Christine (4 Stars)

This was a gap in my film education. Today is the first time I've seen "Christine". I've wanted to watch it for years, but somehow I kept putting it off. How could I possibly have delayed watching one of John Carpenter's early films? It's based on a Stephen King novel, so it has to be good!

In 1957 a red Plymouth car was built by Chrysler in Detroit. Yes, many cars were made, but this one was different. It had a mind of its own. It slammed its hood shut on the hand of a worker inspecting the motor, and then it trapped another worker who sat inside it.

Fast forward 21 years to 1978. Arnie Cunningham is an awkward teenager who suffers from having strict parents. He sees a car for sale in an overgrown garden. It's the red Plymouth again, but it's battered and in a bad state. Against the advice of his best friend Dennis he pays $250 for the car. It belonged to a man who recently died, and his brother tells him the car's name is Christine. Supposedly the owner was obsessed with the car and loved it more than anything else, even more than his wife and daughter, both of whom died in the car.

Arnie seems to be caught up in the same obsession. He neglects Dennis and his other friends for weeks while he repairs the car. Finally it looks as good as new, but it's not just the car that's changed. Arnie no longer wears spectacles, and he's brimming with self confidence. He's dating Leigh, the most beautiful girl in school. He tries to make out with her in the car, but she's afraid of it. She senses that something is wrong.

Soon we see that Christine can drive by herself. She hunts down the boys who bully Arnie and kills them. She can also repair herself. She can slam into other cars, then look perfect again within minutes. Arnie loves Christine, but Christine also loves Arnie.

The plot sounds ridiculous on paper, but it's a mark of a good director that while the film is running I never questioned it. I was even cheering for Christine when she was killing the bad boys. They got what they deserved.

The film doesn't explain how Christine came to be a sentient being. It just happens. I wonder if Stephen King's novel is more explicit on the subject. It's happened in other cases that his exposition is omitted from a film to improve the pacing. I've only read about half a dozen of Stephen King's books. Maybe I should read more.

Success Rate:  + 0.1

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