Firestarter (1984), starring Drew Barrymore, David Keith, Heather Locklear, Martin Sheen, Art Carney, George C. Scott
Synopsis of Firestarter
Drew Barrymore stars as an eight-year-old girl with the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her power and the love of her father (David Keith) save her from the clandestine government agency, The Shop, that wants her destroyed? From the Stephen King novel.
Review of Firestarter
Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised by Firestarter. I originally viewed it since Art Carney was in it, and I was reviewing his movies. But even though he was only a secondary character, I was frankly pleased to watch it. At its’ heart, it’s the story of a young girl, Charlie, who has a deeply loving relationship with her father. And they’re on the run from a government.
Years ago, Charlie’s father and mother participated in a psychology experiment while in college. An experiment that had very unintended consequences. The couple both developed psychic abilities. And their child, Charlie, has them to a massive degree. So the government wants to capture her, and use her for their own purposes. And they’re extremely unscrupulous in how they do it.
Charlie and her father are on the run, and stay with a kind, older couple takes them in — Art Carney’s character and his wife. And the government comes onto their farm, and takes them by force. The father is drugged, to inhibit his abilities. And Charlie is being set up by a government agent, John Raintree, played well by George C. Scott. A manipulative, evil, psychotic man.
And Charlie’s abilities – pyrokinetic, the Firestarter of the title, is unleashed. I won’t say any more, expect to say that you should watch it for yourself.
Product Description
Firestarter, the unforgettable best-seller by esteemed horror author Stephen King, chronicles the extraordinary life of Charlene “Charlie” McGee. Eight-year-old Drew Barrymore stars as the child who has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from the threatening government agency, “The Shop,” that wants her destroyed? Filled with blazing special effects and featuring an all-star cast including Martin Sheen and Heather Locklear, Art Carney, Louise Fletcher and George C. Scott, Firestarter is a must-own film for any fan of the supernatural.
Cast of characters
- David Keith (Daredevil 2003) … Andrew McGee. Charlie’s loving father, who loves her and risks his own freedom, and life, for her.
- Drew Barrymore (E.T. the Extraterrestrial) … Charlie McGee. The central character. A young girl, on the run with her father.
- Freddie Jones (The Elephant Man, Krull) … Dr. Joseph Wanless.
- Heather Locklear (Return of the Swamp Thing) … Vicky McGee. Charlie’s dead mom. She’s seen in flashbacks.
- Martin Sheen (Badlands, Spawn) … Captain Hollister. The unscrupulous agent working for a mysterious government agent.
- George C. Scott (The Yellow Rolls-Royce, The Hustler) … John Rainbird. The untrustworthy, psychotic man used to get Charlie’s trust.
- Art Carney (The Honeymooners, Going in Style) … Irv Manders. The farmer who, along with his wife, become adoptive grandparents to Charlie.
- Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) … Norma Manders. Charlie’s adoptive grandmother.
- Moses Gunn (Rollerball) … Dr. Pynchot
[Updated December 29, 2022]