List of differences between the book and film

List of differences between the book and film is just that. A comprehensive list of all differences between the 1977 Stephen King novel The Shining and the Stanley Kubrick 1980 film adaptation.

Background

Stanley Kubrick made quite a few changes to the original Stephen King storyline, keeping only the bare bones plot line of the book.

Differences

Chapter	Novel	Film
1	"I'll be perfectly frank with you, Mr. Torrance. Albert Shockley is a powerful man with a large interest in the Overlook... he has made his wishes in this care-taking matter quite obvious. He wants you hired. I will do so. But if I had been given a free hand in this matter, I would not have taken you on." (page 5)	In the film he loves Jack from the start and we also know that Jack went through the Boulder office to get the job.
1	In the novel Mr. Ullman states that "I made a mistake… The man was a drunk." when talking about hiring Charles Grady. (page 7)	In the movie he says nothing about alcoholism and he only states that he, “suffered some kind of a complete mental breakdown”.
1	In the novel Bill Watson takes Jack on the first tour of the hotel. (page 7)	In the movie Mr. Ullman and Watson go together.
1	In the novel Jack tells Bill Watson that he hasn’t had a drink in “the last 14 months”. (page 8)	In the movie he tells Lloyd he’s had “five miserable months on the wagon”.
1	In the novel Delbert Grady kills his girls with a hatchet and his wife and himself with a shotgun. (page 8)	In the movie he kills them all with an ax and himself with a shotgun.
1	In the novel Delbert Grady has only one name. (page 7)	In the movie he has two, Delbert Grady and Charles Grady.
2	In the novel both Wendy (page 9) and Dick Hallorann (page 51) say, "What's up, doc?"	In the movie only Dick Hallorann says it.
2	In the novel they’re brought to The Overlook in Jack’s red VW (page 10 & 25) and have a yellow Bombardier Ski-Doo snowmobile in The Overlook’s shed. (page 188) Also, in the novel they’re saved on Arctic Cat snowmobile.	In the movie they are brought to The Overlook in a yellow VW and have a red Snow-cat in The Overlook’s garage. In the movie they’re saved by a Snow-cat.
2	In the novel they live on a street with an Indian name “Arapaho Street” (page 10), and the only time an Indian is mentioned is in this statement “Can you see the Indians in this picture?”	In the movie they are surrounded by Indian artwork and an actual Indian is seen three times.
2	In the novel Danny’s arm was in a cast after being broken by Jack. (page 12 & 84 & 100)	In the movie Wendy tells the pediatrician, “he dislocated his shoulder”.
2	In the novel it’s Danny who wears "his over-sized dark green “Stovington Prep sweatshirt”. (page 12)	In the movie it’s Jack who we see wearing a light green Stovington t-shirt as he gets breakfast in bed.
3	There is one very important furnace taken care of by Jack in the novel. (page 12)	There are two unimportant twin furnaces taken care of by Wendy in the movie.
3	In the novel Bill Watson tells Jack that the Grady girls are eight and six years old. (page 16)	In the movie Mr. Ullman tells Jack that they are “about eight or ten” and they are played by twins in the movie, which is very important.
3	About the Grady’s, in the novel “a ranger from the National Park that found em… froze solid”. (page 16)	In the movie Grady “stacked them neatly” in a room in the Overlook and it’s Jack who’s found frozen solid at the end of the movie.
4	In the novel “The greatest terror of Danny's life was divorce”. (page 20)	In the movie this is never mentioned.
4	In the novel he’s John Daniel Torrance (page 22) and his nickname is Jack.	In the movie’s credits his only name is Jack Torrance.
4	In the beginning of the novel on page 21, “Tony had appeared (far away, as he always did, calling distantly)”. He can be seen by Danny (page 23) and he eventually gets closer as the story progresses.	In the movie he cannot be seen and only speaks from Danny’s mouth as he moves his index finger.
4	Tony is outside of Danny’s body in the novel.	He is inside Danny’s body in the film.
4	In the novel we see the word “REDRUM” very early on (page 23), and many other times.	In the movie we don’t see the word until later on (three quarters of the way through) and we only see it twice.
4	In the novel Tony shows Danny the word “REDRUM” “flashing off and on” in the bathroom mirror and the word murder is not seen in a mirror. Murder is seen in the reflection of “a huge clock in a glass bowl materialized in front of [the bathroom mirror]”. (page 209)	In the movie “Danny isn’t here Mrs. Torrance” and he never sees it as Jack “Shines” the word “REDRUM” into Tony’s mind. He is the one who writes it on the bathroom door.
