The 1997 Miniseries Of 'The Shining' Was Stephen King's Angry Rebuttal To Stanley Kubrick

Kubrick's 1980 adaptation ofThe ShiningThe Shining is different from King's 1977 book. Kubrick took King's idea of a failed author in a haunted hotel and went in a direction King did not like. The author made his dislike for the film clear.telling IndieWire in 2016:

I thinkThe ShiningThe Shining is a beautiful film. It looks terrific. Like I said before, it is like a big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside. When it opened, many reviews were not favorable, and I was one of those reviewers. I kept quiet then, but I did not like it much.

By the '90s, King had two decades of hits. ABC regularly made successful miniseries versions of his books, so when he decided to adaptThe Shiningand do it his way, few people were surprised.

One major part of The Shiningis the Overlook Hotel. That imposing structure pulls its targets deeper into its depths, driving them mad in the harsh Colorado winter. King got the idea for a haunted hotel when he and his family stayed at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO.The Shining is the Overlook Hotel. This imposing structure pulls targets into its depths, driving them mad in the harsh Colorado winter. King got the idea for a haunted hotel while he and his family stayed at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO.

King returned to the Stanley for the 1997 version. He used it as the actual set. Director Mick Garris shot some interiors on a Denver sound stage, but much of the series was filmed inside the hotel. This includes the New Year’s Eve scene where Jack Torrance walks through a ghostly party.

At 275 minutes,The ShiningThe miniseries covers nearly every detail from King’s book. The first episode offers no scares; instead, it builds characters for almost two hours. Before the miniseries aired, Garris toldFangoriaI am not making a film to compare to another film. I am making one I believe stands alone. For people who like the book, who might have been let down by Kubrick’s version—this is very faithful to the book. Hopefully, they will like it. I see this as doing the book, not remaking the movie.

I am not making a film to compare to another. I am making one that stands alone. For book fans who might have disliked Kubrick’s version—this follows the book closely. Hopefully, they will like it. I see this as doing the book, not remaking the movie.

Not everything in the 1997the inclusion of King is a disaster. Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay show great moments of sadness, and there are several good scares. One part of the series surprises everyone:He appears when Jack walks through a party with the hotel's ghosts. King orchestrated the big band music. He wore full pancake makeup, a pointy mustache, and slicked-back hair. Throughout the scene, he smiles at the camera, gets on his hands and knees to bark like a dog, and acts up to the max. as "Gage Creed," the ghostly bandleader at the haunted Overlook Hotel.

He appears as Jack walks through a party with the hotel's ghosts. King wrote the music for a big band, which he orchestrated. He wore pancake makeup, a pointy mustache, and slicked-back hair. During the scene, he grins at the camera, gets on his hands and knees to bark like a dog, and acts out the scene to the fullest.

's main characters.Most of The Shining's key characters.

Most ofThe ShiningFocuses on the Torrance family and the claustrophobia they face throughout the winter. The audience spends a lot of time with Jack, Wendy, and Danny, so whenever another character shows up, it's a nice break.

Many ancillary characters in the '97 miniseries are familiar faces in the horror community. You will spot Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead), Frank Darabont (Spider-Man), and David J. Schow (The Mist), and David J. Schow (The Crow), and Masters of Horror, all horror legends.The Evil DeadSpider-ManFrank DarabontThe MistThe Walking DeadDavid J. SchowThe CrowMasters of HorrorTony Appears In The Series, Complete With High-Waisted PantsTony Appears In The Series, Complete With High-Waisted PantsThe Topiary Animals Are More Cuddly Than ScaryThe Topiary Animals Are More Cuddly Than Scary

Tony, Danny's imaginary friend, causes worry. He appears often, usually leading to bad events, like giving Danny a seizure until he is catatonic.

Tony's strangest part in the '97 miniseries is his appearance. Kubrick's adaptation gives Tony a croaky voice Danny uses with his shining powers. This leaves open questions about who or what Tony is and how he affects the story. The miniseries shows Tony as a floating young man with floppy '90s hair, a button-down shirt, and sharply creased khakis—a look that doesn't threaten Danny's powers.

