Andy Barclay

Andrew William "Andy" Barclay is a fictional character and protagonist of the Child's Play horror film series. He is a young boy who, after receiving a Good Guy doll for his sixth birthday, is the prime suspect in a series of mysterious murders. In reality the murders are being committed by the doll, which was possessed by serial killer Charles Lee Ray (aka Chucky). The duo go on to become archenemies. He is portrayed by Alex Vincent in the first, second, sixth and seventh films, by Justin Whalin in the third, and by Gabriel Bateman in the 2019 film. He is mentioned but does not appear in the fourth or fifth films.[1]

Andy Barclay
Child's Play character
Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay in Child's Play 2
First appearanceChild's Play
Created byDon Mancini
Portrayed byAlex Vincent (Child's Play 1 & 2, Curse of Chucky, Cult of Chucky)
Justin Whalin (Child's Play 3)
Gabriel Bateman (Child's Play 2019 reboot)
In-universe information
Full nameAndrew William Barclay
GenderMale
RelativesKaren Barclay (mother)
Bob Barclay (deceased father)
Mike Norris (stepfather)
Kyle (foster sister)
Phil Simpson (deceased foster father)
Joanne Simpson (deceased foster mother)
NationalityAmerican

History

Child's Play (1988)
Main article: Child's Play (1988 film)

Andy Barclay is celebrating his sixth birthday, and really wants a Good Guy doll for his present. He even makes his mother breakfast in bed, to show her how good he is. However, the dolls are too expensive for her salary, and he ends up getting clothes instead. Seeing her son's disappointment, after she drops him off at daycare Karen buys a doll for half price from a peddler. Karen takes the doll back home to him, and he is very overjoyed to have a new best friend.

As Karen must go back to work, her friend Maggie volunteers to babysit. The night goes by uneventful, until Maggie tells him that it is time for bed. Andy says that his doll, Chucky, wants to stay up to watch the 9 o'clock news. Thinking he is playing, she sends him to go brush his teeth, but confronts him again when she finds Chucky on the couch with the TV on. Although Andy denies moving Chucky, she thinks Andy is joking. She tucks him into bed, then goes to read a book. Later that night, when Maggie mysteriously falls to her death from the window, Andy is questioned by detective Mike Norris. During the investigation, Karen comes back home, and is angered by Norris implying that her son had something to do with Maggie's death. She kicks the detectives out, and then goes to check on her son. She sees him talking to his doll, and thinks it is innocent enough, until Andy says that the doll told him, "Aunt Maggie was a real bitch and got what she deserved".

The next day, Chucky gets Andy to visit the house of Chucky's former accomplice, Eddie. While Andy goes to the bathroom, Chucky manages to blow up the building, killing Eddie. The detectives are called in to check out the scene, and again find Andy there. As they see this as more than a coincidence, they get Dr. Ardmore to monitor as Jack questions Andy. When Jack asks why Maggie fell out of the window, Andy says that she saw Chucky, and it scared her so much she fell down. Karen comes to Andy's side, and explains that no one believes him; if he does not tell the truth, the police will take him away from her. Scared, Andy confronts Chucky, begging him to say something. As he simply repeats his doll lines, he runs to his mother, telling her Chucky is doing it on purpose, and would kill him if he ever told anyone about him. From behind the glass, Ardmore, announces his presence. Seeing more than enough, he suggests Andy stay a few days at the hospital, and with no real choice, Karen reluctantly hands over her son.

At his hospital room, Andy hears Chucky coming up the stairs, and screams for Dr. Ardmore to help which he does nothing. Chucky manages to get into Andy's room, but by that time Andy had escaped. Andy finds his way downstairs and into the operating room, followed by Chucky. After being knocked to the ground by Chucky, he picks a scalpel up and prepares to defend himself. However, he is seized by Dr. Ardmore, who puts him on the bed. Despite Andy's claims that Chucky is in the room, Ardmore goes to sedate him. Before he can do it though, Chucky kills Ardmore, allowing Andy to escape the hospital.

Andy makes it back to the apartment, but Chucky follows him. Chucky knocks him unconscious with a baseball bat, and begins the ritual to transfer his soul. Luckily Norris and Karen burst in just in time to save Andy. After a brief fight, Karen throws Chucky into the fireplace, and despite Chucky's pleading, Andy lights a match and sets Chucky on fire. Hearing Norris in the bedroom, the two go to his side, and Karen tells Andy to retrieve the first aid kit from under the sink. However, as he goes, he notices that Chucky is missing from the fireplace. Completely charred, Chucky chases Andy, who runs back to the bedroom. Karen shoots him several times, missing his heart, but knocking off his head.

Jack later arrives, and brings the doll's head into the bedroom. Unbeknownst to him, Chucky's body breaks through the air vent behind Jack and strangles him. As Karen pulls Chucky's body off Jack, Mike shoots him in the heart, finally killing him. Fearfully looking at Chucky's remains, Andy leaves with Karen and Jack to take Mike to the hospital.

