Firestarter
Movie, 1984, The '70s and '80s, Set in Charlie on the run
Firestarter is #9 of 42 in release order and #6 of 42 in chronological order in the Stephen King Universe.
The story
Charlene "Charlie" McGee 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 which wants to destroy her?
Firestarter recap
Firestarter (1984) follows Charlie McGee, an eight-year-old who can start fires with her mind, on the run with her father from a secret government agency. Mark L. Lester directs Drew Barrymore as Charlie and David Keith as her father Andy, who can push people's minds. Andy and his wife Vicky gained their powers in a college experiment run by The Shop, which killed Vicky and now wants Charlie. Captain Hollister (Martin Sheen) sends John Rainbird (George C. Scott), a scarred assassin, after them. Father and daughter shelter with a farming couple, the Manders, but Charlie's fire wrecks the farm when agents attack. The Shop captures them and keeps them apart at its base in Virginia. Rainbird poses as a kind orderly to win Charlie's trust and coax her into tests, intending to kill her when the studies are done.
Firestarter ending explained
Firestarter ends with Charlie destroying the Shop's compound. As father and daughter are reunited in the stables, Rainbird shoots Andy, and Charlie kills Rainbird and burns the base to the ground. Andy dies telling her to make sure no one can do this again. Charlie returns to the Manders farm and later walks into the New York Times to tell her story.
Post-credits scenes
No. Firestarter has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Firestarter
Firestarter is streaming on fuboTV and Paramount+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 40%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Children of the Corn, before Stand by Me.
- Chronological order: after Children of the Corn, before The Running Man.
What to watch before Firestarter
In release order, the essentials before Firestarter (1984) are Carrie (1976), Salem's Lot (1979), Creepshow (1982), Christine (1983), and Children of the Corn (1984).
Cast
- Drew Barrymore as Charlie McGee
- David Keith as Andrew McGee
- Freddie Jones as Dr. Joseph Wanless
- Heather Locklear as Vicky McGee
- Martin Sheen as Captain Hollister
- George C. Scott as John Rainbird
- Art Carney as Irv Manders
- Louise Fletcher as Norma Manders
- Moses Gunn as Dr. Pynchot
- Antonio Fargas as Taxi Driver
- Drew Snyder as Orville Jamieson
- Curtis Credel as Bates
Directed by Mark L. Lester.