It (1990)

It (also known as Stephen King's It) is a 1990 American ABC two-part psychological horror drama miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. The story revolves around a predatory monster that can transform itself into its prey's worst fears, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the humanoid form of Pennywise, a darkly comedic clown. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to kill him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces.

Cast members included Tim Curry (Pennywise), Richard Thomas, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, and others. Produced by Green/Epstein Productions, It was filmed over a period of three months in New Westminster, British Columbia in mid-1990 with a budget of $12 million, double the usual television budget. The miniseries was first broadcast during the November sweeps month. Despite the risk factors, mixed pre-airing critical reviews, and coverage of President George H. W. Bush's foreign trips cutting into the program; It was ABC's biggest success of 1990, pulling through with 30 million viewers for its two parts.



Plot
During a heavy rainstorm in Derry, Maine in the spring of 1960, George Denbrough plays in the streets with a paper sailboat made by his stuttering older brother Bill. It goes down a storm drain, where Georgie encounters an eccentric man who introduces himself as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Pennywise entices Georgie to reach in to retrieve his boat, only to tear his arm off and leave him to bleed to death. A few months later, Bill and asthmatic Eddie Kaspbrak befriend the chubby new kid Ben Hanscom. They are later joined by Beverly Marsh, who lives with her abusive father, and she and Ben are introduced to Bill and Eddie's other friends: the comical Richie Tozier and Jewish boy scout Stan Uris. As they begin to know each other, Ben develops feelings for Beverly but discovers she has feelings for Bill. Besides being bullied by Henry Bowers and his gang, the children all have encounters with Pennywise. In July, the group is joined by Mike Hanlon (Marlon Taylor), an African American kid being pursued by Bowers' gang. The children, dubbing themselves as the Losers Club, chase them off with a rock fight. While looking through Mike's history scrapbook, the Losers realize that Pennywise, whom they refer to as "It", is not a human being but rather an ancient creature who awakens every thirty years to hunt and eat children.

Bill realizes It killed Georgie, leading the Losers into Derry's sewers to kill the creature. Stan becomes separated from the group and is ambushed by Bowers and his friends Victor Criss and Belch Huggins, but the latter two are killed by It. Henry is left traumatized, his hair turned white. Stanley regroups with the Losers but is grabbed by It. The Losers take advantage of It's ability to access their imaginations and use it against him. Eddie imagines his inhaler is full of battery acid, melting half of the creature's face. Beverly fires silver earrings at It, the Losers believing it can kill the creature. It retreats in a drain before grabbing Bill's arm. It's glove rips off and reveals a large three-fingered claw that disappears through the drain. After concluding It is dead, the group exits the sewers and makes a promise to return if It should ever resurface. Bowers, driven insane by seeing It kill his friends, falsely confesses to the killings and is institutionalized.

Thirty years later in May 1990, It reawakens and kills a little girl in her backyard, prompting another child-killing spree. Mike, who was the only one to stay in Derry, contacts his old friends to fulfill their vow after hearing reports of missing children. All of the Losers, who have gone on to have successful careers, return, except Stan, who commits suicide. The other Losers return to Derry and reunite, later learning of Stan's suicide. Upon returning, they are all terrorized by Pennywise. Bowers escapes from the asylum to murder the Losers. Bill's British wife, Audra, travels to Derry but is captured by It, hypnotized by the monster's "Deadlights". Bowers attacks and stabs Mike, but in return is killed by Eddie. Mike is hospitalized, giving Bill the two silver earrings he retrieved from the sewers. The five remaining Losers return to the sewers to confront It, and Bill discovers Audra has been taken prisoner.

They reach It's inner sanctum, find the catatonic Audra, and discover It's true form of a gigantic, otherworldly spider. Bill, Ben, and Richie are entranced by the Deadlights, while Beverly retrieves the silver earrings after misfiring them. Eddie attempts to repeat the wound he inflicted on It as a child but is mortally wounded. Beverly frees her friends, but Eddie dies. The others chase the injured demon, ripping out its heart and killing It. They remove Eddie's body and the catatonic Audra from the sewers. The Losers go their separate ways once again, their memories of It and each other fading over time. Mike recovers in the hospital, Beverly and Ben get married and are expecting their first child, and Richie is cast in a film. Bill is the last to leave Derry, coaxing Audra out of her catatonia by riding down a street on his childhood bike "Silver". Audra recovers and she and Bill kiss in the middle of town.