The Stand (miniseries)

The Stand

Television miniseries poster
Genre Apocalyptic, Drama, Horror, Fantasy
Based on The Stand by
Stephen King
Screenplay by Stephen King
Directed by Mick Garris
Starring Gary Sinise
Molly Ringwald
Jamey Sheridan
Rob Lowe
Laura San Giacomo
Miguel Ferrer
Ruby Dee
Bill Fagerbakke
Corin Nemec
Adam Storke
Ray Walston
Matt Frewer
Ossie Davis
Shawnee Smith
Theme music composer W.G. Snuffy Walden
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 4
Production
Producer(s) Stephen King
Mitchell Galin
Editor(s) Patrick McMahon
Cinematography Edward J. Pei
Running time 366 minutes
Production company(s) Laurel Entertainment
Greengrass Productions
Budget $28,000,000 USD
(equivalent to $44,703,188 in 2015)
Release
Original network ABC
Original release May 8 (1994-05-08) – May 12, 1994 (1994-05-12)

The Stand is a 1994 American television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. King also wrote the teleplay and has a cameo role in the series. It was directed by Mick Garris and stars Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, Rob Lowe, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo, Molly Ringwald, Corin Nemec, Adam Storke, Ray Walston, and Matt Frewer. It originally aired on ABC starting on May 8, 1994.[1]

Plot

At a government laboratory in rural California, a weaponized version of influenza (called Project Blue) is accidentally released, immediately wiping out everyone on staff except for military policeman Charles Campion, who flees the base with his family. However, Campion is already infected by the superflu, nicknamed "Captain Trips", and spreads it to the outside world. Days later, Campion crashes his car at a gas station in East Texas, where Stu Redman (Gary Sinise) and some friends have gathered. When they investigate, they find Campion dying of the flu next to his wife and baby daughter, who are already dead. Campion tells Stu with his dying breath that he was followed from the base by a mysterious figure and states: "You can't outrun the Dark Man". The next day, the U.S. military arrives to quarantine the town. While the other townspeople quickly become ill and die, Stu remains healthy and is confined at a CDC facility in Vermont, in order to research a possible cure. The research proves futile, and the superflu rages unchecked, causing civilization to collapse and killing over 99% of the entire world's population in less than two months.

After the infection runs its course, a small group of immune survivors is scattered across the country. These include rock star Larry Underwood (Adam Storke), who has just had his big break but is now stranded in New York City; Nick Andros (Rob Lowe), a deaf man in Arkansas; Frannie Goldsmith (Molly Ringwald), a teenager living in Ogunquit, Maine; Lloyd Henreid (Miguel Ferrer), a criminal stuck in a prison cell in Arizona; and "Trashcan Man" (Matt Frewer), a mentally ill arsonist and scavenger. The survivors soon begin having visions, either from kindly Mother Abagail (Ruby Dee) or from the demonic Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan). The two sets of survivors are instructed to either travel to Nebraska to meet Mother Abagail, or to Las Vegas to join Flagg.

As their journeys begin, Lloyd is freed from prison by Flagg in exchange for becoming his second in command. Trashcan Man, who is a pyromaniac, destroys a set of fuel tanks in Indiana, then much of Des Moines, in order to win Flagg's favor. Larry escapes New York and meets a mysterious woman named Nadine Cross (Laura San Giacomo). Despite their mutual attraction, Nadine is unable to consummate a relationship with Larry because of her visions of Flagg, who commands her to join him as his concubine. Nadine eventually leaves Larry to travel on her own. Stu escapes from the CDC facility and gathers a group of survivors, including Frannie; Harold Lauder (Corin Nemec), a hometown acquaintance of Frannie's; and Glen Bateman (Ray Walston), a retired college professor.

As the group travels west, Harold grows frustrated at the way that Stu has assumed leadership and grown close to Frannie. Meanwhile, Nick makes his way across the Midwest, eventually joined by Tom Cullen (Bill Fagerbakke), a gentle, mentally challenged man. Eventually, Nick's group reaches Mother Abagail's farm in Hemingford Home, Nebraska. She tells them a great conflict is imminent, and they must all travel on to Boulder, Colorado. There, the various survivors, including Stu, Frannie, and Larry, join with others to form a new community founded on Mother Abagail's teachings. Meanwhile, Flagg sets up an autocratic society in Las Vegas.

