The Stepfather (1987)

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers:

Carolyn Lefcourt (story) &
Brian Garfield (story) ...

Release Date:

23 January 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Who Am I Here?

Plot:

A family-values man named Jerry Blake marries widows and divorcées with children in search of the perfect family...

Plot Keywords:

Daughter | Search | Widow | Neo Noir | Looking At Self In The Mirror

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Terry O'Quinn	...	Jerry Blake
Jill Schoelen	...	Stephanie Maine
Shelley Hack	...	Susan
Charles Lanyer	...	Dr. Bondurant
Stephen Shellen	...	Jim Ogilvie
Stephen E. Miller	...	Al Brennan
Robyn Stevan	...	Karen
Jeff Schultz	...	Paul Baker
Lindsay Bourne	...	Art Teacher
Anna Hagan	...	Mrs. Leitner
Gillian Barber	...	Anne Barnes
Blu Mankuma	...	Lt. Jack Wall
Jackson Davies	...	Mr. Chesterton
Sandra Head	...	Receptionist
Gabrielle Rose	...	Dorothy Rinehard

Also Known As:

Stepfather I

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) (VHS) | Australia:M | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1988) | France:-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Cinematographer John Lindley was hired as a last minute replacement for the original director of photography who was arrested in a domestic dispute right before shooting was to start.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the film first opens, we see a paperboy toss the newspaper onto Jerry's lawn. It lands close to the perimeter of the lawn. But when Jerry emerges later and stops to pick up the newspaper, it is closer to the house.

Quotes:

Jerry Blake: Wait a minute, who am I here?
Sue: Jerry?
Jerry Blake: That's right. Jerry Blake. Thanks, honey.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Stepfather Chronicles (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Run Between the Raindrops

First-rate thriller

Nice guy (Terry O'Quinn) gets married to lovely wife (Shelley Hack) and her rebellious daughter (Jill Schoelen). He wants his family to be like "The Brady Bunch" or "Father Knows Best". However when his family doesn't live up to his expectations he brutally kills them, changes his identity and moves on to find another unmarried woman with kids. And he's getting tired of Hack and Schoelen...

Exceptional thriller. O'Quinn gives a top-notch performance as the killer. He's helped by a very intricate script. Those two combined make you understand why he kills and plays with your emotions--I found myself actually liking the guy (for a while). There isn't a lot of violence in this, but when it appears it's very sudden, extremely bloody and shocking.

The only liabilities here are Hack and Schoelen--they're pretty bad in their roles. But O'Quinn and the script more than make up for them.

A sadly forgotten thriller from the late 80s. Well worth catching.