Once upon a time, in addition to writing books under his own name, Stephen King used to write books under the name Richard Bachman. In part to see if it was his skill as a writer or his name that made his books bestsellers and in part to write outside the usual "Stephen King" type of book. When it was discovered that he was Richard Bachman, King came clean about it to the public. It also inspired his novel, The Dark Half, which covered similar ground while also being an interesting spin on Jekyll and Hyde.
Thad Beaumont (played by Timothy Hutton) never had much success writing under his own name, but is a bestselling author of sleazy crime novels under the name George Stark. This has provided well for him, his wife Liz (played by Amy Madigan) and their two twin infant sons. When confronted by a stranger, who tells Thad he knows he's George Stark and tries to blackmail him, Thad decides to go public instead. This is a relief to Liz as Thad's mood and personality would shift sharply when he was writing as George Stark and she personally hated, as well as books he wrote as George Stark. His publisher sets up an interview as well a photographer setting up a fake gravesite with headstone reading George Stark. Thad and Liz go along with it in good fun. Things take a dark turn when the people involved with the George Stark books as well as Thad's accuser start turning up dead. Has Thad finally cracked up and killing these people as Stark or has the fictional George Stark actually found a way to materialize into the real world? Thad, with help from his Anthropology professor friend Reggie (played by Julie Harris), scrambles to figure out what is happening and how to keep his family safe before local sheriff Alan Pangborn (played by Michael Rooker) throws him in prison for multiple murder.
I had a soft spot for The Dark Half and how it explores the dark side of fiction writers, especially those who write about not so nice things. As a fiction writer myself, I am able to relate to a degree to Thad Beaumont and have myself wondered what the appeal is to the darker side of life and why I write about it. I don't really have any answers to that question, but it is something to ponder nonetheless, I suppose. George Romero directed the film as well as wrote the screenplay and captured these themes from the original novel quite well. The film does run a bit on the long side, but it takes it's time to develop it's characters as well and I never felt like the film was slow. I mention it only to appreciate the fact that the film took it's time to tell the story properly.
The acting is pretty great in the movie as well. Timothy Hutton has the heavy lifting to do with playing both Thad Beaumont, doting father and college professor, and the dark and nasty George Stark character. He manages both roles quite well and creates two very distinct characters, although given how much scenery he was chewing I suspect he was having more fun playing Stark. Amy Madigan, who we just don't see enough in movies if you ask me, does well as Liz. She is a strong and capable woman in her own right, trying to help her husband figure out what is going on as well as trying to keep her family safe. I also have to single out Julie Harris as Thad's professor friend Reggie. She gave a wonderful performance as this eccentric, pipe smoking academic that Thad turns to for help. She is such a wonderfully colorful character and I just loved every scene she was in.
The Dark Half is a movie that I have always felt was really underrated. It has a strong cast, is well directed and it tells it's story well. Yet, it feels like the film has largely been forgotten about but I feel it's one of the stronger adaptations of Stephen King's works. But then again, maybe it's because I'm a writer myself and therefore it holds more appeal for me. So, from my terribly biased point of view, I have to admit I enjoyed this one.
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