Stephen King’s Love-Hate for The Shining Confuses Fans Even 44 Years Later

Summary:

• Based on Stephen King ’s novel of the same title, The Shining stands with an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Although the movie has become a horror classic through the years, the author has expressed his dissatisfaction with the film on several instances.
• The fans of King however don’t seem to entirely agree with his sentiment.

There are many things that can go wrong when a studio picks up a novel to adapt. This is especially true for better known authors who have a large fan base even without any adaptations. We're used to seeing stories of adaptations that botch the source material, but with Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, it's still a controversial topic.

One thing is for sure, if the horror movie has remained so relevant in all media for over 40 years, it has been done right. Whether it needs the approval of the writers to be successful is just another point of debate.

Why Did King Hate The Shining?

“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,” Stephen King once told Deadline.

Since that interview, that comparison in particular has become one of the most popular ways King's fans describe his views on Kubrick's adaptation. The movie didn't fail at all.

On the contrary, even though the director took an obvious turn away from the original story, his version of The Shining has gained a lot of fans over the more than 4 decades of its existence.

One could understand the author's disappointment if he hadn't known or authorized anyone to change the story, but that wasn't the case. For Stanley Kubrick, who was just dipping his toes into the genre at the time, the ability to influence and change the story was vital. So much so that it was written into his contract.

The Shining Is Still a Great Movie Despite King’s Hate

Although King has since shared his appreciation for Kubrick's work outside of this particular project, fans are still confused by such a strong reaction. However, many believe that the case of The Shining simply shows how difficult it can be for two geniuses to find common ground.

While the story as a whole and some details, such as Torrance's alcoholism, were very close to King's, Kubrick immediately took him out of the movie formula. He rejected the author's original screenplay and even worked with another screenwriter, Diane Johnson, who had a similar approach.

What may have been a breathtaking experience for the audience felt cold and personal to the author, as he was the one who was deeply connected to the parts that were eventually cut.

If you love The Shining and want to go through the immersive experience it allows its viewers, the film is available for purchase on Apple TV, Prime Video, or Vudu.

Source: Deadline