It’s been known for years and years that author Stephen King has hated Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of his novel The Shining. Apart from the novel deviating rather drastically from the book (especially towards the end), King absolutely loathed the way Wendy was portrayed, calling it “…one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film“. Yikes.
Well, recently Deadline posted an interview with King, which was admittedly conducted a few years prior, and he still holds back no punches when it comes to his thoughts on the movie.
King uses an interesting analogy, stating, “I think ‘The Shining’ is a beautiful film and it looks terrific and as I’ve said before, it’s like a big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside it.”
Having read the book a few times and seen the movie multiple times, I can understand King’s aversion to the initial adaptation. It is wildly different and it doesn’t match the character arcs that King worked over so carefully and thoughtfully. That being said, I still love Kubrick’s movie because it scares the absolute shit out of me every time I watch it.
What are your thoughts? Is King being too harsh or is he justified in his distaste?