4	In the novel Danny's first vision is very early on (page 23), and he sees everything; The Overlook, the snowstorm, "a single word appeared in green fire ... REDRUM", the bathroom, the bedroom, an overturned chair, an old woman in a tub, "And, dangling over the white porcelain lip of the bathtub, a hand. Limp. A slow trickle of blood ... trickling down one of the fingers, the third, dripping onto the tile from the carefully shaped nail.", and his father swinging a mallet in the hallway. But no Grady sisters.	In the movie he sees the bloody elevators and the Grady sisters in his first vision.
4	"Then, in the next instant, Tony was gone and Daddy's battered red bug was turning the corner and chattering up the street, farting blue smoke behind it." In the novel the red VW is old and falling apart.	In the film it's yellow and new.
5	In the novel Danny has the dream that Jack hurts him. (page 32)	In the movie Jack has the dream.
6	In the novel Wendy reads Jack’s writings before they go to The Overlook (page 34) but does not read the play he’s working on at the hotel.	The reverse happens in the movie where she reads “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.
6	"He loved his mother but he was his father's boy." (page 38)	This is reversed in the film where Danny seems to shy away from his father and cling to his mother.
8	In the novel The Overlook is full of people on closing day.	In the film it's almost empty except for workers.
8	In the novel Wendy reads 2 paperbacks Victoria Holt (page 41) and Cashelmara (page 175).	In the movie it’s only “The Catcher in The Rye”, although there are stacks of books also over the Torrance's Boulder apartment. There are also rows of books on three shelves on the wall of the Torrance's living room. This could be a nod to Wendy's enjoyment of reading.
8	In the novel Wendy knows where the Donner Party became snowbound, “Further west in the Sierra Nevada the Donner Party had become snowbound and had resorted to cannibalism to stay alive.” (page 42)	In the movie this is reversed and she doesn’t, and it’s Jack who knows where it happened and he cheerfully brings up the word cannibalism.
8	In the novel Tony warns Danny about The Overlook (page 44) and Danny doesn’t want to go there.	In the movie this is reversed and it's Tony that doesn’t “want to go there”.
8	In the novel Danny knows “REDRUM” is in The Overlook, "And in the bug... he kept looking out between them as the road unwound, affording occasional glimpses of the Overlook Hotel... It was the place he had seen in [a vision]. The place Tony had warned him against. It was here. It was here. Whatever "REDRUM" was, it was here." (page 44)	In the film Danny doesn't know anything about "REDRUM" until near the end of the story. In fact if you look closely he never looks in the mirror or sees the word “REDRUM” at all, Wendy does. Every time "REDRUM" appears Tony is possessing Danny. It's Tony in the film that first sees the word.
9	In the novel, "Ullman was waiting for them just inside the wide, old-fashioned front doors." (page 44)	In the film, the front doors that Jack walked through are quite ordinary.
9	Danny reads minds in the novel, "But he (Mr. Ullman) didn't like that lady (Mrs. Brant)," Danny said immediately. "He was just pretending to like her." (page 45) and, "Can you tell what your mom and dad are thinking, Danny?" Hallorann was watching him closely. "Most times, if I want to." (page 56)	He doesn't in the film.
9	In the novel Mr. Ullman says, "I had expected you more around three, Mr. Torrance."	In the film he's on time.
10	"I'm Jack Torrance. My wife Winnifred.... "And a pleasure it was. Ma'am, are you a Winnie or a Freddie?" (page 49)	In the film Jack is not present in the kitchen as Danny and Wendy take the tour and he asks this question.
10	In the novel there is a, "long wallboard hung with cutting instruments which went all the way from paring knives to two-handed cleavers hung beside a four-basin sink." (page 49)	In the movie there are only a few knives.
10	In the novel Jack says the line during the tour of the kitchen, (page 50) "How did you know we called him doc?”	In the movie Wendy says this line and Jack is not present.
10	“Hallorann showed them into the walk-in freezer first, where their breath puffed out like comic strip balloons. In the freezer it was as if winter had already come.” (page 50)	In the movie this sentence is reversed and they’re frozen breath is glaringly left out both when they’re in the walk-in freezer and at the end of the movie during the chase.
10	"[Dick Hallorann] snapped his fingers as if he had forgotten something. "What's my name, now? I guess it just slipped my mind." "Mr. Hallorann," Danny said, grinning. "Dick, to your friends." "That's right! And you being a friend, you make it Dick." As he led them into the far corner, Jack and Wendy exchanged a puzzled glance, both of them trying to remember if Hallorann had told them his first name." He didn't and this is where Dick Hallorann knows that Danny can "Shine" (page 51).	In the film this is reversed and we're alerted to the "Shine" when Dick Hallorann knows Danny's nickname, "Doc".
