Take a stand

Title:  Stephen King’s The Stand

Director: Mick Garris
Writer: Stephen King, based on his novel of the same name
Release Date: May 8th through May 12th, 1994
Cast: Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Rob Lowe, Laura San Giacomo, Miguel Ferrer, Bill Fagerbakke, Shawnee Smith, Ray Walston, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, 

Cliff’s Notes

After a superflu decimates the world population, the survivors in the United States split into two factions. One, drawn to Boulder, attempts to rebuild a peaceful, democratic society. The other, well… they burn things and murder folks. At the center of the conflict stand a group of survivors, drawn to both good and evil, and the leaders of both factions.

Lecture

The early 90’s saw a slew of Stephen King related projects, and while some of them were pretty solid, more than a few fell flat. I’m looking at you Firestarter and Sleepwalkers. But the biggest of these puppies, and by far the most epic, stood as The Stand. King’s massive novel, the unabridged version knocks in at 1152 pages which is almost three times the average novel length, looked in many ways to be impossible to film. So many of the novel’s signature pieces worked so perfectly in novel form that doing them on the small screen seemed impossible. Luckily, King and Garris were, mostly, up to the task.

Stephen King’s The Stand works best when it focuses on the smaller stories at play. Sure, this puppy reeks of epic in terms of story and scope, but the cards that The Stand brings to the table fit more into the small ball category. It really helps that the cast here is so strong that these moments stand out to the highest degree. Add to that a kind of Americana inspired fairy tale and a slew of fantastic set ups and you get one hell of a series.

And there is something to be said for creating a massive, multi-layered world that highlights some of the best parts of American storytelling. Stephen King’s The Stand works well because it embraces both the story of the novel that inspires it and dares to do that well. A few of the twists and turns here really broadside you, changing character dynamics and forcing the plot forward in some really unique ways. Sure, the ending can’t keep up with the rest of the flick, but for a mini-series to do something this broad for this long and not pull back takes all kinds of guts.

Alas, that doesn’t mean this puppy always works. Every film has to justify its run time and The Stand doesn’t manage to pull it off once hours four and five get started. Sure, it’s almost always interesting, but watching this puppy straight through can be rough. Maybe splitting the six-plus-hours over two or three days would help, but doing this as one major piece tests your devotion to the couch. Plus, and this is just a little thing, the effects don’t match the massive budget that holds everything else in place. A little more work with the digital effects would have done wonders in the second half.

Acting

The massive cast works really welly together. Sure, it helps that Sinise is at his most likable and holds the show together like a boss. Major props go to Ringwald, Giacomo, and Fagerbakke, who each give their respective roles exactly what’s needed. Sheridan does well, though I wonder if his interpretation of the character needed a stronger push. The stand outs here, however, are Lowe, Walston, and the amazing combo of Davis and Dee. Casting Lowe against type allows the series to continue into its uncertain plot with style while both Davis and Dee prove why they stand as powerhouses withing their craft. Of everyone in this massive cast, Walston may be my favorite. It’s a joy to watch him work and he brings his best.

Directing

Garris does well building his massive feature into a single, cohesive whole. Much of his work seems to be holding the massive narrative in place, something he does well. Alas, the size works to get the better of him, with the focus on the work seeming to waiver a touch in the third fourth of the series. He also struggles with some of the horror of the piece, though I wonder if that has more to do with the medium versus his capacity.

Script

King’s adaptation works pretty well and serves up a bunch of fun to a slew of folks. His characters, always one of his strong points, rock and really drive the story well. Combine that with a slew of fun bits, all kinds of crazy social commentary, and a ton of horror goodies and then bake it in a fun mini-series oven for six hours and a quality offering pops out. Alas, the build up in Stephen King’s The Stand doesn’t really match the payoff. The finale seems a little less effective than the five hours that come before it. Lastly, there are a few moments that, while they work alright, don’t stand up as well as they could.

Effects

Hit or miss, but it was the 90’s, so I can let some of it slide. The makeup and art direction work really well, and won awards, though some of the SFX, especially the digital ones, really fall flat. I know some of that falls to time, but even for the era they seem a little weak.

Highlights

I love the plot twist in the middle of this puppy. Didn’t see if coming and it works so well. It keeps the whole thing on edge for the next half of this puppy.

Lowlights

The effects at the end really don’t work for me. At all.

Final Thoughts  

Epic in its scope, though occasionally lacking in its execution, Stephen King’s The Stand rocks the mini-series shtick the right way. Sure, it’s not as good as the novel, but with a novel this good, that’s impossible.

Grade: B