The Stepfather (2009)

The Stepfather is a 2009 remake of the 1987 American thriller film of the same name. The original was directed by Joseph Ruben. The remake was directed by Nelson McCormick. The original film was shot from a script by Donald Westlake.

Plot
Michael Harding returns home from military school to find his mother Susan, happily in love with a man known as David Harris. He seems like the perfect father and husband to everyone; except Michael, who suspects that he isn't quite the man he seems to be.

Along with his girlfriend Kelly, his father Jay, and Susan's friends, 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. As people who realize of the inadequacies of David's story start mysteriously dying or disappear systematically, Michael is convinced his soon-to-be stepfather is behind them. After finding his father's body in the basement, Michael sets out to save his family and girlfriend before they become David's latest victims.

In the end of their fight, David pulls Michael off the roof of their house and both are left unconscious. After being in a coma for a month Michael finds out from his girlfriend and his mom that David escaped when the police showed up. The scene switches to The Stepfather working in a different area with a different name and he ends up meeting another woman with children.

Cast

 * Dylan Walsh as David Harris/Grady Edwards/Gregory Sykes/Chris Ames/The Stepfather
 * Sela Ward as Susan Harding
 * Penn Badgley as Michael Harding
 * Amber Heard as Kelly Porter
 * Sherry Stringfield as Leah
 * Paige Turco as Jackie Kerns
 * Jon Tenney as Jay Harding
 * Nancy Linehan Charles as Mrs. Cutters
 * Marcuis Harris as Detective Shay
 * Braeden Lemasters as Sean Harding
 * Deirdre Lovejoy as Detective Tylar
 * Skyler Samuels as Beth Harding

Production
The film was distributed by Screen Gems. Filming was completed on April 15, 2008.

Reception
The film has received generally negative reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 11% of 56 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 3.4 out of 10. The site's general consensus is that "This tepid remake of the 1987 cult classic lacks the tension and satirical undercurrents of the original." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 1–100 reviews from film critics, has a rating score of 33 based on 11 reviews. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote of the film being "a piece, a handsome, thoughtfully crafted production that generates a mounting terror securely anchored by assured performances, consistent psychological persuasiveness and believable dialogue."

The film opened #5 grossing $11,581,586 in 2,734 theaters with an average of $4,236. At a budget of $20 million, the film grossed $29,062,561 in the United States and Canada and $2,023,025 in other territories, with a worldwide total of $31,178,915.

Casting
Terry O'Quinn, who portrayed The Stepfather in the first two installments of the series, was approached by director Nelson McCormick to appear in the remake, but according to producer Mark Morgan, O'Quinn turned down the offer.

Release
It was released in cinemas on October 16, 2009. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is scheduled to release the Special Unrated Edition of the DVD and Blu-ray in hi-def on February 9, 2010.