Encyclopedia of Fantasy (1997)
Firestarter

Tagged: Film.

US movie (1984). Universal/Dino De Laurentiis. Produced by Frank Capra Jr. Directed by Mark L Lester. Special effects: Jeff Jarvis, Mike Wood. Screenplay by Stanley Mann. Based on Firestarter (1980) by Stephen King. Starring: Drew Barrymore (Charlie McGee), Art Carney (Irv Manders), Antonio Fargas (Taxi Driver), Louise Fletcher (Norma Manders), Moses Gunn (Dr Herman Pynchot), Freddie Jones (Dr Joseph Wanless), David Keith (Andy McGee), Heather Locklear (Vicky McGee), George C Scott (John Rainbird), Martin Sheen (Captain Hollister). 114 mins. Colour.

Vicky and Andy met when paid subjects of an experiment on a supposed hallucinogen done by The Shop, a covert US Government agency; as a result they gained moderate psi Talents of telepathy. Their daughter Charlie inherits these talents in extreme form, and is capable of pyrokinesis – indeed, she has difficulty controlling it. Agents of The Shop try to seize her, killing Vicky; Andy and Charlie go on the run but are eventually captured by The Shop's psychopathic assassin Rainbird. Charlie's last act before escaping is to ignite The Shop's HQ and large numbers of its employees.

This all sounds very familiar if one knows The Fury (1976) by John Farris or the movie based on it, The Fury (1978); it has been reported that King wrote his version because dissatisfied with that movie's treatment of the theme. It is ironic, then, that Firestarter is certainly the lesser of the two movies – and lesser, too, than Carrie (1976). Although the climactic scene of the small girl advancing slowly across The Shop's estate spreading devastation on all sides is curiously impressive, and although Scott is good as the genial psychopath, Firestarter lacks original ideas. [JG]

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