The Shining

The Shining is a horror movie based the novel by Stephen King with the same name. A writer with a troubled marriage and their young son accepts a job for the winter taking care of a closed-for-the-season hotel. The position has suddenly become available after the murder of the previous caretaker's family by the caretaker who committed suicide in a presumed fit of cabin fever. Upon their arrival, the writer, Jack Torrance, appears to throw himself into his writing project. The family settles into a routine in the empty and very isolated hotel. However, the Overlook Hotel, built on an old Native American burial ground, has a long history of visitors and employees that have met with violence.

Danny, Jack's son, has the psychic ability to see many of these now departed souls. His ability is identified by Dick Hallorann, the hotel's in-season chef. He also has psychic ability and explains to Danny he got it from his grandmother. He calls it shining. The young boy is then warned to avoid room 237. As the days pass, Danny sees a number of the hotel's departed guests. Danny cannot resist disobeying Hallorann for long. When his visit to this room results in injuries, Wendy believes Jack is abusing their child. He hurt him before when he was drinking. Jack denies this and starts to see the long dead occupants of the hotel. This begins his descent into madness.

His hold on reality deteriorates when he meets the ghost of the previous caretaker and is encouraged to make his family behave. His wife then discovers his writing has only been the repetition of the phrase: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. She immediately realizes how frightening her situation has become, and the set-up for the horror-filled conclusion is in place.

The isolated hotel becomes more removed from the outside world when the phones lines go down after a snowstorm. This combined with the eeriness of a large, empty building, such as a hotel, creates the atmosphere that stimulates the imagination. Adding to this, the landscape of the Overlook Hotel has an intricate maze of hedges with numerous twists and turns.

The role of Jack Torrance is played Jack Nicholson, his wife, Wendy, is played by Shelley Duvall and the chef is played by Scatman Crothers. Today, this film is considered by some to be one of the top twenty scariest movies of all time.