Storm
of the Century, alternatively known as Stephen King's Storm of the Century, is a 1999 American horror television miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. Unlike many other television adaptations of King's work, Storm of the Century was not based on a novel but was an original screenplay written by the author and directly produced for television. King described the screenplay as a "novel for television." The screenplay was published as a mass-market book in February 1999 prior to the TV broadcast of the mini-series.
Plot[]
A powerful blizzard hits the fictional small island town of Little Tall Island (also the setting of King's novel Dolores Claiborne) off the coast of Maine. The storm is so powerful that all access to the island is cut off and no one is able to leave. As the town prepares for the storm, tragedy strikes when elderly resident Martha Clarendon is brutally murdered by André Linoge (Colm Feore), a menacing stranger with a black cane decorated by a silver wolf's head. Linoge is arrested by supermarket manager and part-time constable Michael "Mike" Anderson (Timothy Daly) and his friend and deputy Alton "Hatch" Hatcher. As he is taken to his cell, Linoge makes passing remarks at nearby townspeople, revealing he knows secrets about all of them. Linoge gives no hint of his origins or motives, only vaguely saying, "Give me what I want, and I'll go away."
While imprisoned, Linoge affects the town by inflicting terrifying nightmares, driving people to commit suicide, and possessing a young man to force him to kill his girlfriend. When the man resists, Linoge takes control of the young woman instead, making her commit murder and then sing "I'm a little teapot." Later, Linoge reveals his true form as an ancient man dressed like a sorcerer and wielding a glowing staff. He easily leaves his cell after repeating to Hatch that he will go away when he gets what he wants. While looking for Linoge, Mike realizes the stranger's surname is an anagram for Legion, a collective group of demons exorcised by Jesus according to the Gospel of Mark and Gospel of Luke.
The next day, lost resident Angie Carver is discovered. She reveals Linoge kidnapped her and displayed magical abilities while claiming that if he does not get what he wants then he will cause mass suicides as he did at Roanoke Island, Virginia, centuries before. All eight of the town's young children (including Mike's son Ralphie) are then enchanted, singing "I'm a little teapot" at once before falling into a coma-like state. Linoge arrives at the town hall, claiming he will kill all eight children unless one of them is given to him. He reveals he is thousands of years old, but not immortal and is now dying and sick. He desires a protégé to raise and teach who can carry on his "work". He wishes the child to be freely given and promises the child will become like him, long-lived and powerful. He cannot simply take a child by force, but he can punish the town. If they refuse to give him one child, he threatens to force them all to die. He leaves the townspeople half an hour to make their decision.
Mike begs the town to refuse the request, arguing the villain is not all-powerful and may soon leave the town as the storm will if they just trust in God and their own power. He appeals to their common decency and points out they may be aiding an evil man who is willing to cause harm to a child. The other townspeople, including Mike's wife Molly, are too frightened of Linoge and think they have no choice. They argue this is not human sacrifice but rather an "adoption" and it is better to lose one child rather than all. Mike wishes to abstain from voting and take Ralphie away, but his friends stop him and Molly insists that being part of the town means they must accept Ralphie may be the child taken. Everyone but Mike votes in favor to give Linoge what he desires, and Hatch says he will see this is the right decision. Linoge arrives and has one parent of each child draw one of eight "weirding stones" that predate the sinking of Atlantis. Molly draws the lone black stone, marking Ralphie as the one who will be taken. Linoge transforms into his true form and thanks the town, suggesting they will be better off if they do not reveal his existence or this arrangement to the outside world. Mike tries to save Ralphie, but is held back by Hatch and other townsfolk who fear reprisal. Now regretting her choice, Molly shouts at Mike to help save Ralphie; but he cannot due to being restrained by the townspeople who also refuse to aid the now remorseful Molly. In anguish, Molly accuses Linoge of tricking them by fixing the result of the stones before attempting to attack him. Linoge knocks Molly aside and remarks that she and the townspeople may have all tricked themselves, adding that Ralphie will eventually call him "father." Carrying the child, Linoge flies off into the night.
