Christine

April 11, 2016

Christine

****½

A washed up car needing a new owner gets her guy...and seduces him!

I must admit that it bothers me when I watch John in interviews talking about this film as basically "a job". I just think it is a damn good picture. It really does bring a homicidal, " jealous" car to life. But to me it is the brilliant performance from Keith Gordon that gives the film its tragic heart and soul. The gentle, sweet nerdy kid just wanting to have his own ride, a serious girlfriend, and be respected by his peers gradually transitioning into this dark spirit seemingly corrupted by Christine, the 58 Plymouth with a strange "romantic" hold on its owners, is a virtuoso performance perhaps considered right up there with Jeff Bridges in Starman in regards to acting in a John Carpenter film.

The thing is, Carpenter’s film eyes the struggles of being a teenager that seemed so important in the Stephen King novel and ascertains Christine is able to eventually claim its next devotee due to his crumbling grip on what is important as opposed to what seems important but really isn’t: the girlfriend arrives in the form of the lovely Alexandra Paul (eventually of Baywatch fame) deeply caring for him despite his behavioral setbacks, parents who might appear to be quite controlling but ultimately have his best interests at heart and simply want him to maintain a respect for their roles as his custodian, a true friend (John Stockwell) who is seriously concerned that he’s losing the buddy he has spent trips to school, during hall breaks, and rides home afterward with, and a future where his intelligence will benefit him economically (and maybe even socially; high school may produce its bullies but often those with the brains get the last laugh) are in a clear jeopardy thanks to Christine, wanting her man all to herself, with no interference from the pesky figures once so serious in his life.

The loss of innocence and the corrupting influence of the car that supplements the missing hole needing filled in a highly emotional current teenage situation (parents who neglect to tap into his antisocial school situation and understand why he feels he could finally get a car and park in their “precious” driveway, being bullied by a trio of intimidating punks with no career outlook besides getting into reckless trouble and probably winding up serial visitors to jail once the twenties greet them less than warmly, and the need for companionship with “a woman” which eventually arrives in Paul but corresponds not too effectively thanks to the “other girl” so disrespected by everyone due to how Christine is taking away the Arnie those that love him hold so dear) I think Carpenter and his cast bring to life quite impressively. So I don’t think Carpenter should just dismiss this as a reason to continue making movies when it covers material quite suitable for those who can relate to Arnie’s plight. Those that love him losing him to the girl who appeals to that dark side side, Arnie gives over to Christine scene by scene, with Carpenter and Gordon producing a change in performance and look certainly conveying what was elaborated by the car’s former owner, played by Roberts Blossom (a superb character actor), when talking about how his brother cared less about how his loved ones were destroyed by it and more for her welfare. Identifying the angst of a nerd similar to the Christians thrown to the lions (Arnie sent into the school, sheltered by parents who seem unable to realize just how difficult it is for their son to face day after day in the role of the teenage geek, dressed by them and given little freedom to make his own decisions) in the arena with three bullies who live to give him grief (bullies do this: their own pitiful lives have such little meaning that causing mischief and fear towards others is the only way to circumvent their current inconsequential future). How Carpenter and Gordon coincide the life in high school for Arnie and his relationship with a car everyone seems (rightfully) jealous of (and vice versa)—this ongoing drama that plays itself out in Greek tragic form—is a real treat, I think, that perhaps gains notice the longer it plays on cable or satellite, just waiting for reevaluation and new audiences.

The music Carpenter includes with the rock fittingly applied for the time the story takes place, truly befitting the emotional roller coaster of Arnie’s journey and how Christine operates to hold onto him and get even with those who threaten their “love and bond” is another key attribute I consider underrated. In fact, Christine has one of my alltime favorite Carpenter scores. I remember working night shift back in October 2015, grooving to the film’s soundtrack, replaying the film in my head and its highlights—including just what Christine is capable of and how Arnie, his friend, the girl who cares about him, and the parents who failed to understand the agony and disappointment of the everyday plaguing their son are forever changed by the “damned car”—reaffirming its status in my mind as a classic deserved of a second look.

Kelly Preston, the hot blond surprisingly overlooked for Alexandra Paul.

I recall as a kid the film’s reputation. It was quite received as a creepy film not to watch alone at night. Now maybe that might not be the case anymore, but I return to how that resonated with a child curious with such a statement. Carpenter treating us to Christine reshaping its damaged carcass into a fine vehicular machine after the bullies had incapacitated her (including defecation!) with sledgehammers and blades is incredible even for 1983, and the way his camera exploits its radio just coming on when those around it are unwelcome and its ominous design (and the shot of its nose in closeup (hood, headlights, grill, and iconic Plymouth insignia) seemingly an expression of disapproval and rage when crossed the wrong way). I can’t help but look at Christine as a living, breathing force of nature not to be crossed…and Carpenter deserves credit for making that happen. But without Gordon and a fun cast of young faces as the backdrop of his decline, I can’t imagine this film being as long-lasting…

One of my favorite scenes in the film shows the near complete transformation of Arnie, as he issues a challenge to the wreckage of Christine to "show him" if she could repair herself.