This was actually my first exposure to the story. I watched it when I was 16 and it aired on ABC. That was its world premiere, and it got a fair share of acclaim – so much so that it was nominated for the Best Miniseries Emmy that year!
According to Wikipedia, time has not been kind to perceptions of this program though. Part of the reason is that broadcast network special effects from the late 90s must look unbelievably cheesy at this point. Apparently people also find the miniseries bloated though, feeling that it tries to overcompensate for whatever the Kubrick movie left out/changed by being overly faithful to the Stephen King tome. Perhaps at the time it was more acclaimed because people liked the novelty of seeing that other stuff filmed for the first time.
I do remember the complaint even at the time from my hometown paper that the miniseries should have been two two-hour installments, not three, and only the last two hours are thrilling. Even as a teenager with much less discerning tastes than I have now, I agreed.
Still, I have to recommend this work highly. As a big fan of that TV show Wings (the first adult sitcom I ever watched) I love Steven Weber. Leaving my personal tastes aside though, he was wonderful as Jack Torrance the way King intended him – an imperfect but kind and compassionate man slowly driven to homicidal rage by this hotel that preys on souls. The bonds he shares with Wendy (here played by ravishing Rebecca De Mornay) and Danny (here much less unsettling – he’s just a sweet kid who happens to have supernatural abilities) are very moving, and thus make his transformation tragic and captivating while also scary.
I’m thinking someone should try a new version of The Shining that is faithful to King’s work in spirit while also being crisp in pace. In the meantime, you can find bootleg copies of this online. Note: I don’t normally condone illegal streams, but I’ll make an exception when there is no legal version in print. There was a home video release at one point but it has been discontinued, just like the last classic miniseries I reviewed.
Bottom line: A beautiful character study for beautifully flawed character Jack Torrance.
Up Next: A little icing on the cake.
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