As far as Stephen King miniseries go, "Storm of the Century" is probably one of the best--no, it's not quite in the same league as the Mick Garris efforts (and it is sorely lacking his sardonic, dark wit) or 1990's "It," but it is arguably one of the most faithful representations of King's literary style. At its best, it retains the hallmarks that make the author's prose so readable: common, small-town setting populated by common, small-town folk; a streak of regional humor; and a struggle for power against an otherworldly force. On Little Tall Island, the inhabitants brace for a bruising blizzard, but no sooner has the snow begun falling than a mysterious stranger named Andre Linoge (the cool and menacing Colm Feore) blows into town, nonchalantly murdering an elderly woman; this act, like the blizzard, builds up in a slow burn of suspense and strange happenings, culminating in a climax that presses against the stripped-bare desperation of emotions in Shakespeare. While some of the revelations seem telegraphed and the last segment suffers from a drawn-out denouement, "Storm of the Century" is captivating--but not necessarily compelling--enough to keep us anxious and intrigued for 4 1/2 hours, and even inserts some effective commentary on adult responsibility and accepting lies as truth when the truth is too horrible to bear (I never thought "I'm a Little Teapot" could be turned into a metaphor for repressed misdeeds waiting to burst, but here it is). Tim Daly is great in the lead role of Constable Michael Anderson, a rugged King Everyman; Jeffrey DeMunn is a great mix of humor and power hunger as the Town Manager; and Deborah Farentino brings a pathos and near-villainy to a mother who is trying to "do the right thing" within a dire situation.
Review of Storm of the Century
