Firestarter (1984)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Mark L. Lester

Writers:

Stephen King (novel)
Stanley Mann (writer)

Release Date:

11 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

She has the power . . . an evil destructive force.

Plot:

A couple who participated in a potent medical experiment gain telekinetic ability and then have a child who is pyrokinetic.

Plot Keywords:

Experiment | Fire | Government | Child | Doctor

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

David Keith	...	Andrew 'Andy' McGee
Drew Barrymore	...	Charlene 'Charlie' McGee
Freddie Jones	...	Doctor Joseph Wanless
Heather Locklear	...	Victoria 'Vicky' Tomlinson McGee
Martin Sheen	...	Captain Hollister
George C. Scott	...	John Rainbird
Art Carney	...	Irv Manders
Louise Fletcher	...	Norma Manders
Moses Gunn	...	Doctor Pynchot
Antonio Fargas	...	Taxi Driver
Drew Snyder	...	Orville Jamieson
Curtis Credel	...	Bates
Keith Colbert	...	Mayo
Dick Warlock	...	Knowles (as Richard Warlock)
Jeff Ramsey	...	Steinowitz

Runtime:

114 min | Germany:101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:18 (original rating) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Norway:16 (heavily cut) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Spain:13 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Lake Lure, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

The book "Creepshows" by Stephen Jones says that David Keith was 14th choice.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Charlie sends the water valve flying across the barn during her confrontation with Rainbird, you can see the wire pulling it into the side of the barn.

Quotes:

Doctor Joseph Wanless: Ever since this child was born, her father has been trying to inhibit her use of those powers. But what if his control had weakened now?
Captain Hollister: Why would he lose control, now, after all those years?
Doctor Joseph Wanless: Ask yourself this question. How exhausting must it have been for Victoria and Andrew McGee when this child was an infant? The bottle is late, the baby cries, and at that moment, one of her toys right there in the crib beside her bursts into smokey flame.
Captain Hollister: Joe, she's just a little girl. She can light fires, yes. But you're making her sound like Armageddon!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Drew Barrymore/Lily Allen (#32.12)" (2007)

Pyromania chiller with little bite.

Firestarter the movie and Firestarter the novel (written, of course, by Stephen King) have a common hindrance. Both are fine for their first half, with plenty of pace and action and even a few scares. But both book and film peter off in their second half, as the chase scenario which dominates the opening segment becomes a slow, tedious and frequently unconvincing cat-and-mouse affair set in a secret scientific centre known as The Shop.

David Keith is a strange choice for Andy McGee, a father with mysterious powers (courtesy of an experiment gone wrong) whose daughter Charlie has even greater powers which enable her to set objects alight at will. The Shop want her so that they can kill her, as they have reason to believe she has no true control over her powers and may one day inadvertently nuke the planet Earth. As Charlie, Drew Barrymore is reasonably good, especially in the scenes where she gets mad and starts off a blaze. Best performance of the lot comes from George C. Scott, as a seemingly educated assassin who occasionally says something which hints that he well and truly out of his mind. It's a calculated and chilling display. Less worthy are the roles of Freddie Jones (bizarre and exaggerated) and Martin Sheen (bland and boring).

I would say that Firestarter is worth catching if you're a fan of King or Barrymore, and although I shouldn't say this I'm sure pyromaniacs will revel in it. However, for the discerning audience there's little here worth making a special effort to see. It just comes and goes like the wind and, for want of a better word, doesn't really ignite.