Although the car in the film is identified as a 1958 Plymouth Fury – and in 1983 radio ads promoting the film, voiceover artists announced, "she's a '57 Fury" – two other Plymouth models, the Belvedere and the Savoy, were also used to portray the malevolent automobile onscreen.
Based on the book by Stephen King, the film Christine follows a possessed Plymouth Fury that wreaks havoc on the life of its owner and those around him. While a total of 24 Plymouth Furys were acquired for production, this was one of only two stunt cars in running condition used during filming.
In the story, Christine was a jealous and murderous car who ultimately met her end in a car crusher. This example was used in close up shots and was ultimately raffled by the filmmakers to publicize the film's release. The car led the sale at $275,000.
Just one '57 Savoy was used, its front end was modified to look like a '58. Since there were no high-priced movie stars in the film, Carpenter allotted a large portion (15%), of the budget to obtaining and creating 17 different versions of Christine for the movie.
This is an example of the One-Fifty four-door sedan, which at $2048 (about $21,985 in 2022 dollars) was the cheapest four-door new Chevrolet you could buy in 1957. The more upscale Two-Ten and Bel Air post sedans started at $2174 and $2290, respectively ($23,340 and $24,585 today).
In "Christine," the 1959 Plymouth Fury's barn scene shows the car miraculously repairing itself. The filmmakers achieved this effect by fitting the car with hydraulic systems, allowing its body panels to be pulled back into shape while playing the film in reverse.
While he was promoting the film adaptation of Dreamcatcher in 2003, Stephen King mentioned Christine as one of two film adaptations of his work that had "bored" him, stating: "I may just be the most adapted novelist in modern times... and I don't say that with pride so much as with a kind of stunned bemusement.
Christine has become a cult-classic horror movie, with almost 20 cars giving their lives for the production, which used some impressive practical special effects that still stand up today.
Why was Christine the only red car on the assembly line?
Those who've seen the film will remember the opening scene of Christine on the auto assembly line, the only red car among off-white models. In reality, all of the Fury models were painted 'Buckskin Beige', and the colour was changed for the movie.
In the book, Christine was just a normal '58 Plymouth Fury that was purchased by Roland LeBay, brother of George LeBay (Roberts Blossom), the man who sold Christine to Arnie in the movie.
Christine is the main antagonist of the 1983 American horror film Christine. Possessed by the ghost of retired war veteran Roland LeBay, Christine is a demonic 1958 Plymouth Fury with a jealous obsession with teenager Arnold Cunningham.
The 1958 Plymouth Fury was a very popular car that many drivers admired and enjoyed because of its high level of performance. Plymouth produced 5,303 units of the Fury at a price of $3,067, one of the brand's most expensive models.
Christine is evil because her owner prioritizes her over everything else. In the book, she inherits her evil from her previous owner, who then essentially projects that possession on Arnie.
Arnie gets ejected through Christine's windshield and is impaled on a shard of glass, fatally wounding him. Arnie is bloodied, but in his last breath, he just caresses Christine's front bumper for the last time. In his own way, he dies happy. Enraged, Christine attacks Leigh once again.
Craig Shilowich came up with the idea for Christine after coming across articles online that highlighted Chubbuck's story. He was "instantly fascinated" with it and what drove her to choose death by suicide on television. Shilowich had endured his own struggles with depression while at NYU in the wake of 9/11.
The movie offers a compelling portrayal of Chubbuck's life, delving into her struggles with depression and the events leading up to her shocking on-air suicide. While the film takes some creative liberties for dramatic effect, it remains faithful to the core events and the life of Christine Chubbuck.
Scott Edminster won the lone Plymouth Fury Christine in a raffle, and he eventually sold it. This Christine was auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson and purchased by rich vehicle collector Ron Pratte. It was sold again in 2015 before retiring to the Rochester Auto Museum in New York.
The story takes place in 1978 in Rockbridge, California. Seventeen-year-old Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) has purchased a 1958 Plymouth Fury from a strange man by the name of Mr. LeBay (Roberts Blossom).
More than 20 cars were required to play the role of Christine (anywhere from 23–28, depending on the source), and not all of them were Furys. Columbia Pictures placed ads across the country and gobbled up not only Furys, but Belvederes and Savoys, as well.
The odometer ran backwards to a place before the attack happened. The car is resetting herself. The odometer is a way of showing that process, that Christine is "unhappening" the events that just took place as they apply to her. The odometer, when Arnie first meets Christine is at 99,000+.
Despite this, Christine isn't truly evil overall despite her unforgiving actions, as she truly cared about Arnie Cunningham, even if she had fully manipulated him.
