The shining crew reveal why stanley kubrick didnt blow. The desk top was now completely bare except for a blotter, a telephone, a tensor lamp, and an inout basket. The film version made big changes to the character of jack overall, and subsequently, many elements of the story were completely modified to better represent the character the picture was working with. Set in the idyllic colorado mountain, the torrance family faces unspeakable dreadfulness while the patriarch, jack, is the winter caretaker at the overlook hotel in colorado. A stephen king fan has published an 80page version of the book which novelist jack torrance obsessively writes during kings the shining, where his descent into madness is revealed when his wife. The movie, the shining, is a cinematic masterpiece directed by stanley kubrick.
The overlooks manager, ullman, is concerned about giving jack the job. Followed by the stand in 1978, these books cemented kings place as. Newly introduced by the authorcover jack torrance sees his stint as winter caretaker of a colorado hotel as a way back from failure, his wife sees it as a chance to preserve their family, and their fiveyearold son sees the evil waiting just for them, as they journey into a world in which old horrors come to life to destroy the living. Despite these shortcomings, torrence starts out a decent family man. But even in jack s horrific final moments, slivers of love remain. The shining wiki is your complete online database to the shining the 1977 stephen king novel, the 1980 stanley kubrick film, the 1997 mick garris miniseries, the 2016 opera and the 2017 hhn haunted house. The first line of the shining reveals jacks thoughts about stuart ullman during jacks job interview. The shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by stanley kubrick and cowritten with novelist diane johnson. The shining is a tragedy, and wed be remiss to classify the ending otherwise. He was portrayed by jack nicholson in the novels 1980 film adaptation, by steven weber in the 1997 miniseries, and by brian mulligan in the 2016 opera. In the shining, when jack torrance has clearly gone mad and is chopping down the bathroom door with an axe to get to his wife, why does jack nicholson say heres johnny.
The most debated element of the shining s ending is the revelation in the final shot that jack is present in a photo of the overlooks fourth of july party in 1921. With ghosts, visions and psychological horror, the shining by stephen king is a very good horror story, i would say one of his best, right up there with the likes of salems lot which is another sk novel that i recommend if you enjoy horror. How does the ending of the shining differ from stephen. John daniel edward jack torrance was the protagonist and antagonist in the stephen king novel the shining, the 1980 film adaptation by stanley kubrick, the 1997 miniseries by mick garris, and the 2016 opera by the minnesota opera company. The only defining attributes that are touched on in the novel is jacks longer hair, and. In the film jack nicholsons character is called jack torrance but in the book hes called john daniel torrance. But the book is more entertaining overall, as books. Chapter summary for stephen kings the shining, part 1 chapter 1 summary.
The classic horror movie directed by stanley kubrick. Jun 22, 2012 the shining is the story of jack torrance, who is employed as the caretaker of the gargantuan overlook hotel in colorado one winter. What role did narcissistic injury and cultural circumstance play in jacks breakdown. Mar 12, 2020 that means what might make the best book, might not make the best movie. Based on the novel of the same name by stephen king, the shining follows jack torrance jack nicholson, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a job as the offseason caretaker of the overlook hotel.
Jack torrances new job at the overlook hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. In short, both the doctor sleep book and film bring us back into the world of dan torrance ewan mcgregor, whose father jack torrance jack nicholson in the shining lost his mind and found his. Jack s alcoholism and violent temper had lost him a job as a teacher of literature at a prestigious new england prep school. And that s what happened when stephen king saw the shining. Jan 07, 2009 a stephen king fan has published an 80page version of the book which novelist jack torrance obsessively writes during king s the shining, where his descent into madness is revealed when his wife. Top 10 differences between the shining book and movie. The shining book vs movie all the differences between the two. John daniel edward jack torrance is the main character of stephen kings horror novel the shining 1977. The shining book edit jack is the husband of wendy torrance, the father of danny torrance and lucy stone, and the grandfather of abra stone.
Movie, hell be taking a critical look at movie adaptations of horror novels. We think this question does a lot to unlock the mysteries of the shining and jacks. The shining summary the shining begins with jack torrance being interviewed for the caretakers job at the overlook hotel. Having read the novel and seen the movie multiple times, i can offer the following opinions on the subject for me, the 1980 movie version of the shining was much scarier than the novel that spawned it. The shining is a gothic horror novel by stephen king, first published in 1977. With jack nicholson, shelley duvall, danny lloyd, scatman crothers. Wendy shelley duvall discovers the results of months of jacks jack. I am jacks ax read the detailed book about the shining. As winter closed in and blizzards cut them off, the. His alcoholism and short temper are the themes running throughout the novel.
