"The Shining" (1997) TV mini-series

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Mick Garris

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Stephen King (teleplay)

Release Date:

27 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Some guests never leave!

Plot:

A recovering alcoholic must wrestle with demons within and without when he and his family move into a haunted hotel as caretakers.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Caretaker | Recovering Alcoholic | Colorado | Writer

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Steven Weber	...	John 'Jack' Torrance
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Winifred 'Wendy' Torrance
Courtland Mead	...	Daniel "Danny" / "Doc" Anthony Torrance
Melvin Van Peebles	...	Richard "Dick" Hallorann
Wil Horneff	...	Tony
Pat Hingle	...	Pete Watson
Elliott Gould	...	Stuart Ullman
John Durbin	...	Horace 'Harry' Derwent
Stanley Anderson	...	Delbert Grady
Cynthia Garris	...	Decayed Lorraine Massey
Mickey Giacomazzi	...	Waiter (episodes 1, 3) (as Micky Giacomazzi)
Tomas Herrera	...	George Hatfield (episode 1)
Tim Perovich	...	Croquet Player (episode 1)
Kenn Solomon	...	Basketball Player (episode 1)
Jan Van Sickle	...	Al Shockley

Also Known As:

"Stephen King's The Shining" (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

273 min (3 parts)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arvada, Colorado, USA

Company:

Lakeside Productions

Trivia:

The Stanley Hotel is not only where the mini series was filmed but is also the hotel that originally inspired Stephen King to write the novel, having booked a vacation there just as the hotel was closing for the season and was nearly empty of guests and employees. He stayed in Room 217, which had long been said to be haunted. (The actual hotel room is on a corner, not in the middle of the hallway as it appears in the film.)

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Reflected in Hallorann's car when he's talking with Danny in Part I.

Quotes:

Danny Torrance: Just like pictures in a book...

Movie Connections:

Version of The Shining in 30 Seconds (and Re-enacted by Bunnies) (2004)

Soundtrack:

Chattanooga Choo Choo

"The Shining"---A Tale of Yin and Yang

I'm shocked at how vehemently opposed everyone seems to be to whichever version of Stephen King's classic tale they deem less worthy of viewing. The fact is, both interpretations are excellent, but comparing the two seems totally fruitless to me, because as cinematic works, they represent two completely different stylistic and dramatic approaches.

"The Shining" (1980) -------------------- Of course this is a classic, and the cinematography and direction are unmatched. Jack Nicholson defined this role, which is why they had trouble casting someone with the audacity to play the haunted Jack Torrance after Nicholson had stamped such an indellible signature on the character. The music, the lighting, and the general atmosphere all amount to a haunting and marvelously executed movie. But what I felt this version lacked was a coherent storyline. Some of the dialogue and character interactions seem poorly executed at best, and no real background is given to the characters. I can't feel for these characters, they're wooden and two-dimensional. And the character of Danny, integral to the impact of the story, was nothing more than a plot device here. He is totally over the top, and doesn't seem to exhude a true gamut of emotions in a very demanding role.. This doesn't feel like a loving family with real issues, whose henpecked patriarch is battling dark forces to maintain his sanity. I feel like there was no real character development at all, because Jack Torrance seemed almost criminally insane from the beginning. But what Nicholson's portrayal lacked in subtlety and depth, it made up for in intensity and screen presence, albeit a bit hammy at times.

Stephen King's "The Shining" (1997) ----------------------------------- As the title proclaims, this is Stephen King's film. His true vision of a snowbound family at odds with demonic spirits, and eachother. Competently directed, although not as visually breath-taking as the original. As mentioned before, there is some usage of the old hackneyed horror film stand-bys and "shock" devices, but while not as flamboyant as the original, the acting, character development, and narrative structure are far superior. Here is where we finally get depth and dimension. Courtland Mead makes the character of Danny come brilliantly to life. This kid isn't just plodding over stale lines by rote and playing with an imaginary finger-puppet, 70's Bee Gee-esque mullet and all. This little guy is acting! He's actually doing a competent job of performing this role! And as for the role of the ill-fated Jack Torrance, the greatest part that nobody wanted, a richly-textured, complex, and pleasantly surprising piece of work by sitcom actor Steven Weber. An interpretation of the character that matches King's original vision immaculately. We can actually sympathize with his character now. He isn't a psychotic rage-aholic who just grows more psychotic every day, he's a loving father battling his addiction to booze, whose descent into madness is slow, intense, brutally frightening, and completely believable. By the end of part three, he has become the most horrifying appirition one can behold on ABC. And while the picture as a whole could have probably been executed with more pathos on HBO, the dramatic content contained in these 4 1/2 hours far outweighs the obvious censorship and budgetary limitations placed on the show.

Both films have their peaks and valleys, and I'd advise everybody who watches the remake to not go in expecting something like the Kubrick film, but a completely different animal. With an open mind, you may find you love them both.