Where to watch The Shining
4 Stars
Television adaptation of Stephen King novel that follows a recovering alcoholic professor. He ends up taking a job as a winter caretaker for a remote Colorado hotel which he seeks as an opportunity to finish a piece of work. With his wife and son with him, the caretaker settles in, only to see visions of the hotel’s long deceased employees and guests. With evil intentions, they manipulate him into his dark side which takes a toll on him and his family.
The Shining (1997) aired as a three-part mini-series on network television during the spring of 1997. Stanley Kubrick’s infamous retelling, which features an iconic performance from Jack Nicholson, is a very different project than this television movie, which is slavishly faithful to King’s source material. Stephen King was heavily involved in this remake, which works from a teleplay; this is also by the author. The Shinning (1997) is a 4.5-hour movie that is very detailed but briskly paced while giving Jack (Steven Weber) an alcoholic past and ample time to descend into madness as a caregiver of the haunted hotel.
Steven Weber is excellent in his portrayal of the story’s central character, a surrogate for Stephen King himself, and he’s matched by fine performances from Rebecca DeMornay and Melvin Van Peebles. The Shinning (1997) is the best TV movie adaptation of a King novel. It is a monumental feat to take on a remake of an iconic classic loved by horror enthusiasts but reviled by its creator, Mick Garris manages this difficult task with flair and, seemingly, ease; I’ve long preferred this version over Kubrick’s cinematic interpretation.
Directed by: Mick Garris
Written by: Stephen King
Starring: Rebecca De Mornay, Steven Weber, Wil Horneff