The Stepfather (1987)

After murdering his entire family, a man marries a widow with a teenage daughter in another town and prepares to do it all over again.

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writers:

Carolyn Lefcourt (story), Brian Garfield (story)

Stars:

Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	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 (Terry O'Quinn) 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 (Shelley Hack), who sees him as the ideal surrogate father for her teenage daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen), 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:

serial killer | murder of family | fake identity | shower | stepfather stepdaughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jill Schoelen (Stephanie Maine) claimed she was so disturbed from filming the violent final act, she had recurring nightmares for a week about being chased by Terry O'Quinn (Terry O'Quinn). These nightmares occurred as a re-enactment of the scene she was filming at the time.

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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 Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story Of The VHS Collector (2013)

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Soundtracks

Run Between the Raindrops
(1985)
Performed by Pat Benatar
Music and Lyrics by Myron Grombacher (as M. Grombacher) and Neil Giraldo (as N. Geraldo)
Published by Tyreach Music/Neil Geraldo Music Co./Rare Blue Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Chrysalis Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Great Performances in Nice Gem

The Stepfather (1987)

*** (out of 4)

Troubled teenager Stephanie (Jill Schoelen) is still suffering the side effects of her father's death a year earlier but things don't get any better when her mother (Shelley Hack) marries a new man (Terry O'Quinn). Stephanie thinks there's something wrong with Jerry but she doesn't realize that he's actually a serial killer who gets rid of his "family" after they disappoint him.

THE STEPFATHER pretty much came out of nowhere when it was released and became a nice little hit for the studio. There are certainly elements of various movies rolled up here but there's no question that the film works wonders especially with the terrific performances and some intense scenes towards the end. The movie certainly isn't flawless and at times it shows it's B-budget but it's still a nice gem that has plenty going for it.

I think the greatest thing is the fact that O'Quinn is simply brilliant in his role. The first time we see him we see the aftermath of his brutal murders and yet the actor is so charming in the part and so charming to his new family that you can't help but like him. O'Quinn is so believable in the part that you easily forget that you're actually watching a cold-blooded monster. Once the character begins to crack, O'Quinn doesn't miss a beat. Schoelen is also extremely good in her role and is quite believable as the teen who just knows something isn't right. Hack, Charles Lanyer and Stephen Shellen are also good in their parts.

The film has some nice tension throughout and especially the finale, which packs a nice little punch. As I said, the film certainly isn't flawless as there are some pacing issues that make the film move a bit too slow but this here doesn't take away from all the good stuff. I'd also say some of the sync music score could have been thrown away. Still, THE STEPFATHER contains some terrific performances that makes it worth watching.

Details

Country:

UK Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stepfather I

Filming Locations:

Edgemont Village, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$260,587, 25 January 1987

Gross USA:

$2,488,740

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,488,740

Company Credits

Production Co:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1