Adapted from stephen kings bestseller, the shining was released 40. The scariest part of the shining isnt what you think. There is no basement the two boilers are on the same floor as the lobby there is an important basement. This classic novel is arguably king s most famous story and piece of literature. The room was inhabited in the past, by a lorraine massey who would usually seduce young bellboys who would visit her room. Psychoanalysis of jack torrent character introduction one of the famous 1980s films is popular today with the name of the shining. He is shown as an alcoholic who is bored and at a loose end in life, so maybe he is simply going insane with the ghosts there to take him under their wing when he does. Jack torrance is driven insane by an evil presence at the overlook hotel, which compels him to try to kill his innocent wife and child and to repeatedly ax an innocent door. And we know this thanks to the regretfully outofprint the shining. After jack broke dannys arm while drunk, he feared that he was turning into his father. All these tales, like the shining, contain lots of anxiety about the processes of reading and writing, as well as the impact of stories on the collective imagination. Alcoholism in the shining in the shining, written by steven king, the reader is exposed to an issue that a lot of families face in the real world that of which is alcoholism.
The shining study guide contains a biography of stanley kubrick, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Johnson even took books out of the library about native american iconography and burial grounds for research. Danny s father, wendy s husband, and the antagonist of the shining. It was made into a film by stanley kubrick in 1980. Stephen king fan publishes shinings jack torrances novel books. Why did kubrick change the shining against stephen kings will. Published in 1977, it is king s third published novel and first hardback bestseller.
While the major threads of the story are there, the big change comes from the character of jack. Danny was only five years old but in the words of old mr halloran he was a shiner, aglow with psychic voltage. A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy or, rather, a homicidal boy in stanley kubricks eerie 1980 adaptation of stephen kings horror. The shining is a horror novel by american author stephen king.
A stephen king fan has published an 80page version of the book which novelist jack torrance obsessively writes during kings the shining. The shining essays are academic essays for citation. Home entertainment the shining is perfect quarantine viewing. Id give my goddamned soul for just a glass of beer. Jack torrance is driven insane by an evil presence at the overlook hotel, which compels him to try to kill his innocent wife and child and to. But, if you chalk jack s writing career to a literal case of king just writing what he knows, and focus on jack s alcoholism as his defining trait, then the book makes a lot more sense, and the character of jack torrance is far less frustrating. How does the ending of the shining differ from stephen king. Aug 15, 2018 in doctor sleep, the sequel to the shining, a now grownup danny works at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying, kings book. In the novel, jack is a tragic hero whose shortcomings lead to his defeat, while the film implies that he is prone to insanity from the start. Heres every difference between the shining book and the film.
Congratulations everyone, you killed jeremy renners app. While jack slowly gets more violent and angry of his life, his son, danny, tries to use a special talent, the shining, to inform the people outside about whatever that is going on in the hotel. This is different to the book, where dick is able to sense his potential death in the near future. Was jack torrance always the caretaker of the overlook hotel in the shining. The death is also nothing like jacks fate in the novelization of the shining, written by stephen king.
More telling are jacks overt hostility toward a man he has. Kings inspiration for the book came from his own very real occasional feelings of antagonism toward his own children, and he claims the book was an attempt to get it out of my system, but it was also a. However, he is somehow unable to foresee his own death at the hands of jack when he arrives back at the overlook. The film also leaves out jack s traumatic childhood. Oct 09, 2016 the shining is a supernatural horror novel written by stephen king and published in 1977. The movie the shining, directed by the great stanley kubrick and starring the terrifying jack nicholson, is very different from the stephen. The character of jack torrance in the shining from. May 26, 2011 all work and no play makes jack a dull boy or, rather, a homicidal boy in stanley kubrick s eerie 1980 adaptation of stephen king s horror novel. Stanley kubricks the shining is a classic horror film if there ever was a classic horror film. When reduced to a barebones synopsis, the plot of the shining is pretty straightforward. Dick hallorann scatman crothers is shown to possess the shining, a combination of telepathic and precognitive abilities.
Considering the fact that the shining s main character, jack torrance, is a murderous psychopath who tries to chop up his family with an axe, this a pretty brave confession. This article appeared in the books and arts section of the print edition. When stephen kings third novel the shining hit the shelves in 1977, it became his first hardcover bestseller. The shining has been considered by many as a confession from kubrick on the fake moon landing, with other details such as dannys rocketship sweater used as evidence. When his father became caretaker of the overlook hotel his visions grew frighteningly out of control. The shining 1980 all work and no play scene 37 movieclips. When stanley kubrick made the film version of kings novel, he abandoned a big chunk of the books plot, but that famous scene remained. Alcoholism in the shining essay 620 words bartleby. In the climax of the novel, jacks ghost intervenes to help danny, now going. And by the time i went to bed that night, i had the whole book in my mind. Ullman stood up and went to the file cabinet in the corner. The book was followed in 20 by the sequel doctor sleep.
