After a two-year delay because of Orion Pictures’ financial problems, legendary writer/director George Romero’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Half was finally released in 1993. The affable filmmaker preferred to work in an independent setting and it would seem his somewhat difficult experience on this film helped cement that predilection. Notably, it was the last movie he made in his beloved Pittsburgh. April 23rd is the film’s 30th anniversary, so I thought I’d take a look back.
Literature professor Thad Beaumont (Oscar winner Timothy Hutton) has only ever achieved success writing nihilistic crime thrillers under the pen name of “George Stark.” His more highbrow efforts, written under his own name, have never found an audience. When a blackmailer named Fred Clawson (sleazy Robert Joy) threatens to reveal the truth about Stark’s books to the world, Thad decides to beat Clawson to the punch and make the reveal himself. Thad’s wife Liz (steadfast Amy Madigan) is the catalyst for this approach, as she’s observed Thad take on some of Stark’s nasty characteristics whenever he’s working on a Stark novel. However, after a photo shoot and cover story in a magazine where Thad symbolically buries Stark, people in Thad’s work orbit begin to be murdered.
Eventually, in a delightfully queasy flashback, it’s revealed that Thad had a parasitic twin in the womb. It would seem that this twin has now manifested in the physical world as the rugged and ruthless Stark (Hutton with a few light prosthetics). Clues at the murder scene all point to Thad, but Sheriff Alan Pangborn (fan favorite Michael Rooker) initially gives the unassuming writer some leeway. As the bodies pile up and the influence of the supernatural increases in the form of massive flocks of sparrows, it becomes clear that either Thad or Stark will soon be escorted to the land of the dead. Notable supporting roles belong to Julie Harris as Thad’s new age-y colleague, Beth Grant as Thad’s supportive mother, and prolific character actor Royal Dano in his final role as a cemetery caretaker.
Romero’s script does a pretty good job of transposing King’s story onto the screen, though I admit it’s been a while since I read the book. It should be noted that the plot is somewhat autobiographical, as King used the Richard Bachman pseudonym of “Richard Bachman” early in his career. Characters are distinctive and dialog is mostly naturalistic, while still retaining King’s particular rhythm. Some of the plot is ambiguous or vague, but considering the otherworldly underpinnings of the conceit, this didn’t really bother me. At just a hair over two hours, the narrative is given time to properly unfold without any drag in pacing.
Performances are all very solid. Hutton does a great job in dual roles, with Thad doing the dramatic heavy lifting as an average family man and Stark being deliciously sinister (think Robert Mitchum in The Night of the Hunter or Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear). Additionally, Rooker delivers a nicely understated performance and Harris is endearingly kooky.
Though shot on location by Tony Pierce-Roberts around Pittsburgh, King’s trademark New England aesthetic is maintained. I wouldn’t say this is a splatter film at all, but there are some very cool gore effects. The gruesome sequence that anchors the finale is memorable, imaginative, and effectively realized. Some of the other effects, especially those involving the flocks of sparrows, are showing their age. Even at the time, Romero was very disappointed with their realization, as he indicates in the Scream Factory blu ray retrospective that wrangling live birds proved exceptionally frustrating. Another interesting tidbit from that look back is that seemingly many people on set did not enjoy working with Hutton. Christopher Young’s score is evidently counter to what Romero initially imagined for the piece, but it does a solid job of being eerie and evoking dread.
The Dark Half is a middle-of-the-pack George Romero flick and Stephen King adaptation. That being said, it has pretty much flown under the radar since its debut. So, I kind of think of it as a bit of a hidden gem. It’s competently structured and filmed, features an intriguing hook, and gets the best out of a coterie of game performers. Recommended for fans of actors playing dual roles, writers as protagonists, and psychopomps.
Michael Cavender