The Halloween franchise puts a heavy focus on Michael Myers. However, with each timeline, his motivations get slightly altered. For example, in the original timeline, he is a cursed being coerced into killing his bloodline through supernatural means. But in the most recent films, he is simply a person who feels the need to kill and lacks all empathy as he makes his way to his childhood home. That being said, no matter the version, Michael’s central theme is about family. But whatever happened to the people who raised him?
In the original Halloween, Michael’s parents appear following the murder of his sister Judith. They remove his mask and ask him what happened and why he’s holding a knife. For decades, this was the only time that his parents were shown. However, it’s revealed in Halloween II that during the time of his incarceration, Michael’s parents died in a car accident.
The most interesting aspect of Michael’s parents is how normal they appear. When they find Michael on the front lawn, his parents look like they have just returned from a Halloween party. It makes their son’s actions even more terrifying because it evokes a sense that his parents likely loved him very much and had no reason to believe he was capable of murder.
In Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake, Halloween, the killer’s backstory is fleshed out, and more information is given on his parents. His father passed away sometime after he and his younger sister, Angel, were born, and his mother, Deborah, works to provide for them as an exotic dancer. Unlike the original film, Michael’s mother appears to be more hands-on, and even though she is dating an abusive boyfriend, she never lets that detract her from showing affection to her children.
The film also shows how Deborah ignored signs of Michael’s psychosis even after Dr. Loomis warned her of the dangers. Despite Michael murdering his sister Judith, her boyfriend and Deborah’s boyfriends, she still supported her son as he drifted further into himself. Sadly, after witnessing Michael murder a nurse, Deborah couldn’t take what her son became, and she killed herself.
While the latest Halloween films have made these depictions of Michael’s parents non-canon, they paint a picture of the struggles that come with parenting. In one instance, some parents may not have seen the signs while another willfully ignored them. That being said, their absences also show the importance of a family unit. While Laurie Strode is no longer his sister, her presence shows that Michael still needs someone, or something, to connect with on a familial level, even if it isn’t amicably.
About The Author