MovieChat Forums > The Stepfather (1987) Discussion > Anybody else find it odd that Jerry woul...

Anybody else find it odd that Jerry would marry into....


....a family with such an old child?
I mean, he wants the family under his roof presumably. But Stephanie was almost grown. She would likely leave for college (or in the '80s might have been able to get a good job).

I know the film used someone this age most likely so she'd be more of a match for Jerry, but still it seemed odd writing.


I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

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I'd never thought of that but you're right. It doesn't make much sense. It's not like he wants to have kids of his own with her.

~A chat with you and somehow death loses its sting.~

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Now that you mention it, you're right. It makes you wonder more about his mindset.

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What also doesn't make much sense is him marrying a widow with only one child. He wants a "real" family. One child who's nearly out of the house? That doesn't exactly fit in with his usual plan.

~A chat with you and somehow death loses its sting.~

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there are a lot of inconsistencies with this film, like:
1)how Jerry is cautious to alter his appearance so as to hide his identity in the beginning scenes, yet he does this *at the murder house* and walks right out the front door, down the street where 3 or 4 of his neighbors see him
2) he tidies up after wrecking the house and murdering his family; he wants order, is supposedly very organized killer, plans weeks in advanced to murder the family, and yet he executes it in the most chaotic, impulsive manner. organized serial killer vs. impulsive, unorganized. make up your mind, script writer.
3. a good psychiatrist would never cross the line professionally and personally insert himself into a patient's life
4. a veteran detective would never suggest to a victim's family member to get a gun and blow the guy away

its a badly written script. HOWEVER, I still love it to death. despite the crazy inconsistencies, I still rate it 10/10 for nostalgic reasons.

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I agree with most of your examples, headnotfound.

But I felt that Jerry walking out in front of witnesses like that was more to show the arrogance of Jerry. He has an ego the size of the moon. He's committed this crime before & not been caught, so he's likely feeling cocky. In the sequel, after having BEEN caught & escaping, you see that he takes a lot more precautions when committing his crimes.
Jerry also surely feels he snowed his neighbors so much that they'd not only barely notice him walking, but if they did, they'd never connect him with the murders.

I agree 100% about the shrink. That guy was so stupid it was cringe-worthy.
Even by some chance a shrink did decide to visit a patient's relative, surely he'd do a MUCH better job with his cover story!
I mean, come on! And if he had 2 functioning brain cells, he wouldn't *test* the man by deliberately triggering his possible rage.....not without witnesses around at least!

I think the film made the doc & even Jim Ogilivie slightly more stupid than they normally would be, just so the audience might feel (in a twisted way maybe) a little *better* at their sickening deaths, like they'd 'brought it on themselves' for being so foolish.

That last one about the detective I also tend to agree with.
I get that we're supposed to feel that the detective was so disgusted by the crimes that he, being human like anyone else, wants the killer punished. But the line still *rang wrong*.


I love this film too. Its dark & so twisted yet I really enjoy it.



I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

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I was thinking the same things!

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Sometimes you have to settle for less. Might be hard for a criminal stepfather to find not only the ideal small town to live but to seduce a divorcee or a widower with young child(ren) in a beautiful house.

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