Child's Play 2
Main article: Child's Play 2

Now eight years old, Andy is sent to a foster home with Phil and Joanne Simpson, as his mother Karen is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. Although the family is very nice, they become suspicious the next morning when one of Joanne's antiques is broken. Both Andy and his foster sister Kyle deny doing anything, so Phil sends them to do the laundry. Later that night, Chucky manages to track Andy down and sneaks into his room. He ties him to the bed and begins the voodoo chant to transfer his soul. However, before he can finish, Kyle sneaks back into the house through Andy's window from seeing her boyfriend. She tries to untie Andy as Phil and Joanne walk in on them. They accuse Kyle of tying up Andy as a sick joke and ignore Andy's pleas that the doll is alive.

The next morning, Andy goes to his first day at school, and Chucky follows. While his teacher Miss Kettlewell is reading a story to the class, there is a disruption by a bully teasing Andy. She thinks Andy is the source and scolds him for it. During recess, Chucky enters the classroom and finds Andy's test paper, and writes obscenities on it. When the day is over, Miss Kettlewell uncovers Andy's paper and forces him to stay after school for detention. She locks him inside the classroom, throwing Chucky in the closet, while she leaves to phone Phil. Andy tries to call for help to anybody on the other side of the locked door, but to no avail. Chucky begins shouting from the closet for Andy to let him out, but Andy instead escapes by opening the window and running home.

When Andy comes home, Phil confronts him about his test paper, and Andy explains that Chucky did it. Phil takes him to the basement to prove the doll is not alive and surprisingly to him, Chucky is there. In the middle of the night, Andy hears a sound coming from downstairs. He arms himself with a knife and proceeds into the basement. From there he is attacked by Chucky but is saved by Phil coming downstairs. Andy tries to warn Phil, but Chucky trips him, causing him to fall and break his neck. When Joanne finds Phil's dead body, she blames Andy and sends him back to the orphanage.

While at the orphanage, the fire alarm is pulled, Andy and his care worker Grace run into Kyle as they try to evacuate. Grace blames Kyle, who is being held at knifepoint by Chucky, and pulls her and Andy back to her office. When she takes the doll from her, Chucky pulls out his knife and stabs her to death. Chucky grabs Andy, and forces him into the Play Pals factory, with Kyle running after them. From there, he knocks Andy unconscious, and begins to say the chant. However, as by the time he begins the ritual, it is too late; Chucky is trapped as a doll forever. Enraged by this, Chucky goes to kill Andy, but is subdued by Kyle. She takes Andy and runs through the factory, while Chucky tries to stop them. But before getting them, He loses his hand and replaces it with a knife, Andy pours molten plastic on Chucky but survives; they jam an air hose into his mouth, causing his head to blow up and explode, thus killing him. Both Andy and Kyle leave the factory together, towards uncertain futures.

Child's Play 3
Main article: Child's Play 3

Eight years later, Andy is now sixteen years old. He has been thrown out of numerous foster homes, and Social Services has enrolled him in a military academy as a last resort. The head of the school, Cochran, agrees to let Andy in because he has had a rough life, but tells him to grow up and forget the killer doll fantasies. Andy is placed in a bunk with another student, Whitehurst, who finds him tied and gagged in his closet. This was done by Cadet/Colonel/Lieutenant Shelton, who uses his position to bully Andy. Regardless of Shelton's bullying, he is able to keep his friend Whitehurst; he also meets another student named Kristen, and the two develop a strong relationship.

Unknown to Andy, Chucky has shipped himself to the academy, in order to transfer his soul into his now teenaged nemesis. During the night, he confronts Andy in his room, and reveals his intent to transfer his soul into a different child's body: Tyler, a 10-year-old returning cadet whom Andy had befriended when he first arrived. Tyler was tasked with delivering a package to Andy (which was in fact Chucky) earlier, but Tyler realized it was a Good Guy doll and planned to keep it for himself. When Chucky emerges from the package, he is furious that Tyler didn't take the package to Andy, but soon realizes it would be easier to possess this unsuspecting new child. Chucky now plans to kill Andy so he can't stop him but Andy thwarts him off until Shelton enters the room. He finds Andy slamming Chucky against the floor, and rudely takes Chucky from him. The next morning, Andy approaches Tyler and asks him about Chucky and not to trust him, mentioning all the bad Chucky did when he was younger. Tyler snaps that he is just jealous that Chucky did not pick him first. Still worried for Tyler's life and knowing he must be his protector like his mother Karen and his foster sister Kyle were to him when he was younger, Andy decides to give him a pocket knife in case Chucky strikes again and he isn't around to protect him.

When the annual paint ball war begins, Andy sneaks off to find Tyler, who had run away from Chucky in the woods but soon realizes Andy was right and that Chucky is evil. Tyler stabs him with the pocket knife and takes off through the woods and finds Andy and the rest of the blue team. Chucky attacks Kristen, using her to lure out Andy and exchange Tyler for her. After their exchange, the red team comes into the area, and instead of shooting paintballs, they shoot live rounds. In the chaos Tyler escapes, and before chasing after him, Chucky throws a grenade at the students. Recognizing the danger, Whitehurst bravely leaps on top of the grenade and sacrifices himself to save the others which enrages Andy that his friend is dead. Kristen and Andy follow Chucky. Eventually they find themselves led into a carnival, and see Tyler being forced by Chucky into a haunted house.