King's original text shows topiary animals chasing Danny outside the Overlook Hotel as horrifying because readers imagine them that way. The '97 miniseries shows them as cuddly creatures instead of monsters. Jan Harlan, the executive producer for Kubrick’s Shining, made this change.ShiningEntertainment WeeklyThe director did not think topiary animals would work on screen. He swapped them for a hedge maze.The maze chase came from the topiary animal hedges moving in the book. Kubrick felt topiary animals were too goofy and cute, but he liked the maze idea.

Kubrick's guess proved right. The topiary animals are not scary in the miniseries. When they move, the effect is disheartening because of the basic CGI then.

King has shared his thoughts on Wendy's appearance in Kubrick's Shining.

King has gone on record about Wendy in Kubrick's Shining.King has gone on record about Wendy in Kubrick's Shining.King has shared his thoughts on Wendy as she appears in Kubrick's Shining.King has shared his thoughts on Wendy as she appears in Kubrick's Shining.King feels the 1980 version's character is “one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film.” This stems from Kubrick's treatment of the character, not Shelley Duvall's acting.

In the 1980 version, Wendy acts as a strong, calm woman facing horror. In their adaptation, Wendy screams and cries most of the movie. King and Garris chose a different path, making Wendy an active character who speaks up and does not let the Overlook overwhelm her.

Duvall's Wendy portrayal remains iconic. Rebecca De Mornay makes the character more three-dimensional, allowing the audience to connect with her.

King's TV overhaul of The Shining The ShiningJack Torrance doesn't let anyone off the hook, especially not Jack Torrance. Jack Nicholson's 1980 portrayal feels unhinged from the start, but that was not Stephen King's vision for the character.Jack is sympathetic.Nicholson stripped all that sympathy away. King explained:

The character of Jack Torrance has no arc in [Kubrick's] movie. There is no arc at all. When we first see Jack Nicholson, he is in Mr. Ullman's office, the hotel manager, and he acts crazy like a house rat. He only gets crazier. In the book, Jack struggles with his sanity and finally breaks. That is a tragedy for me. The movie shows no tragedy because there is no real change.

Steven Weber gives the sympathetic nature King wanted instead of matching Nicholson's psychotic rage. This works when it does. In a scene late in the miniseries, Jack pins Danny with a croquet mallet. This scene shows he struggles with real and imagined demons, even while trying to be a good father. Many horror fans prefer Nicholson's acting, but Weber adds more character depth.

Regardless of King's role in the miniseries, the production never had a budget for a high-quality haunted house movie.This is a haunted house movie.The tone can unsettle viewers. However, when ghosts or apparitions appear, they must look convincing. Otherwise, the audience leaves the experience.

The production spent money well on the woman in Room 217. Her rotting flesh and watery eyes are genuinely frightening. The scene where Danny finds her in the tub works well, but other characters appearing later in the miniseries do not.

Horace Derwent is a former hotelier and the Overlook's current ghost. To Jack, Derwent appears as a dandy in a tuxedo. To Danny and Wendy, Derwent is a rotting ghoul wearing a wolf mask while chasing them. The idea is scary, but the execution fails. The wolf mask looks like something from a Halloween store. Its cheapness lowers the final product.

King heavily implies in his novel that when Danny talks to his imaginary friend Tony, he actually speaks to a future version of himself. King does not push this point.Other than saying,, “Tony looked into a magic mirror and saw himself in 10 years.”

The subtle hint shows the reader what is occurring without heavy-handedness. The '97 miniseries explores the idea that Danny and Tony are one person through a long epilogue. The Overlook explodes when the boiler overheats, taking Jack with it. The film then jumps ten years forward to show an 18-year-old Danny graduating high school.

The same actor plays Danny and Tony, making them seem like one person. This reveal overexplains Danny's character and psychic powers, taking away mystery from the rest of the story.

King writes great works that are scary and grounded in emotion. King also writes juvenile and sometimes embarrassing prose.The dialogue is over-the-top dramatic.Kubrick cut much of the book's dialogue from the script to build a spooky, haunting feeling.

King and Garris used phrases like, "Love means never having to say you're sober," and "My wife, Wendy, personifies the 'Three B's': Blonde, Beautiful, and full of Bull." Watching the talented actors read these lines with purpose and meaning is the worst part of this dialogue.