The Stand (1994) Mini-series Review

The Stand (1994)
Mini-series - 4 episodes

Buy The Stand on Amazon (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Stephen King (teleplay by, based on the novel by)
Directed by: Mick Garris
Starring: Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Rob Lowe, Laura San Giacomo, Miguel Ferrer, Ruby Dee, Bill Fagerbakke, Matt Frewer, Ossie Davis, Shawnee Smith
Rated: NR [TV-14]
Watch the trailer

Plot
After a deadly plague kills most of the world's population, the remaining survivors split into two groups, one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a malevolent being, to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.

Verdict
It's a neat idea that falls flat. It's not just the end of the world, but also a spiritual battle between good and evil. Despite being the end of the world we see so little struggle; everything comes easily from travel to supplies. This moves so quickly that it never develops any tension or fear and the characters don't get much depth. The problem is that the book is so much longer. This captures the story but not the spirit. I have to imagine King was furiously cutting the story down to fit into four episodes. It's an arduous task that explains why this fails to develop a mood fitting a post apocalyptic world. There is so much more to the characters in the book than what we see in the series.
It depends.

Review
Having just read the book, I was curious how nearly twelve-hundred pages could be condensed into a mini-series. The book was engrossing from start to finish, but it felt like it could be several seasons of a television show. The series truncates much of the book to fit.

This was a made for television series, so it feels cheaper than a movie but it's a better production than a typical 90s show. While it may have been par for the time, it feels and sounds like acting. The dialog and delivery is unnatural. It always feels like play acting.

A highly infectious and deadly plague escapes a military base. We're introduced to several characters as people keep getting sicker and the military denies any disease. The edges of society start to crumble as streets empty and looting begins. The characters we've seen begin having visions of an old woman in Nebraska and a dark shadow. Initially the link between the plague and visions remains unclear. Ultimately, they're not directly connected.

Corin Nemec, Ray Walston, Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald play Harold, Glen, Stu, Frannie

It's easy to see where the series shortens the book. It is impressive how coherent this remains despite the cuts, but it's at the expense of characterization. It does a good job of leaving the overall story intact, but this also loses a lot of internal monologue and doesn't replace it with scenes to develop the characters. Larry (Adam Storke) was much more tragic in the book.

Everything seems so easy. I'd love to see more foraging scenes. We see Stu (Gary Sinise) escape a facility in Vermont and next he's outfitted and running into Glen (Ray Walston) in Maine. Not seeing those intermediate scenes makes everything look too easy. We don't see the hardships. This world never seems as harsh and frantic as it should be. They're not dirty and disheveled. It's like they're all on an afternoon stroll. The world just ended. How easy this seems undermines the plot. The lack of order is why people are drawn to the old woman or the shadow.

Peter Van Norden, Ruby Dee, Bill Fagerbakke, Rob Lowe play
Ralph, Mother Abigail, Tom Cullen, Nick Andros

All of the characters head to the old woman in Nebraska. From there the group heads to Boulder Colorado. This series hits the high points, but doesn't leave much room for details. Most of what happens in Boulder is cut. It also deletes Harold's (Corin Nemec) resentment of the group. In the book we saw how his disdain developed and how he waited for his chance at revenge. Harold was never likable in the book, but you understood why. He was tormented by bullies and hoped to make a name for himself in this new society. In this he's just a cartoon; a means to and end. Boulder took a lot of work to recreate society, but in the series it's all quite easy.

Adam Storke, Ray Walston, Peter Van Norden, Gary Sinise play Larry, Glen, Ralph, Stu

The series keeps returning to the fight of good versus evil; Mother Abigail (Ruby Dee) and Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan). The remaining survivors flock to one of these two people with the book focusing on the journey. Randall Flagg is the clear cut villain with the series showing him as a demon a few times. I wish this left it to the imagination instead of trying to explain what he is.

Jamey Sheridan plays Randall Flagg

The biggest issue with the series is that it loses all nuance due to truncating the story. There's no space and room to make this engaging. This isn't bad, but the book was great. I'm curious to see what the 2020 adaptation did with nine episodes.

This isn't just a plague, it's a super natural battle that arises because of or in spite of it. It provides another level to well worn apocalypse. God and devil avatars also help explain away the fantastical elements of the plot. Unfortunately it falls flat. Everything happens so easily, so quickly. It never slows down enough to highlight the struggle to survive or drive tension.