In an attempt to save Tyler, Chucky shoots Kristen in the leg, leaving Andy to fight him alone once again like he did as a child. After a struggle, Tyler is knocked out, and Chucky begins his ritual chant. However, before he finishes, Andy reaches them on the top of a skull mountain. He shoots Chucky in the arm and chest, but he still has the strength to strangle Andy. Tyler awakens, and gives Andy the pocket knife. Cutting off his other hand, Chucky falls into the giant fan below, shredding him to pieces. After leaving the haunted house, Andy visits Kristen, who is being treated by medics, and allows himself to be arrested. Before being taken away by the authorities, Andy is last seen riding off in the backseat of a police car.

Bride of Chucky
Main article: Bride of Chucky

Andy is briefly mentioned on a newspaper article titled "Boy claims doll possessed by serial killer".

Seed of Chucky
Main article: Seed of Chucky

Andy is indirectly mentioned by Chucky during his "what's so great about being human anyway" speech by referencing his numerous victims and enemies.

Curse of Chucky
Main article: Curse of Chucky

Six months after Chucky attacked Nica, the adult Andy gets a package delivered, and brings it inside. Before opening it, he receives a phone call from his mother, Karen. As Andy talks about his birthday dinner at Karen's place, Chucky cuts his way out of the box. Ready to kill, Chucky turns around, only to see Andy pointing a shotgun directly at his face. Before Chucky can react, Andy fires.

Cult of Chucky
Main article: Cult of Chucky

After the events of the previous film, Andy now keeps Chucky's severed head to torture in retribution for his crimes. Tapes later reveal that Andy had tried to prove Nica Pierce's innocence by showing Chucky to her psychiatrist Dr. Foley, but it was dismissed as special effects. Learning that Chucky had managed to transfer his soul into multiple Good Guy dolls, Andy sends a Good Guy that he had shaved to the asylum and drives there. When he is unable to get in due to visiting hours being over, he commits himself by assaulting the security guard, being locked in a cell. When a Chucky doll he previously maimed arrives at his cell to kill him, Andy restrains the doll and rips a gun out of the doll's stomach. Andy shoots the short-haired Chucky three times and stomps its head in. When Nica, now possessed by Chucky, arrives at his cell, Andy attempts to shoot her but his gun jams. Chucky/Nica then locks Andy inside of his cell and escapes. It is later implied that Andy got out.

Child's Play (2019)

In the remake, Andy is 13 years old and uses hearing aids. He gets Chucky for his birthday, and while suspicious at the doll’s odd behavior, he warms up to him. However, when Chucky becomes murderous, Andy attempts to stop him in any way possible, and succeeded.

Other appearances

Reception

Alex Vincent's performance as Andy has been praised for being "one of the best child performances in a horror movie" and for being able to create an "emotional connection" with the audience.[6] From his first scene in the movie to his sobbing in the hospital room he is able to bring out emotions that seem far too real. The article went on to say:

"Watching him sob alone in his tiny hospital room feels like seeing my own kid cry – but not the kind of crying when he doesn't get his way or stubs his toe. It's the kind of crying informed by genuine sadness. There is a hopelessness to the way Alex Vincent plays that scene that's impossible to reproduce. What makes his performance great is that it is totally, effortlessly authentic. He is not manufacturing motivation, nor calculating his delivery. He is reacting purely in the moment. When they are best friends, he interacts with Chucky like it's an actual toy that he loves (the way he excitedly talks to the doll way too loudly when they first interact is another great moment in the movie). When Chucky goes bad, Vincent's fear – and even heartbreak – is totally real."[7]

Dustin Putman stated in a review that he was "always convincing as an endangered... son faced with an unthinkable terror."[8] Another article went as far as to say Vincent's portrayal "was what made that series as much as Brad Dourif doing the voice of Chucky."[9]

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gollark: *Apparently* this is just the script for my Discord bot. Boring.
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gollark: This makes it the most RAM-consuming thing on my server, followed by VictoriaMetrics, Factorio, systemd-journald, syncthing, and a mysterious python program.

References
  1. "Andy Barclay (Character)". IMDb. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  2. "Andy Barclay Comics – Comic Vine". Comic Vine. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  3. "Movie Maniac Comic Books". Icons of Fright. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  4. "Andy Barclay (Character)". IMDb. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  5. "CHILD'S PLAY (20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) REVIEW". IGN. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  6. Bromley, Patrick. "Great Horror Performances: Alex Vincent in Child's Play". F This Movie!. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  7. Bromley, Patrick. "Great Horror Performances: Alex Vincent in Child's Play". F This Movie!. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  8. Putman, Dustin. "Dustin Putman's Capsule Review Child's Play (1988)". Dustin Putman' TheFileFile. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  9. Nathan, Strack. "Tiny Heros and Heroines: The Forgotten Children of Horror". Awesome B Movies. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
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