Kubrick's Shining WORST novel adaptation ever!

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He did not like that Kubrick's version was, as he described it, "cold". The characters did not have any warmth and he did not feel that people could relate and sympathize with them because of that. He also did not like Kubrick's misogynist portrayal of Wendy. And he thought it was important that we should see the gradual decline of Jack (Torrance) into madness. It would take me a while to look up actual quotes but those are the highlights from what I remember him saying in recent interviews.
 

Christine62

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Hey AnnaMarie--believe it or not my middle name is Marianna! If you read the Shining you find that the tortured person of Jack Torrence who really does want to be a good guy and love his family and protect his son is totally transformed into a one dimensional ******* who hates his wife and resents his son and just goes nuts.
 

doowopgirl

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He did not like that Kubrick's version was, as he described it, "cold". The characters did not have any warmth and he did not feel that people could relate and sympathize with them because of that. He also did not like Kubrick's misogynist portrayal of Wendy. And he thought it was important that we should see the gradual decline of Jack (Torrance) into madness. It would take me a while to look up actual quotes but those are the highlights from what I remember him saying in recent interviews.
I see his points. The film, taken on it's own is scary and creepy and atmospheric. IMO
 

AnnaMarie

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Hey AnnaMarie--believe it or not my middle name is Marianna! If you read the Shining you find that the tortured person of Jack Torrence who really does want to be a good guy and love his family and protect his son is totally transformed into a one dimensional ******* who hates his wife and resents his son and just goes nuts.

I did read the book. And I realize it's not a close adaption. But in my opinion it is not the WORST novel adaption. In fact I like it much more then the other adaption of The Shining. And I think it much better than the Running Man. That one didn't seem to share anything other then the title.
 

GNTLGNT

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...everyone here knows how I feel about Kubrick's version(as an adaptation I felt it was a real booger-snot)...as a movie ALONE, and IF I'd never read the book-I would have been impressed...the atmosphere is great, I feel like King though-that the cast was nothing more than wooden cut-outs....despite the malevolence of the Overlook, The Shining at it's base-like everything else King does-is CHARACTER driven, and that's where the movie lost traction...even the Garris re-working, which I found much more likeable-falls short of capturing the madness and dissolution inherent in the novel....some things are just better left to our imaginations...
 

AnnaMarie

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I have gotten past wanting a movie to be a duplicate of a book.

Do you ever watch the tv series Bones? In the original book, she lives in Montreal. If it's a work of fiction I'm fine with changes. (On the other hand I hate watching documentaries because they should not be the writers version. When I have any knowledge of the true story I always end up angry.
Argo is a perfect example.
)
 

SharonC

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I won't even watch Argo because from what I've read and heard it is told from one point of view and leaves out a lot of other equally important participants in the escape of the American embassy people.
Even if I hadn't read the Shining, I don't think I would have liked Kubrick's version. I did see it and just intensely disliked Wendy's and Danny's characters. Jack Nicholson was his usual over the top self. Not one of my favourite actors. I have seen other Kubrick films as well and maybe it's only me, but I never understood why the man was considered a film genius.
 

Dana Jean

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I won't even watch Argo because from what I've read and heard it is told from one point of view and leaves out a lot of other equally important participants in the escape of the American embassy people.
Even if I hadn't read the Shining, I don't think I would have liked Kubrick's version. I did see it and just intensely disliked Wendy's and Danny's characters. Jack Nicholson was his usual over the top self. Not one of my favourite actors. I have seen other Kubrick films as well and maybe it's only me, but I never understood why the man was considered a film genius.
i'm with ya on that Kubrick stuff.
 

Sundrop

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Even if I hadn't read the Shining, I don't think I would have liked Kubrick's version. I did see it and just intensely disliked Wendy's and Danny's characters. Jack Nicholson was his usual over the top self. Not one of my favourite actors. I have seen other Kubrick films as well and maybe it's only me, but I never understood why the man was considered a film genius.

Yes....exactly!
 

Angelo Bottigliero

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I just try to look at the movie as if it's not from the novel. Because it's a fantastic movie. We're just looking at it through our 'SK-eyes', that's why many fans don't like it.

I noticed I do this with photography too. I love photography, give workshops, organize weekends, have a studio. But when my mom went on holiday to some faraway jungle, and came back with beautiful pics the was very proud of, I was all 'Horizon is crooked on this one, you should have placed something in view here to create depth, this one is nice but the composition could have been better if...' :D
 

Elijah Sattler

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Actually, I do agree with you on some points. I wouldn't exactly you know be so harsh about it, but I do. By the way, Jack did read the novel, he recommended someone else play the role for Wendy, I forgot who, but it was a blonde cutie. Stanley was hell bent on Duvall to play the role and convinced Jack that she was. Anywho, I actually loved the movie. Not because of the acting necessarily (although Jack is a cool-cat daddy, you have to admit), but just because of Kubrick. I love Kubrick's movies so so so so so much, they're just so cool and weird. In conclusion, I like it because it's weird. That's my argument lol.
 

GNTLGNT

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I like it because it's weird.

sweater2.jpg
 

OldDarth

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I enjoy the Kubrick movie as a movie but not as faithful translation of the book. It's an adaptation in the truest sense of the word. The movie borrows from the book but it is a totally different beast.

Weirdly, King's TV mini-series is a closer adaptation of the book but I like it less than the movie.

In both versions the major failing, are the child actors they chose to play Danny. Neither worked for me.

The definitive adaptation of The Shining has yet to be made.