ⓘ Details

Movie TitleChristine

Release DateDecember 9, 1983 in North America

TaglineA ’58 Plymouth Fury possessed by Hell.

Runtime110 minutes / 1 hour 50 minutes

DirectorJohn Carpenter

Screenplay Written ByBill Phillips

Based OnStephen King’s 1983 novel Christine

Is It a Remake?No. It is a feature-film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel.

BudgetApproximately $10 million

Box OfficeApprox. $21.0 million domestic / Approx. $21.0 million worldwide

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👥 Main Cast

Keith GordonArnie Cunningham

John StockwellDennis Guilder

Alexandra PaulLeigh Cabot

Robert ProskyWill Darnell

Harry Dean StantonDetective Rudolph Junkins

Christine BelfordRegina Cunningham

Roberts BlossomGeorge LeBay

William OstranderBuddy Repperton

David SpielbergMr. Casey

Malcolm DanareMoochie Welch

Steven TashRichie Trelawney

Stuart CharnoDon Vandenberg

Kelly PrestonRoseanne

Marc PoppelChuck

Robert DarnellMichael Cunningham

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Saturn Award Nominee — Best Horror Film

⭐ Saturn Award Nominee — Best Supporting Actor, Roberts Blossom

⭐ Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival Nominee — Grand Prize, John Carpenter

⭐ Young Artist Award Nominee — Best Young Motion Picture Actor in a Feature Film, Keith Gordon

⭐ No Academy Award nominations were verified for the film.

⭐ No Golden Globe nominations were verified for the film.

⭐ No BAFTA nominations were verified for the film.

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📖 Short Plot Summary

Awkward high school senior Arnie Cunningham buys a battered 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine and begins restoring it at Darnell’s garage. As the car repairs itself and Arnie’s personality darkens, his friendship with Dennis and romance with Leigh begin to unravel. When Christine starts murdering anyone who threatens or humiliates Arnie, the people closest to him realize this is not just a car obsession. It is possession with tailfins.

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❝ Key Quotes

“Okay. Show me.” — Arnie Cunningham

“You can’t polish a turd.” — Dennis Guilder

“There’s no smoking in here.” — Arnie Cunningham

“I’m gonna make you pay for this.” — Buddy Repperton

“God, I hate rock and roll.” — Will Darnell

“You better watch what you say about my car.” — Arnie Cunningham

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💡 Trivia

Director

Christine was directed by John Carpenter, already famous for Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, and The Thing.
Carpenter also co-composed the film’s music with Alan Howarth.
The film is one of Carpenter’s most stylish studio-era horror projects, turning a killer-car premise into a moody story about obsession and toxic transformation.
The movie was released the same year Stephen King’s novel was published.

Cast / Casting

Keith Gordon plays Arnie Cunningham, whose transformation from bullied outsider to possessive menace drives the story.
John Stockwell plays Dennis Guilder, Arnie’s loyal best friend and the film’s closest thing to a traditional hero.
Alexandra Paul plays Leigh Cabot, whose relationship with Arnie becomes dangerous once Christine gets jealous.
Harry Dean Stanton appears as Detective Junkins, bringing classic character-actor grit to the investigation.
Kelly Preston appears early in the film as Roseanne, one of the students at Rockbridge High.

Soundtrack / Score

John Carpenter and Alan Howarth composed the film’s electronic score.
The movie also uses a heavy dose of vintage rock and roll, especially 1950s and early 1960s songs connected to Christine’s identity.
Christine’s radio choices often function like dialogue, giving the car a sarcastic and menacing personality without a voice.
The contrast between Carpenter’s synth score and oldies radio helps make the car feel both nostalgic and evil.

Location

The story is set mainly in Rockbridge, California, after an opening at a Detroit auto plant in 1957.
Production was shot largely around Los Angeles, California.
IMDb lists filming locations including Santa Clarita, Calabasas High School, South Pasadena, Burbank, and other Southern California locations.
Some neighborhood scenes were filmed in the same South Pasadena area Carpenter used for Halloween.

Behind-The-Scenes

The screenplay was written by Bill Phillips.
Richard Kobritz and Larry J. Franco produced the film.
Roy Arbogast supervised the special effects used to make Christine appear to repair herself.
The self-repair effect was achieved by damaging a car with internal hydraulics, filming it, and then running the footage in reverse.
More than twenty Plymouths were reportedly used during production to create the different versions of Christine.

Nostalgia

Christine is pure early-1980s Stephen King cinema: teen angst, small-town dread, supernatural revenge, and a killer object with a whole lot of personality.
The 1958 Plymouth Fury became one of horror’s most recognizable movie cars.
For many fans, Christine is less a monster than a jealous, chrome-covered femme fatale on wheels.
The film’s mix of high school bullying, garage culture, rock and roll, and demonic car love gives it a very specific King-meets-Carpenter flavor.

Easter Eggs

The film opens in 1957 with Christine already showing signs of evil on the assembly line.
The car’s red-and-white paint scheme differs from real 1958 Plymouth Fury production colors, making Christine stand out as something unnatural.
Christine’s radio songs often comment darkly on the action, especially when the car is hunting or mocking someone.
Arnie’s look and behavior become increasingly stylized as Christine takes hold, turning him into a throwback greaser figure.
The movie’s title card reads John Carpenter’s Christine, giving the adaptation a strong auteur stamp despite being based on King’s novel.

Misc.

Christine is rated R.
Box Office Mojo lists the film’s domestic gross at approximately $21.0 million.
The Numbers lists the opening weekend at approximately $3.4 million and a domestic share of 99.9%.
Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus says John Carpenter turns the premise into a brisk thrill ride with stylish direction and lively performances.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists Christine as Episode 82, with Don rating it 3.50, Ken rating it 2.00, Jon rating it 2.25, and an overall rating of 2.58.

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