In May of 1984, just a few months after Stephen King’s “Children of the Corn” was released, “Firestarter” came to theaters. Starring the young Drew Barrymore who was just coming off her big break in “E.T.” “Firestarter” did not perform terribly well at the box office just barely making its money back, but it the years since it has more than made enough.
David Keith plays Andy McGee you average dude who looks a lot like Patrick Swayze. In his college days, Andy and 9 others take part in an experimental drug trial run by a secret government agency called The Shop. There he meets his future wife Vicky, played by Heather Locklear. The drug called “Lot 6” is administered to some while others just get a placebo. Andy and Vickie discover they can talk to each other through telepathy, while the other subjects have more violent reactions.
Years later Andy and Vicky have an eight-year-old girl named Charlene or Charlie (Barrymore), who also has special powers. She can start fires when she gets angry. Andy and Vicky have been constantly on the run from The Shop agents who want to terminate the two remaining subjects of the failed experiment. They do however desperately want Charlie before she can fully develop and control her powers, which could literally destroy the world. The Shop is led by Martin Sheen’s character Captain Hollister and his right-hand man John Rainbird played by George C. Scott. John gets to Vicky and is killed while Andy and Charlie are eventually captured. They are both put through a series of tests and John goes undercover to gain Charlie’s affections. He ends up coming off a creepy pedophile uncle. This film has numerous flaws and just utter craziness that makes it my opinion a complete misfire.
“Firestarter” felt a lot a really bad version of “Carrie”. A young girl with telepathic powers that will be fully realized at puberty and ends in a fiery Armageddon. The acting is completely over the top and ridiculous especially from Sheen and Scott. While attempting to capture Charlie a team of silver-suited spacemen from the 1950s runs after her. I get it they are supposed to be fire suits but it just looks super cheesy and low rent. Although the fire and effects were good for the time, I’m sure they could make an effective remake of the film. Drew Barrymore is quite the little actress and outdoes all of her older counterparts.
With all of Stephen King films released in the 1980s, “Firestarter” in my mind was a miss. They can’t all be classics, but for some people, they do have a nostalgic love for the film. A year later in 1985 Drew has another part in the Stephen King anthology film “Cat’s Eye”. If you looking for “Firestarter” it does have a special edition Blu-ray release from Shout Factory.