Stephen King, a prolific author with over 65 novels to his name, is known for his candid opinions on adaptations of his work. While many of his stories have been successfully translated to screen, his relationship with Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation of The Shining remains a point of contention. King has frequently expressed his dissatisfaction with the film, particularly its characterizations and deviations from his original novel.
Published in 1977, King's The Shining is a deeply personal novel exploring themes of alcoholism and parental fears through the story of Jack Torrance, a writer who takes a caretaker job at a haunted hotel, endangering his family. King envisioned Jack as a good man driven to madness by supernatural forces.
Stanley Kubrick's cinematic take, released three years later, presents a starkly different vision. The film portrays Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, as inherently unstable from the outset. This interpretation, according to King, fundamentally misrepresents the character. "Jack Nicholson, though a fine actor, was all wrong for the part," King stated in a 1983 Playboy interview. "His last big role had been in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and between that and his manic grin, the audience automatically identified him as a loony from the first scene."
King also strongly objects to the portrayal of Wendy Torrance, played by Shelley Duvall. He has described her character in the film as "one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film,” asserting that "she's basically just there to scream and be stupid. That's not the woman that I wrote." Kubrick, in contrast, viewed Duvall's performance as embodying an essential "eccentricity" for his version of Wendy. He also described Jack as someone "psychologically prepared to do its [the hotel's] murderous bidding," citing Jack's bitterness over his writing failures and contempt for his family as pre-existing conditions.
A key scene often cited is Wendy's recounting of how Jack dislocated their son Danny's shoulder in a drunken rage. While King views this as evidence of Jack's inherent flaws, he feels the film emphasizes these pre-existing issues rather than the hotel's corrupting influence.
Despite King's criticisms, Kubrick's The Shining is widely regarded as a masterpiece of psychological horror. Its atmospheric dread, innovative use of Steadicam, and unsettling visual symmetry create a terrifying and enduring cinematic experience. The film's interpretation of Wendy, while criticized by King, has also been seen by some as a nuanced portrayal of a woman pushed to her limits, ultimately finding strength in her fear to protect her son and fight back against her husband's descent into madness.
Kubrick's adaptation ultimately succeeds by making the source material his own, resulting in a film that, while distinct from King's novel, remains a powerful and unforgettable work of art. The Shining is currently available for streaming on HBO Max.