The Stepfather (1987)

A family-values man named Jerry Blake marries widows and divorcées with children in search of the perfect family. As soon as his new family members show signs of being human and not robots ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers:

Carolyn Lefcourt (story), Brian Garfield (story),

Stars:

Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terry O'Quinn	...	Jerry Blake
Jill Schoelen	...	Stephanie
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	...	Annie Barnes
Blu Mankuma	...	Lt. Jack Wall
Jackson Davies	...	Mr. Chesterton
Sandra Head	...	Receptionist
Gabrielle Rose	...	Dorothy Rinehard

Storyline

A family-values man named Jerry Blake marries widows and divorcées with children in search of the perfect family. As soon as his new family members show signs of being human and not robots who will march unquestioningly to his tune, his dreams of domestic bliss begin to crumble, and he kills them. Then he alters his appearance, assumes a new identity, and skips to another town to begin the deadly ritual all over again. He marries Susan Maine, who sees him as the ideal surrogate father for her teenage daughter Stephanie, and he is soon up to his old tricks when she proves to be too much of a troublesome teen to handle.

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Plot Keywords:

search | widow | daughter | blood on hand | cult film | 

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Taglines:

Jerry Blake loves taking care of the family. Any family.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1987 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Stepfather I

Filming Locations:

Edgemont Village, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Gross:

$2,488,740 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

When Jerry is trying to beat down the bathroom door to attack Stephanie, the mirror on the inside of the bathroom door breaks as Jerry is beating on the door from the outside. As Jerry finally breaks through the door, the mirror is show again, intact, before shattering a second time.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Sleeping Beauty"
(1985)
Performed by The Divinyls (as Divinyls)
Music and Lyrics by Christina Amphlett (as C. Amphlett) and Mark McEntee (as M. McEntee)
Published by Astute Lullaby Kings/Rare Blue Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Chrysalis Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Good thriller that stands the test of time

I saw this film a couple of days ago and I was pleasantly surprised.Even thought 22 years have passed since the movie came out and in that time the thriller genre has been (over)done countless times in all ways possible, The Stepfather stands the test of time still being quite effective as a thriller. Its a very enjoyable movie and unlike many movies of that decade it doesn't feel very dated. Terry O'Quinn (who you can now see doing a brilliant job in TV show Lost) plays Jerry Blake, a man who marries widows and divorcees with children in search of the perfect family. The problem is Jerry likes things to go his way which can cause friction. When things start to really bother him, Jerry kills the family, changes his appearance and moves to another town where he begins his crazy ritual again. Terry O'Quinn did a great job playing this sick and very twisted individual and I'm sure when the movie came out it must have caused quite a stir because it mocks a bit the American dream showing all this perfect families living in lovely houses in the suburbs not knowing a serial killer walks among them and what Blake searches is exactly that, the American dream, the perfect family, the house with the picket fence and so on. Overall ,the Stepfather is an entertaining, fast-paced and well directed thriller that you will most likely enjoy.

7/10