Firestarter is a 1984 movie which deals with telekinetic abilities. The storyline involves a government experiment in which 10 participants are given injections of experimental drugs which would give them psychic abilities. Eight of the experiment participants died or committed suicide. Two lone participants, Andy and Victoria, survive.
Victoria’s psychic abilities are never discussed in depth. We only know that she can read Andy’s mind. Andy’s abilities are shown to be extensive, including moving inanimate objects, causing people to go blind, and mind control. Andy and Victoria have a psychic bond and get married and have a child, Charlene “Charlie.” Charlie inherits dramatic psychic abilities from her parents. She is able to start fires, sometimes out of her control, on any objects or persons which she hates. Andy and Victoria try to control their child’s abilities. Their home is filled with fire extinguishers.
Eventually the government becomes wise to this family’s psychic abilities and tries to capture them. Victoria is killed by government agents, sending Andy and Charlie on the run from the agents.
This was Drew Barrymore’s next big role after E.T. Many of her fans no doubt went to see Firestarter thinking it would be another cutesy E.T. movie and instead got a psycholocial thriller. There is nothing cutesy about this movie.
Andy is played by David Keith, who could have easily been a 80s version of Patrick Swayze in mannerisms and speech.
The movie itself could have been developed more. Instead of having a large portion of the movie being Andy and Charlie’s capture by the government, instead it should have been how they escape from the government. It’s a good 80s movie and decently done for its time.