The Stepfather

October 16th, 2009







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The Stepfather

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Still of Sela Ward in The StepfatherStill of Penn Badgley in The StepfatherSela Ward at event of The StepfatherStill of Penn Badgley in The StepfatherStill of Nelson McCormick in The StepfatherStill of Dylan Walsh in The Stepfather

Plot
Michael returns home from military school to find his mother happily in love and living with her new boyfriend. As the two men get to know each other, he becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand.

Release Year: 2009

Rating: 5.4/10 (11,538 voted)

Critic's Score: 33/100

Director: Nelson McCormick

Stars: Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward

Storyline
Michael returns home from military school to find his mother happily in love and living with her new boyfriend. As the two men get to know each other, he becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand.

Writers: J.S. Cardone, Donald E. Westlake

Cast:
Dylan Walsh - David Harris
Sela Ward - Susan Harding
Penn Badgley - Michael Harding
Amber Heard - Kelly Porter
Sherry Stringfield - Leah
Paige Turco - Jackie Kerns
Jon Tenney - Jay Harding
Nancy Linehan Charles - Mrs. Cutter
Marcuis Harris - Detective Shay
Braeden Lemasters - Sean Harding
Deirdre Lovejoy - Detective Tylar
Skyler Samuels - Beth Harding
Blue Deckert - Captain Mackie
Jason Wiles - Dylan Bennet
Kara Ortiz - Real Estate Assistant (as Kara Briola)

Taglines: Daddy's home.



Details

Official Website: Official site [France] | Official site [Mexico] |

Release Date: 16 October 2009

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

Opening Weekend: $11,581,586 (USA) (18 October 2009) (2734 Screens)

Gross: $28,802,131 (USA) (15 November 2009)



Technical Specs

Runtime:



Did You Know?

Trivia:
Terry O'Quinn, the star of The Stepfather, was offered a cameo role in this film but he turned it down.

Goofs:
Continuity: Whenever David went down for lemonade and was talking to Kelly, the sweat stain on his shirt disappears.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Leah: One female in her late 30s, three minors. Multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.



User Review

Doesn't have the subtlety of the original but still an enjoyable remake

Rating: 6/10

"The Stepfather" is a remake of the 1987 cult classic by the same name staring Terry O'Quinn. The story begins with Michael Harding (Penn Badgley) returning home from military school to find his mother (Sela Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David (Dylan Walsh). As the two men get to know each other, Michael becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand. Is he really who he says he is or could David be hiding a dark side ? Along with his girlfriend Kelly (Amber Heard), his father Jay (Jon Tenney), and Susan's friends (Paige Turco and Sherry Stringfield), they slowly start to piece together the mystery of the man who is set to become his stepfather, but they may be too late in getting to the truth... In the last decade we've witnessed a lot of remakes and spin offs, most of them unnecessary, and that's the case with this film. And the reason why it is unnecessary, is because it doesn't add anything to the original besides a groovy soundtrack. The film doesn't really have a voice of its own, instead it's almost a play by play remake with a few differences to make it up to date. Despite being unnecessary, this remake is still quite enjoyable, however, it doesn't have the subtlety of the original and also Terry O'Quinn was much better as a protagonist then Dylan Walsh. O'Quinn had more charisma and delivered his lines with much more impact. And then there's a few things that drag the film down, like the sexualization of Amber Heard ( numerous shots of the young actress in her bikini and underwear, which I wouldn't mind, had it been done more tastefully instead of being a deliberate attempt to please the male audience), plus the poorly done makeovers of David and the lesbian subplot which made absolute no sense to me and seemed out of place. Despite all this, The Stepfather is still a nice little thriller and quite enjoyable, just know that the original is far better.

6/10





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