The Shining (Part 1)

The biggest challenge would occur with any book trying to be adapted into a movie counterpart, not just The Shining, but in specifics, the hardest part of adapting Stephen King’s classic would be the small, integrate detail. Every chapter acts as one scene, so you can imagine how much detail goes into describing a whole 10-15 page chapter. I like the movie a lot and I think it does a great job of adapting the book and making it into its own art. 

Part 1:

 •       Jack's son Danny has a seizure while talking to his imaginary friend Tony about the Overlook Hotel and visions blood flowing out of an elevator. -  This is an important scene because it introduces the point of The Shining and what it is about. From this Danny gets an explanation from the head chef of the Overlook about what the shining is, obviously without this scene would cause a lot of people to become confused with what the point of the book is, even though it still is hard to figure out.

•       Any scenes with room 237 are important to have a strong example to explain the shining. I’m not that far in the book to really learn about room 237 but because it is talked about so much, I have inferred that is very important to the overall plot of the story.

•       The scene where Danny has two visions of murdering two girls and doesn’t tell anyone about it because what this scene does is really explain in a specific detail of the identity of the shining. It is one of the best interactions with the shining that I've come in contact with as I’m not that far in the book

Part 2: 

      I think the opening scene with the job interview could be taken out in the film. I think it is drawn out. The real film uses it and does a great job with it and it is a great scene but I think it could be deleted. They could describe the details of why Jack wants the job and how he got it. In a conversation during a hotel tour, they could explain how the last caretaker went mad and killed his family, not in a long scene like the job interview.

•       I think the movie does a good job but the touring scenes of the Overlook could be more condense. There are about two chapters involving a tour of the hotel. In the movie they can make it shorter and more to the point.

•       I think the scene with Jack starting to lose his mind and go crazy could be cut down because it seems drawn out too much. In a movie the use of an actor, like Jack Nicholson, can basically take that raw emotion that is taking multiple pages to describe and condense it down with good old acting. Jack Nicholson in the movie is great at this and plays Jack Torrance almost perfectly. If I was adapting the movie, I would use a great actor to cut down some of the description of him going mad.