Stephen King has created many novels that were later adapted into films, but one of the most notable versions is “The Shining.”
“The Shining” is a story about the Torrance family, which includes Jack, his wife Wendy and their son Danny. Danny has a unique strength; he has the ‘shining,’ a telepathic power in which he can depict what is happening or is going to happen and can communicate with others who have this gift.
After being fired from his job due to an altercation caused by his alcoholism, Jack takes the job of being the caretaker at the Overlook Hotel, a remote hotel in the Colorado mountains that is closed during the winter due to weather. Once snow begins falling, the family is trapped at the remote hotel with only themselves and the radio for communication.
When Jack begins digging through the attic of the hotel, he uncovers dark secrets about the hotel and the owners of the property. Due to the secrets uncovered and the tension caused by the hotel, Jack’s mental state begins to deteriorate, and he descends into madness. The family has to face the horrors of Jack’s madness and the secrets of the hotel that threaten their safety.
The story was originally written in 1977 and was later produced into a movie in June of 1980. The film was directed, produced and written by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick and starred Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance and Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance. The film made a gross revenue of $45,052,898 worldwide.
Twenty years after the book’s release, a three-episode miniseries of the story was created. The series was written and produced by King due to his distaste for Kubrick’s version. The adaptation stars Steven Weber as Jack and Rebecca De Mornay as Wendy, and Danny was played by two actors, Courtland Mead and Melvin Van Peebles, depending on what age he was. The series went on to win Emmy and Saturn awards.
Both adaptations of the film are different from the original story, but there are a few major differences in each version.
The movie’s main difference is that they changed room number 217 to 237. In the story, Room 217 is haunted and has a ghost in the bathtub, but it was changed to Room 237 for Kubrick’s film due to the filming location’s fear of losing business. Another difference is Danny’s shining. In the book, he experiences more eye-opening visions, while in the film, the visions seem less significant.
Even though King wrote the miniseries, he modified the story to be more suitable for television. Due to the time constraints, Jack’s descent into madness is quicker in the series compared to the book, where he has a gradual fall into insanity. Another contrast is how they approach Jack’s sobriety. In the book, Jack’s sobriety is briefly mentioned when he is talking to Ullman about the job. He states that he is no longer drinking after his incidents with a student and Danny. In the series, however, Jack is very assertive about being sober, saying he is going to AA meetings and working on himself.
Both adaptations of the story make for a pleasing watch. If you are looking for accuracy, the miniseries is for you, but if you are just looking for a quality watch, the movie is for you. The astonishing acting in the movie helped make Jack’s descent into madness so thrilling, while the miniseries relied on its writing to entice the story rather than its actors.
In the end, I would recommend both versions. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they end in an enjoyable experience either way.