10	In the novel when Dick Hallorann “Shines” during the tour (page 51) and asks Danny if he wants to go somewhere warm, “Sure you don't want to go to Florida, doc?”	In the movie this is reversed and he asks Danny if he wants something cold, “How'd you like some ice cream, Doc?”
10	In the novel Dick Hallorann says that Bill Watson (page 52) is the “foulest-talking man” he’d ever seen.”	In the movie Bill Watson is a nice guy.
10	In the novel (page 53) Dick Hallorann said, "If you're a drinkin’ man, I hope you brought your own supplies. That place is picked clean. Employee's party last night, you know. Every maid and bellhop in the place is going around with a headache today, me included."	In the novel it's Mr. Ullman that says, “I'm afraid you're not going to do too well here unless you've brought your own supplies. We always remove all the booze from the premises when we shut down, that reduces the insurance that we would normally have to carry.”
11	In the novel, (page 54) in a dream Tony tells Danny not to go to The Overlook and he shows him things throughout the story.	In the movie Tony won’t tell Danny anything choosing to show him cryptic images that he (and the audience) never fully understands.
11	In the novel (page 46 and 142) there’s a topiary with hedge animals that protect (page 284) The Overlook, and they’re positioned in the front of the hotel.	In the movie it’s a hedge maze and the animals from the novel are hidden throughout the movie in Danny's toys.
11	In the novel Danny first sees “REDRUM” in a vision as “green fire”. (page 23)	In the movie it’s written in blood red lipstick and if you look closely Danny never sees it, Tony does.
11	In the novel, Danny’s thoughts come to him in colors. (page 21)	In the movie they are visions.
11	In the novel, Danny (page 54) has the most power to “Shine” followed by Dick Hallorann. Wendy has very little (page 60) and Jack has none (page 170). Dick Hallorann also meets up with a snow plow driver and a woman on a plane who also “Shine”.	In the movie it’s brilliantly hidden but almost every character has some ability to “Shine”.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann has his long conversation with Danny outside in his car. (page 55)	In the movie it’s inside The Overlook’s kitchen.
11	In Dick Hallorann's car Danny asks, "Am I the only one you ever met?" "No, child, no. But you shine the hardest." (page 55)	He never says anything in the film.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann tells Danny that he’s only met about a dozen people throughout his life who knew they could “Shine”. (page 55)	In the movie at first he knows no one else except Danny even though there are others with this ability around him.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann tests Danny’s ability in his car, "What do you want me to think?" "Anything. Just think it hard." "You shine on, boy. Harder than anyone I ever met in my life.” (page 56)	In the movie he never does this.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann tells this to Danny, "What you got, son, I call it shinin’ on, the Bible calls it having visions, and there's scientists that call it precognition. I've read up on it, son. I've studied on it. They all mean seeing the future. Do you understand that?"	In the movie he gives a much simpler explanation.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann smells “oranges” when he “Shines” and gets a premonition. (page 59, 213 & 215 & 267)	In the movie he doesn’t.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann brings up room 217 as he talks to Danny in his car. (page 59)	In the movie it’s Danny that brings up room 237 in the kitchen.
11	Dick Hallorann asks this question in the novel, ""Your folks, they don't shine, do they?" "No, I don't think so." "I tried them like I did you,"... "Your momma jumped the tiniest bit... Your dad ... "I don't think he shines at all," (page 60)	In the film he doesn't know unless someone reaches out and "Shines" at him if they have this ability.
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann’s important line to Danny is, “I don't think there's anything here that can hurt you. So just be cool, okay?" (page 60)	In the movie his important line is, “Remember what Mr. Hallorann said. It's just like pictures in a book, Danny. It isn't real.”
11	In the novel Dick Hallorann says, “they're just like pictures in a book”. (Page 60 & 150)	In the movie Dick Hallorann never says this. If you look closely it’s Tony that says it to Danny as he moves his index finger; “Remember what Mr. Hallorann said. It's just like pictures in a book, Danny. It isn't real.”