“The Dead Zone” is an odd entry in David Cronenberg’s filmography. It is the first movie where he really moved away from the body horror that he had become known for. It’s also the first film where he had no involvement in the script’s development. Cronenberg himself said that the aspect of filming someone else’s script, along with encouragement from producer Debra Hill, was what convinced him to take on the project.
Christopher Walken was cast to play Johnny Smith, a school teacher that is living a happy life along with his fiance, Sarah Bracknell (Brooke Adams). Unfortunately, Johnny is involved in a horrible accident that puts him into a coma.
Five years pass when he wakes up. He finds that Sarah has moved on and married someone else. Johnny must also deal with a body that has not been used regularly and weakened over time…
Oh! And there’s the pesky problem where he can now see into the past and futures of people that he touches.
When the public finds out after he predicts a fire at a nurse’s house, he becomes an unwanted celebrity. Eventually, Sheriff George Bannerman (Tom Skerritt) from Castle Rock wants Johnny to use his abilities to see if he can track down a serial killer that’s been terrorizing Castle Rock for a few years now.
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| Christopher Walken plays Johnny Smith in "The Dead Zone"! |
After that goes down, Johnny isolates himself from the rest of the world. Johnny then eventually meets politician Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) and the vision he receives from him is a terrible future where Stillson will become President and do something terrible. So, can Johnny change the future or are we all doomed?
The movie is an episodic piece. First, Johnny has his accident, must recover, and then come to terms somewhat with what he considers his newfound psychic curse. Secondly, he helps Sheriff Bannerman with his problem in Castle Rock before finally getting his vision of Stillson’s future that must be prevented at all cost, setting up the final thrilling act.
The script is a strong adaptation of Stephen King’s book, only sacrificing elements that just couldn’t fit into the movie adaptation. Of all the adaptations of King’s books, this actually proves to be one of the best ones.
The performances are also strong as well. Walken deserves the most praise as you feel like you’re living alongside this normal man who is going through hell. He also has to carry most of the weight of the movie due to being the only character that is consistently present in the movie’s episodic structure.
Sheen is also worthy of praise as a very different politician here than the one he would play years later on “The West Wing”. Stillson is a bad hombre and Sheen never lets you forget it. Sheen takes the insanity of his character to the edge a time or two, but thankfully stops just shy of being too over-the-top as the movie’s main antagonist.
Finally, Adams is also great as Sarah, Johnny’s tragic love interest who hasn’t let go of her own feelings towards Johnny despite having moved on. Along with Walken, she helps make this movie a genuine love story in addition to the sci-fi thriller that inhabits the rest of the movie.
Now, I will say that the movie moves along at a deliberate pace. If a slow burn doesn’t appeal to you, then this movie may not be for you. The filmmakers take their time and allow us to hang out with Johnny for a minute before the next major event occurs.
Yes, of all the Stephen King adaptations that have come through over the years, “The Dead Zone” still holds up. I would definitely say that it’s in the top ten of film adaptations of King’s work. It’s a great movie for fans of Walken and Sheen and it’s a surprisingly effective sci-fi thriller from Cronenberg.
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