Helen Brown, played by Dee Wallace
Helen Brown is a protagonist in Critters. She is portrayed by Dee Wallace (credited as Dee Wallace Stone) and plays a central role in the film.
Role[]
Married to farmer Jay Brown, Helen maintains the household while Jay labours outdoors. She is shown to be an avid cook, housekeeper and shows a genuine care for her family. She frequently breaks up the arguments between her children April and Bradley, and while caring, she remains blunt with her children when they misbehave. For example, Brad runs a thermometer under the hot tap to try and feign illness, but Helen quickly snatches it and mockingly exposes his lie. She shys away from absolute strictness however, shown by her disapproving of Jay punishing Brad and her allowance of April to flirt with her boyfriend Steve.
Critters[]
Helen is first seen cooking breakfast for the Brown family, and shows frustration at trying to maintain the chaotic household. After April is shot by Charlie with a slingshot, she blames Brad and as a result, Jay punishes Brad by sending him to his room without supper. Helen shows opposition to this idea, and later on, she fixes Brad some supper anyway.
When the Crites' ship lands, Helen shows anxiety when the TV starts playing up, and this is further worsened when a Crite stares at her through the kitchen window. She then accompanies Jay and Brad as they explore the basement (after the lights go out). After Jay is attacked, she prevents Brad from following out of fear that he will be attacked, and they both drag an injured Jay indoors. She then runs to the barn after Brad, just after he saves April from a Crite. After getting back inside, Helen suggests they board up the windows to make the house secure, but Jay believes the Crites will get in anyway and wants to leave the house.
The family travel to the truck together to escape. Inside, they discover the electrics have been chewed apart by the Crites, when April discovers she still has Steve's keys. They attempt to flee in that, but disturb a Crite that has grown significantly larger. Terrified, the family flee back to the house when they discover that the door has locked itself. Brad goes around back to let them in, while Jay is attacked by a Crite that bites his shoulder. Helen grabs their rifle and smacks it off his shoulder, and then proceeds to load the shotgun again, managing to kill a Crite just after they get back in the house.
Taking refuge in the living room, Helen screams at Brad out of frustration and fear, but then instantly hugs him, crying. The peace is short lived as a Crite smashes through the window, and shoots a barb at Helen, knocking her unconscious. When she awakes, Brad has left for help and the family are barricaded in one of the bedrooms. When the giant Crite attacks April, Helen goes into a frenzy, screaming "God damn it, STOP IT!" and firing the shotgun at the door, splatting one Crite dead. She then walks down the hallway with Jay and April, when the Bounty Hunters arrive and scare the remaining Crites away.
Sheriff Harv arrives and Jay and Helen are taken into his car after they witness the giant Crite abduct April. Helen sees Brad take off after them on his bike, and cries hysterically, fearing that he'll be hurt. She is next seen when the Crite ship takes off, reuniting with Brad, April and Charlie, and witnessing the destruction of their home via the Crites' ship. Although the Crites' ship explodes soon after, Helen can't control her sorrow and cries for their destroyed home.
In the morning, Brad repairs their home back to its original state, and Helen is seen taking hands with Jay, and smiling with her family at their restored home.