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The theme of childhood and how much we change as we become adults is central to Stephen Kings It, but this is not a coming-of-age drama in the vein of King’s Stand By Me. This is a horror film—and an exceptional one at that. The film was made for network television, and although that may seem like a disadvantage because of limits placed on levels of violence and gore, these limitations are used to their best advantage, giving us scares that are psychological and inventive, instead of the usual clichés. Another reason TV made sense for this project is that it’s a sprawling story that runs about three hours.

Stephen King’s It is about a monster that resurfaces every thirty years to kill the children of Derry, Maine. It can read victims’ minds and take the form of whatever frightens them most. Usually it takes the form of a clown. We follow the stories of seven kids around the age of 11, all outcasts, who must bond together to fight this creature, first as children and then, thirty years later, as adults.

In an interesting fluke of casting, the members of the self described “Loser’s Club” as adults are almost all played by television regulars, including Richard Thomas (The Waltons), John Ritter (Three’s Company), Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati), Harry Anderson (Night Court), and Annette O’Toole (Smallville).

The standout performance is clearly Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown. A word of caution: if you are one of those folks that are a bit wary or disturbed by clowns, this movie will put you right over the edge. It would not be an exaggeration to say that what Jaws did for sharks, It does for clowns. Curry plays one hell of a creepy clown!

So is Stephen King’s It a horror masterpiece? Not quite. It loses its way near the end when it tries to show the monster in its natural form. I won’t say what that is, but the effect is underwhelming. Suspense builds for almost three hours and then the filmmakers drop the ball with the climax. This is a small complaint, however, compared with the rewards of the rest of the film.

Another of the film’s accomplishments is that it is the most faithful to the language and style of Stephen King’s novels (It being one of his finest). King has never been just about the scares. His characterizations are always specific, funny, and real. Too many directors lose these elements and only concentrate on the violence. Fortunately, It stands with Carrie, The Shining, The Dead Zone, and Misery as among the best of the Stephen King adaptations.