False Legend...

Rating: 2/10 (14 August 2005)

I've recently gone back to look at films that terrified me in my youth, to see if they still have the effect on me. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The Shining, The Exorcist are all films that aren't any good once you get out of childhood.
Jack Nicholson plays Jack Torrence in Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's masterpiece The Shining. I can only think of one positive thing in this film, and that's the fact that it's still psychologically scary and disturbing to this day, even when I'm in my twenties.
However, Kubrick changes way too much from the novel for this film and you can tell that he was re-writing the script during production. I re-watched a lot of Nicholson movies over the years and realized something... Nicholson is playing Nicholson. He's never playing The Joker, or Jack Torrence, or anyone else but himself.
I am not convinced that Jack Torrence is a sane man at any point in this movie. In the car on the drive up to the Overlook Hotel, Danny (Danny Lloyd) says, "it's okay mom, I know all about cannibalism, I saw it on TV." Jack retorts this with a creepy, "see, it's OK, he saw it on the television." This just speaks out to me that the hotel didn't turn him insane, he was already insane.
Stephen King's version in 1997 fixed everything that was incorrect in this film, which is basically 98%, I'd say.
First, Jack's alcoholism is all wrong in this film. He didn't break Danny's arm in the past, he breaks it while at the Overlook. He was fired and not allowed to teach due to the assault incident at school.
Secondly, Jack and Stuart Ullman in this film seem like old friends, but in the novel and Stephen King's miniseries, they loathe each other.
Thirdly, in Kubrick's version, it takes about 20 minutes for Torrence family to be alone in the hotel. But, the pace in Stephen King's allows for it to come more gradually and this succeed in convincing you that Jack Torrence slowly turns evil.
Fourth, in Kubrick's story-telling Jack kills Dick Holleran. But in the novel and King's version, Jack sacrifices himself to get Dick, Wendy and Danny safe.
Fifth, Danny's imaginary friend Tony is not a, "little boy who lives in his mouth." Tony is actually Danny all grown up and just talks to Danny giving him advice.
Sixth, in Kubrick's version, Jack Torrence's boiler responsibilities are basically omitted. Wendy (Shelly Duvall) is shown doing something with the boiler once just before Jack wakes up from a nightmare. In King's version, it's the boiler that ends up killing Jack.
Seventh, there was no hedge maze, it was hedge animals. They attempt to attack Danny, but Wendy saves him by coming out to check on him.
Eighth, Wendy in Kubrick's version has a rocky relationship (to say the least) with Jack. Jack seems to not be able to stand her presence. In one scene, he tells her to don't come into the room ever again, using profanity. Plus, in the book, it's mentioned Wendy is a blond bombshell (supermodel looks). In King's version, Rebecca DeMornay is a better Wendy, not just because she fits the profile in appearance...but her character seems stronger. In Kubrick's version, Wendy is described as a ghost and horror fanatic, yet, Shelly Duvall spends most of the film being terrified of everything and Jack, as well.
Ninth and finally, Kubrick screws up the storyline of Delbert Grady. He is acknowledged at the beginning as a previous caretaker with his name being Charles who killed his family and committed suicide. Yet, when Jack meets him later on, he says his name is Delbert Grady and not Charles. In King's version, Grady storyline is correctly done and Watson is the one to explain it.
It is all these problems with the changes or omitting of things, that allow me to dislike the film along with Jack Nicholson's horrible and unconvincing portrayal of Jack Torrence. It's horrible acting for Shelly Duvall and the overuse of her being scared and screaming about everything is also another reason. I will give it one point increase due to the fact that it's what caused me to be afraid of my bathtub or anyone's bathtub whenever I went over to someone's house.