The book is dark and the movie captures the required essence, but the book gets deeper into jack s mind which is not a fun place. Room 237, not to be confused with the documentary of the same name, was a room in the overlook hotel in the shining. It was a psychological horror movie that was the direction and production of stanley kubrick, having diane johnson as a coauthor. Lets take a deeper look at jack torrance, who has more than earned his place in the horror hall of fame.
Jack torrance character the story take place in colorado and begins with jack torrance, going to a place by the name of the overlook hotel to be the caretaker over the winter months, because of coast of keeping a twentyfive mile road, in which it take to. It was his third published novel, after carrie and salems lot. Check out his first column below, exploring the shining. As the offseason caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, hell have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his. The book features a 2015 interview with the film s cowriter, diane johnson, who mentions that this was a very purposeful theme. The storys main character, jack torrance, struggles from this issue due to his troubled past regarding an. Afterall, not barely a page goes by without jack thinking about alcohol, whether from regret or.
We think this question does a lot to unlock the mysteries of the shining and jack s character. Many fans of stephen kings original novel know the film deviates considerably from the book. Together, she and danny drag jacks unconscious body to a walkin pantry and lock him inside. Jack appears in the novel doctor sleep, in which his.
I am jacks ax a great horror movie book the shining i am jacks ax is a fabulous book written by r. A stephen king fan has published an 80page version of the book which novelist jack torrance obsessively writes during kings the shining, where his descent into madness is. Stanley kubricks the shining was released in 1980, and since has been hailed as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The film is based on stephen kings 1977 novel of the same name and stars jack nicholson, shelley duvall, scatman crothers, and danny lloyd the films central character is jack torrance nicholson, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a. This book gives jacks middle name as edward rather than daniel. Jack nicholsons performance has a lot to do with that. A few hours later, grady confronts jack in the pantry.
John daniel edward torrance is the main character of stephen kings horror novel the shining. Mar 30, 2017 for the first time, the shining s producer and cowriter explain in detail why the horror tale s ending changed from stephen king s novel and how it evolved again and again during the filming. Apr 17, 2018 those familiar with stephen king s book, and its sequel doctor sleep, know that danny s shining ability was something jack may have been gifted with as well. Jul 21, 2017 the shining 1980 death scene ben willis the fishermans killer. The shining came to a close with jack freezing to death after getting lost in a maze outside the hotel, while wendy and danny were able to make their escape in a snow cat. Is the shining the greatest story of addiction ever told. As the av club points out, the shining is kings most personal work and jack torrance is the character he most closely identified with. His assessment is correct, and hes far from the only one to note ullmans tendency to lord it over others. The shining is the third book published by stephen king. The hotel will soon close for the winter, but cant be left unattended. A theory that will change how you watch the shining.
In the 1997 miniseries, which is more true to the book, jack is played by steven weber. The shining centers on the life of jack torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a position as the offseason caretaker of the. The shining is commonly known as stephen kings masterpiece of supernatural horror. Doctor sleep comes out this friday, the sequel to the 1980 iconic horror masterpiece the shining from director stanley kubrick featuring jack nicholson in one of the most grandiose wildeyed. It deals with many of king s recurring themes, including alcoholism.
Eclipsed perhaps only by its 1980 film adaptation, the novel is one of the most popular and enduring horror stories of all time. The book, the shining, is a literary masterpiece written by stephen king. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the shining by stanley kubrick. The shining stephen kings novel gives us more background and detail into the character of jack torrence than does the film. Another interpretation of this novel can be one of cycles of abuse. The overlook produces the voice of jacks father in the radio telling him to kill his family. It is a book based on a horror novel the shining written by a very famous writer the stephen king. Jack torrance played by jack nicholson is portrayed in a less sympathetic manner in the 1980 film. The shining novel in the novel, jack torrance is a loving but troubled father who cares deeply for wendy and danny but does not know how to show it properly. The possibilities of mental illness in the shining.
Find a summary of this and each chapter of the shining. Published in 1977, it is kings third published novel and first hardback bestseller. If jack can write a book about the overlooks hidden secrets, he can be a. The shining in film form makes a point to keep the cause of jacks madness under wraps. Grady is jacks subconscious and tells him to kill his family. The book was published by doubleday in january 28, 1977. Stephen king has also written doctor sleep which is the shining book two. Moving his wife, wendy, and their son, danny, into it for the. The shining collectors edition introduction by ken.
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