The following summer, the thoroughly depressed Molly discusses her now failing marriage with a therapist and stresses the departure of Mike, lamenting that she is now losing the last thing she ever loved. She insists Ralphie was "lost in the storm" like others who died and refuses to discuss his death despite the therapist warning that pain will fester if she can't be honest. Molly says she now understands some wounds can't be cleaned out. Mike, unable to condone or accept the townspeople sacrificing his son along with their principles, leaves Little Tall. He promptly resigns as constable (ignoring the town's pleas for him to stay), divorces Molly, and decides to never return (though his narration reveals he does keep in contact with some of the residents). He settles in San Francisco, eventually becoming a US Marshal. As time passes, he hears of several in Little Tall committing suicide over the years. Hatch, now a widower, marries Molly; Mike wishes the best for them. Nine years after the storm, Mike notices an old man and a teenage boy on the sidewalk, both humming "I'm a little teapot." He recognizes the boy as an older Ralphie and both turn to face him, the old man resembling Linoge while the boy briefly hisses with a fanged mouth. Mike follows them, but they vanish in an alley. Mike considers telling Molly what he saw that day, but ultimately decides against it; it is implied he severs contact with Little Tall permanently. He sometimes wonders if this is the wrong decision, then admits in narration "in daylight, I know better."
Cast[]
- Tim Daly as Constable Michael "Mike" Anderson
- Debrah Farentino as Molly Anderson
- Dyllan Christopher as Ralph Emerick "Ralphie" Anderson
- Colm Feore as Andre Linoge
- Jeffrey DeMunn as Town Manager Robert "Robbie" Beals
- Nada Despotovich as Sandra "Sandy" Beals
- Spencer Breslin as Donny Beals
- Denis Forest as Kirk Freeman
- Nicky Guadagni as Jenna Freeman
- Julianne Nicholson as Katrina “Kat” Withers
- Casey Siemaszko as Alton "Hatch" Hatcher
- Soo Garay as Melinda Hatcher
- Skye McCole Bartusiak as Pippa Hatcher
- Ron Perkins as Peter Godsoe
- Becky Ann Baker as Ursula Godsoe
- Cayda Rubin as Sally Godsoe
- Nancy Beatty as Octavia Godsoe
- Richard Fitzpatrick as Jonas Stanhope
- Kathleen Chalfant as Joanna Stanhope
- Myra Carter as Cora Stanhope
- Rita Tuckett as Martha Claredon
- Christopher Marren as Henry Bright
- Tyler Bannerman as Frank Bright
- Adam Zolotin as Davey Hopewell
- Gaylyn Britton as Mary Hopewell
- Michael Rhoades as Stan Hopewell
- Steve Rankin as Jack Carver
- Torri Higginson as Angela Carver
- Stephen Joffe as Buster Carver
- Kay Tremblay as Robbie Beals' false mother
- Adam LeFevre as Ferd Andrews
- Peter MacNeill as Sonny Brautigan
- Beth Dixon as Tess Merchant
- Leif Anderson as Johnny Harriman
- Marcia Laskowski as Linda St. Pierre
- Harley English-Dixon as Heidi St. Pierre
- Gerard Parkes as Orville Boucher
- Richard Blackburn as Andy Robichaux
- Jeremy Jordan as William "Billy" Soames
- Lynne Griffin as Jane Kingsbury
Screenplay[]
The screenplay for the miniseries was written by Stephen King expressly for television. The screenplay was published as a mass-market book by Pocket Books just prior to the initial airing of Storm of the Century on ABC. The book included photographs of the TV mini-series. The book contains an introduction in which King describes the genesis of the idea as it occurred to him in late 1996. Beginning to write it in December 1996, he initially debated if the story should be either a novel or a screenplay. He described the result as a "novel for television." A hardcover edition was published concurrently by the Book of the Month Club.
Release and reception[]
Storm of the Century aired on ABC on February 14–18, 1999. It was released on DVD on June 22 the same year.
The miniseries was well received by critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes counts six positive out of eight reviews.
Home Media[]
Main Article: Storm of the Century/Home media