Alright so yesterday I got this itch to dig into how different stories get told across different stuff, like books or plays or movies. Been thinking about adaptations a lot lately. Then I remembered “The Shining” obviously – huge movie, right? But wait… didn’t Stephen King hate the Kubrick version? Got me wondering if there even was a play. Few searches later, bingo! Found out Stephen King actually wrote a stage version himself in the 90s. So okay, perfect. My plan took shape: I gotta watch Kubrick’s movie side-by-side with whatever I could find about this play. See how the story itself changes.
Setting Up My Messy Night
First thing, I grabbed my laptop. Fired up that movie again – haven’t watched it properly in years. Started loading it up. While that buffered, I needed the play stuff. Tricky. Can’t just stream it like the movie. Had to hunt down info. Found the script online after a bit – lucky. Printed out some key scenes. Also found a few grainy bootleg clips on a video site, looked like someone filmed it during an actual performance years ago, quality was rough but usable. Grabbed my notebook and my trusty blue pen. Popped open a can of cola. My desk looked like a hurricane hit it: script pages, notebook, laptop playing the movie on one side, phone showing the play clips on the other. Perfect setup for chaos. Hit play on both as best I could.
Diving into the Weirdness
Right away? Things felt different. Started paying close attention, scribbling like crazy.
- The Bartender Ghost Guy (Lloyd): In the movie, Jack sees him in that crazy bathroom scene, right? All tense and weird. Pull out my phone, find that part in the grainy play clip. Whoa. In the play, Lloyd just… pops up near the fire hose. Like, way earlier. Not super dramatic. Just kinda there. Felt almost casual. Wrote down “Ghost intro = WAY less spooky”.
- The Hedge Animals: Movie has the topiary animals coming to life, chasing Danny. Creepy. Flipped through the script pages, looking for that scene. Found it. In the play? The hedges just… move around on stage. Like actors shuffling about in big green costumes. Sounds kinda dumb, right? Honestly, seeing it in the bootleg clip? It kinda was. More awkward than scary. Made a note: “Hedges = less terror, more… theatre camp?“
- Jack’s “Here’s Johnny!”: Movie moment, classic! Iconic! Everyone knows it. Now, find that part in the script. Read it. And read it again. Nothing. No mention of it at all. Just says he breaks through the door. Check the bootleg clip – yep, actor breaks through, screams something generic like “Die!” or whatever. Huge movie moment? Gone in the play. Wrote “NO ‘HERE’S JOHNNY!’ WTF” in big letters.
Wendy’s Whole Vibe Shifted
Kept going. Started focusing on Wendy. Movie Wendy? Shelley Duvall? Looks scared constantly, kinda fragile, running around screaming. Okay, now the play. Read her scenes. Different. Read her stage directions. They actually tell the actress to be stronger, more pissed off. Watched the clips – the Wendy on stage actually yelled back at Jack, argued. Way more backbone. Movie Wendy felt like a victim; play Wendy felt like a fighter trapped. Big difference! Scribbled “Wendy play = NOT WIMP!”
The Ending? Forget About It!
Then I hit the endings. Okay, movie: Hotel blows up, Jack freezes as the creepy photo implies it happened before. Boom. Iconic. Flip to the play script’s last few pages. Whoa. Whole different ballgame.
- The play actually shows the backstory explosion from 1977! Like, on stage!
- Characters from the past interact with Jack and Wendy.
- This weird ghost kid Hallorann becomes important.
- Jack actually sacrifices himself trying to stop the Overlook’s evil spirit from getting Wendy and Danny? Huh?
- Danny uses his shine to talk to Hallorann through the radio?
Movie ending feels mysterious, cold. Play ending is warmer, focuses on Jack maybe redeeming himself and protecting his family, kinda heroic. Totally flipped feeling. Wrote “Ending: Movie = cold death vibe. Play = heroic sacrifice + family feels???“
My Big Duh Moment
Finished both, kinda shell-shocked. Looked back at all my messy notes. The big picture slapped me in the face. It wasn’t just changing a line or a scene. The whole freaking story felt different!
- The play put much more on the history of the hotel, showing past events directly.
- Play Jack actually seemed more human? Had that final chance to fight the evil.
- Play Wendy wasn’t just screaming; she was holding her ground.
- The scary movie stuff (hedges, Lloyd intro) fell kinda flat on stage.
- Endings were galaxies apart.
Tbh, it surprised me just how much the core tale changed. Stephen King wrote both the book and the play. Stanley Kubrick made the movie. The play felt more like King wanted the book told. The movie? Pure Kubrick nightmare vision. It wasn’t just translating; it was two different storytellers grabbing the same idea and running in totally different directions. Finished my warm cola. My desk was an even bigger disaster. But mission accomplished. The story? Yeah, it can be a completely different beast depending on who’s telling it and how. Wild stuff.
