Donald E. Westlake
starring = Terry O'Quinn
Jill Schoelen
Shelley Hack
music = Patrick Moraz
cinematography = John Lindley
editing = George Bowers
distributor = New Century
released = January 23, 1987
runtime = 89 minutes
language = English
country = USA
budget =
gross = $2,488,740
preceded_by =
followed_by = "Stepfather II"
website =
amg_id = 1:46825
imdb_id = 0094035

"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.

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.

Main cast

*Terry O'Quinn — Jerry Blake/The Stepfather
*Jill Schoelen — Stephanie Maine
*Shelley Hack — Susan Maine

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. cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=stepfather.htm|title=The Stepfather|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=2008-07-30] The film was included in Bravo's "100 Scariest Movie Moments" on spot #70. [cite web|title=100 Scariest Movie Moments Countdown|url=http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml|accessmonthday=May 24|accessyear=2008] 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". cite news|first=Roger|last=Ebert|authorlink=Roger Ebert|title=The Stepfather|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19870302/REVIEWS/703020302/1023|date=1987-03-02|accessdate=2008-07-30] Joseph Ruben, the director of this film, was honoured with the Critics award at the 1988 Cognac Festival. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Cognac_Festival_du_Film_Policier/1988|title=Cognac Festival du Film Policier: 1988|publisher=The Internet Movie Database|accessmonthday=May 24|accessyear=2008] 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". [cite web|title=The Stepfather (1987) |work=Who Am I Here?|url=http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/classic/stepfather.shtml|first=Jeffrey M|last=Anderson|accessmonthday=May 24|accessyear=2008] The film was also nominated for the International Fantasy Film Award for Best Film at the 1990 Fantasporto [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Fantasporto/1990|title=Fantasporto: 1990|publisher=The Internet Movie Database|accessdate=2008-07-30]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0094035|title=The Stepfather