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Even forty-five years after its release, legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s cult psychological horror movie ‘The Shining’ is still regarded as a masterpiece of modern horror. And the climactic showdown continues to haunt the viewers. But what if we tell you that The Shining might not have ended the way it did, because there was an alternative ending? What was that ending, and why couldn’t it find a place in the final version of the film? Read on to know these interesting details.
The Shining Plot
The Shining centers on Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a job as the winter caretaker of a remote hotel. He moves in with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their young son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who possesses psychic abilities. Soon, Danny begins seeing unsettling visions, while Jack slowly descends into madness and turns violently against his family. Trapped in the isolated hotel, Wendy and Danny must fight to survive his terrifying breakdown.
The Shining Original Ending
The movie concludes with the mother and son managing to escape Jack, who becomes lost in the maze and ultimately freezes to death. The final shot then reveals a photograph dated 1921, showing Jack among a crowd at a lively party. This haunting image hints that Jack may have been the reincarnation of the man captured in the photo.
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The Shining Alternate Ending
According to a report by Collider, The Shining had an alternate ending, or rather a deleted scene, which could have been placed before or after the party picture scene in the film. So, the alternate ending was that the hotel manager, Stuart Ullman (played by Barry Nelson), who hired Jack to be the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, visits the mother-son duo at a hospital. He tells them the police have searched the hotel but, strangely, never found Jack’s body. Before departing, he hands the boy a chillingly familiar yellow tennis ball — the very same kind that lured him toward the eerie Room 237 earlier in the film.
This moment would have added another layer of mystery, leaving audiences to wonder if the hotel manager was somehow tied to the supernatural events. However, according to reports, Stanley Kubrick chose to cut the scene and stick with the original ending, preferring to leave the conclusion open to interpretation.
Was The Alternate Ending Better?
We believe the original ending was the stronger choice. An alternate version might have overcomplicated the plot and introduced an unnecessary layer to the story. The original’s simplicity made it more impactful — and clearly, it worked. After all, the fact that we’re still talking about it says it all.
The Shining Critics and Audience Feedback
Although the critical response to the film was initially mixed, the movie gained a cult following over the years. It has a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 83% and a much higher audience score of 93%. The Shining has a user rating of 8.4/10 on IMDb.
The Shining Trailer
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