Christine (1983)
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A bullied teenager's life is transformed when he acquires a sentient, malevolent 1958 Plymouth Fury.
The story
In 1978 Rockbridge, California, a bullied high school senior named Arnie Cunningham purchases a dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury from a local owner. Despite warnings from his friend about the car's dark history, Arnie begins to restore the vehicle at a nearby garage. As the car is restored, Arnie's personality begins to shift, becoming increasingly rebellious and arrogant. His parents and friends grow concerned as the mysterious car seems to exert a sinister influence over him, leading to a growing tension between his old life and the burgeoning, dangerous bond he shares with the sentient machine.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1957, a mysterious 1958 Plymouth Fury is involved in a series of accidents during production. In 1978, Arnie Cunningham, a bullied teen, buys the car and begins restoring it at a garage. The car, named Christine, is revealed to have a history of violence and death. As Arnie's personality becomes increasingly aggressive, he begins a relationship with a student named Leigh. After a series of incidents where the car's malevolence is revealed—including a near-fatal incident with Leigh and the destruction of a local gang—Arnie's ties to the car deepen. After the car kills the garage owner and several others, Arnie is initially cleared of suspicion by police. Eventually, Arnie, Leigh, and his friend Dennis attempt to destroy the car with a bulldozer. During the confrontation, the car's sentient nature is fully realized as it attacks them. Arnie is killed by the car while trying to reach it, and the car is finally destroyed by the others. The film ends with the survivors watching the remains of the car being crushed, while a faint sound of 1950s music suggests the car's spirit might still linger.
- First release year
- 1983
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Carpenter
- Writers
- Bill Phillips · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Keith Gordon · Arnie Cunningham; John Stockwell; Alexandra Paul; Robert Prosky; Harry Dean Stanton
- Genres
- supernatural horror; horror thriller
- Themes
- obsession; sentient machines
- Tone and mood
- horror; thriller
- Setting
- Rockbridge, California and Detroit, Michigan in 1957 and 1978.
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted vehicle; teen horror
- Source material / true-story basis
- Stephen King's 1983 novel
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was noted for its stylish direction and performances despite its absurd premise.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 69% · scale: percentage · review count: 120; Metacritic · score: 57 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Production trivia
- The film used several different Plymouth models to portray the car.; The car's restoration scenes were originally not planned but were added via special effects.; One of the original cars was rescued from a junkyard and restored.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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