The Shining : Casting

If I had to name one thing that is most seriously wrong with this film, it would be the casting.

Jack Nicholson, still riding the wave of his Oscar win for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," goes off the rails so early in the movie that there's really no place for him to take the character. In the novel Jack Torrance loses his mind gradually (which is more realistic anyway) and the other characters have their chance to adjust to what happens.

Shelley Duvallwell for starters her look is all wrong for Wendy Torrance, who is described in the novel as a blonde beauty with "shimmering hair." And then there's her characterization, which was all Kubrick's doing and over which Duvall and Kubrick fought incessantly. King's original portrait of Wendy was of a strong and resourceful woman who, when confronted with the goings-on in the hotel and a husband who is losing his mind, fights back, and ruthlessly.

Scatman Crothers as the head chef is a bit of a stereotype; Crothers's approach to the role contributes to this. Melvin Van Peebles in the TV remake plays the role with a very different approach.

Danny Lloydsorry, but the kid simply can't act. He has a collection of facial expressions that Kubrick uses in a series of close-ups, and given Kubrick's skill with his camera, that might have been enough if it were not for Tony. A sort of imaginary friend (he's more of a dream visitor than a creature of Danny's imagination), Kubrick has the kid talk with his finger in an odd voice when "Tony" shows up. This is clearly the most idiotic thing in the entire picture.

I don't know what made Kubrick choose his actors; all I know is this movie has probably the worst cast I have ever seen.


Oh God. There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold!

Disagree. The cast is perfect for what Kubrick wanted. Not King. See the miniseries for perfect cast who is even worse.
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THE SHiNiNG

ONE MONTH LATER



















So none of us ever see what happened to them from CLOSING DAY until then. And Jack seemed rather normal eating his eggs and bacon breakfast in bed ONE MONTH LATER. I guess truly crazy behavior has to wait for hunger to be satiated.

And a month +.

Why do people keep repeatedly saying this??? (Just because King said it first, that's the only reason. King isn't exactly the best barometer of "normal behavior.")
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THE SHiNiNG

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And Jack seemed rather normal eating his eggs and bacon breakfast in bed ONE MONTH LATER.

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You're blind, deaf, and stupid. He was already looking abnormal during the interview with Ullmann. Nicholson played the character unhinged from the first moment the camera clapped eyes on him.

Oh and BY THE WAY, did you notice that Wendy served him FRESH EGGS that day? Supposedly a MONTH into their stay? By that time she would have been forced to use POWDERED eggs because fresh eggs would have gone over by then.





Oh God. There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold!

"In the novel Jack Torrance loses his mind gradually"

You said the magic words. In the (novel). Oooook But this forum is for the Shining film.

"who is described in the novel as a blonde"

Again. Who cares. This is the forum for the film the Shining. Not a book Club.



"Danny Lloydsorry, but the kid simply can't act."

You must be confused with the kid from the miniseries. Oh every time that kid spoke. Even Closed Caption would shut down and hide. Talk about annoying!!!

"(he's more of a dream visitor than a creature of Danny's imagination"

That was only in the novel. Again this isn't a book club. You do realise there is a forum for talking about the miniseries.


"all I know is this movie has probably the worst cast I have ever seen"


For all you know,Which might not be that much. If this is the worst casting you have seen. You could not have seen too many films then.

If you are going to troll this forum. It would really be better you go to the miniseries forum or to a Book group.

Lmao. Hmmm Make me. I bet you can't. Now run along to your book club and be sure to take your Green eggs and ham along with. they might sign it.

Boy are YOU a twenty-four karat *beep*


Oh God. There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold!

whateverfvckov
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THE SHiNiNG

Another waste of time.

Oh God. There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold!

Yes, convincing everyone that a horror film classic sucks ON THAT FILM'S IMDb PAGE usually results in numerous gestures of love.
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THE SHiNiNG

Hadn't seen The Shining in years and we caught it on TV last week. Nicholson's performance was so far OTT it was ridiculous. He wasn't scary. It was like he took his already OTT performance in One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest and pushed it up to 11.

Actually, I'm wondering if Nicholson's work may be re-evaluated in the not too distant future. He's such a ham. The kind of acting he specialized in has seriously gone out of style.