The Stepfather (2009)

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The Stepfather (2009)

June 1st 2010 01:27

My experience of watching The Stepfather back in 1987 is still vivid. It's an impressively tense psychological horror movie with a stand-out performance from Terry O’Quinn as the titular character. A cult classic now, and every reason to be.

So of course now there's a re-imagining, or re-boot, or whatever the hell they call it these days. It’s a damn remake, okay? Leave the original alone, it worked a treat, it weren’t broke, it don’t need “fixing”. But hey, Hollywood loves to milk a cash cow ‘til it’s dry. Curiously, and wisely, Terry O’Quinn turned down the offer to make a cameo in the remake. He knows when not to tarnish a cult classic any more than it is being done already.

Dylan Walsh as patriachal psychopath David

However, as unnecessary as The Stepfather (2009) remake is, it’s actually not a badly made movie. For a PG-13 flick. The casting is good, the performances and direction solid. But it lacks the nuances, the subtlety of the original. And as good as Dylan Walsh is as the new man about the house, he doesn’t quite possess the same nonchalant menace as O’Quinn delivered in Joseph Ruben’s frightening original.

Penn Badgley as Michael

The screenplay by J.S. Cardone, who wrote and directed the disappointing zombie flick Wicked Little Things (2006) and the desert vampires tale The Forsaken (2001) seems to be fast-becoming the remake-writer for hire, as he also penned the Prom Night (2008) re-jiggle as well. Cardone takes huge liberties with Donald E. Westlake’s tight and tense script, making major changes and omissions with characters. Some of the changes are curious, others are far less interesting.

Amber Heard as Kelly

Michael Harding (Penn Badgley, another sterling American celebrity name) has returned home from military school to find that his mother is about to tie-the-knot quick pronto with the slyly charming David Harris (Jerry Blake in the original). Michael’s girlfriend Kelly (Amber Heard) doesn’t seem at all bothered by David in the same way Michael is. Neither does Susan (Sela Ward), who’s gonna marry the guy. It seems the only other people who are concerned at David’s murky background and all-too-nice behaviour are Michael’s real dad, Jay (Jon Tenney), and Susan’s sister Jackie (Paige (Turco) and her partner Leah (Sherry Springfield).

The Stepfather (2009) Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Paige Turco, Sherry Springfield

To happy new families! David, Susan (Sela Ward), sister Jackie (Paige Turco) and girlfriend Leah (Sherry Springfield)

So the daughter’s been changed to a son, who has a gf, plus there are two other siblings, and an aunt and her lesbian lover, and gone is the psychiatrist and brother of the previously murdered wife. Okay, whatever floats your boat Cardone, but personally I thought the emotionally unstable daughter and her relationship with her shrink was a great sub-plot. I also loved the sub-plot of the hero brother doing his darnedest to rescue the next family and stop the psychopathic family man. These are some of the elements that made the original so original. The remake becomes far more ordinary and predictable.

Jon Tenney plays suspicious ex-husband Jay

That’s not to say this new version doesn’t have some particularly suspenseful scenes, especially one where Michael and Kelly go snooping around David’s belongings, and another when Michael hears the mobile phone of one of the victims ringing in the basement.

The Stepfather Penn Badgley and Amber Heard

Nothing like a huge backyard pool to temporarily escape the inevitable

It has to be noted that Amber Heard spends most of her time lounging around in either in a bikini or her underwear. Um, hello pervy director! But hell, I’m not complaining, just making an observation. It sticks out, and although Amber’s a good actor, she’s given a pretty thankless role, the same of which can be said of Sela Ward’s role, while the two younger kids in the family barely get a look in. The focus is more on the menacing of Michael, just as the focus in the original was on the vulnerability of the daughter. The body count is higher in this remake too, with David cutting loose on a couple more occasions. Gotta keep up with the Joneses!

That's the spirit! Kelly tells David where to shove it

The Stepfather is left wide open for the sequel, of which the original’s was just as unnecessary. Will Dylan Walsh return? I’m sure he relished playing a big screen arch-villain after several years of playing the good doctor on television. He made a surprisingly convincing evil bastard indeed.

Here's the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

8 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David O'Connell

June 1st 2010 04:44

20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic

Very disappointing Bryn, I have very fond teenage memories of seeing the original too (having often convinced my dad to borrow out films like this for me with assurances that they would do me no harm whatsoever! How wrong can you get!!

And how the hell did I ever sneak I Spit on Your Grave past him!!! Haha!! Sorry Dad!).

Anyway, J.S. Cardone really needs to grow some balls. Any writer who'd tackle these remakes and water them down to a PG-level is obviously clueless as to the target audience he should be aiming for.

Comment by Bryn

June 1st 2010 05:56

Horrorphile

David, I Spit on Your Grave, a title that needs a little Horrorphile spading.

Comment by Jason King

June 1st 2010 09:27

Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

God I loved the original Bryn - scared the hell out of me - will give this one a viewing one day.

It’s a damn remake, okay? Leave the original alone, it worked a treat, it weren’t broke, it don’t need “fixing”.

- perfectly put

Comment by Bryn

June 1st 2010 22:19

Horrorphile

It's the taming down of the adult horrors that is starting to really give me the shits.

Comment by ShaunK

June 2nd 2010 01:08

Screen Adventure

This remake really doesn't appeal to me Bryn. I've yet to see the original anyway - so I'll stick with that first.

Great writing as usual!

Comment by Bryn

June 2nd 2010 02:02

Horrorphile

Shaun, by all means watch the original first, although unavailable on DVD down under.

Comment by JohnDoe

June 2nd 2010 18:10

Film & TV on DVD

The straight to video original never struck the chord with me that others seem to have experienced. Seemed very by the numbers except for Terry's performance. maybe I needed to be from a broken home to appreciate it

The remake fails to excite and most of what has been written about it leads me to believe I may never even give it a chance.

Comment by Bryn

June 2nd 2010 22:47

Horrorphile

JD, I was lucky to see the original on the big screen and it was awesome. Yes it does possess an element of the TV movie, but for once, that actually works in its favour, as it plays on a false sense of suburban security. I'm surprised it never worked for you as it did for me.

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