Initially, all is well in Boulder. However, Frannie discovers she is pregnant by her deceased ex-boyfriend, causing her anxiety because she is not sure whether or not her child will be immune to the superflu. Meanwhile, Harold grows increasingly dissatisfied with his life in Boulder and begins experiencing visions from Flagg. He is soon seduced by Nadine and decides to follow Flagg's dictates. Mother Abagail, now the spiritual center of Boulder, becomes convinced that she has fallen into the sin of pride and leaves town to walk in the wilderness. Shortly thereafter, Harold and Nadine plant a bomb in Frannie and Stu's home, and set it off during a meeting of the Free Zone council. Meanwhile, Abagail returns to town greatly weakened and gives a psychic warning to the council members at the meeting. The warning allows most of the council to escape the explosion, but Nick and Susan Stern are killed. In the hospital after the bombing, Mother Abagail tells Stu, Larry, Glen, and fellow council member Ralph Brentner that they must travel to Las Vegas to confront Flagg; then she passes away. Meanwhile, Nadine and Harold make a run for the hills, where Harold dies in an accident created by Flagg, and Nadine is raped by Flagg, who shows his demonic face.

Flagg returns to Las Vegas with a traumatized Nadine. He becomes increasingly unstable, showing his true face to Lloyd in a rage. Shortly after this, Nadine taunts Flagg's loss of control over the situation, then commits suicide with Flagg's unborn baby inside her. With winter fast approaching, the group of Stu, Larry, Glen, and Ralph set out on their quest. While crossing a washed out road, Stu breaks his leg and stays behind while the others continue. Larry, Glen, and Ralph are soon captured by Flagg's forces and temporarily imprisoned, although Glen is later shot to death for refusing to betray the Boulder group in exchange for his life. Larry and Ralph however, are forced to endure a show trial before being publicly executed in Fremont Street. As they are being tortured, to the delight of Flagg's acolytes, Trashcan Man arrives with a stolen nuclear weapon. As Flagg transforms into a demonic visage, a spectral hand reaches out and detonates the bomb, while the voice of Mother Abagail declares that God's promise has been kept, destroying Las Vegas and apparently killing Flagg. Stu is rescued by Tom, who takes him to a nearby cabin to heal as winter sets in. They eventually return to Boulder in the midst of a blinding snow storm. While Stu is away, Frannie gives birth to a baby who had caught the flu. When Stu arrives back home, the baby, named Abagail (after Mother Abagail), survives the flu.

With the end of both Captain Trips and Flagg, Stu, Frannie, and the other survivors work on rebuilding their lives.

Cast

Moses Gunn had originally been cast as Judge Farris, but shortly after filming had commenced his health declined, and he died shortly after that. Ossie Davis, who was present at the filming because his wife, Ruby Dee, was playing Mother Abagail, took over the role of Judge Farris.[2]

Having both starred in previous film adaptations of King's works, Ed Harris and Kathy Bates both had small, uncredited roles in the early parts of the series. Bates's character, Rae Flowers, was originally a man (Ray Flowers), but when Bates became available, King - who wanted her to play the part - rewrote the role as a woman. Harris plays the Army general in charge of the original bio-weapons project who kills himself after the failure of the disease containment.

Rob Lowe had been originally considered for the role of Larry Underwood, but Garris felt that having him in the more unusual role of the deaf and mute Nick Andros would better suit the production (Lowe has been deaf in his right ear since childhood). Adam Storke ended up with the role of Underwood, where his musical skills were an asset.[2]

Miguel Ferrer, who played Lloyd Henreid, was originally interested in the role of Randall Flagg, but the sights for that part were initially set on actors such as Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, and James Woods. Stephen King wanted someone the audience "wasn't terribly familiar with". After Ferrer heard that Jamey Sheridan had been offered the part but wasn't sure it was something he wanted to do, Ferrer convinced him to take the part.[2]

Production

Production Designer Nelson Coates, who garnered an Emmy nomination for his design work, created all 225 sets for the miniseries. Faced with prices of $40 per stalk for New York-made fake cornstalks, Coates opted instead to grow 3,250 cornstalks as a cost-cutting measure; when a winter storm hit Utah, the reproduction of a Nebraska house with cornfield became complicated by the fact that the harsh weather did not allow the corn crop to grow taller than 4 feet.[3]

Signs at Rae Flowers' radio station feature the logo of WZON, a real-life radio station in Bangor, Maine, owned by King.

Originally, parts of the miniseries were to be filmed on location in Boulder, Colorado. After the passage of Colorado Amendment 2, which nullified local gay rights laws, the production was moved to Utah due to protests.[4]

Releases

Original broadcast

Part Title Directed by Written by Original air date[1]
1"The Plague"Mick GarrisStephen KingMay 8, 1994 (1994-05-08)
2"The Dreams"Mick GarrisStephen KingMay 9, 1994 (1994-05-09)
3"The Betrayal"Mick GarrisStephen KingMay 11, 1994 (1994-05-11)
4"The Stand"Mick GarrisStephen KingMay 12, 1994 (1994-05-12)

Home video

The Stand was released as two separate VHS tapes for Parts 1–2, 3–4 originally in New Zealand and Australia, and later as a two tape set. It was later released on three LaserDiscs in a box set.

The Stand was released on DVD by Artisan Entertainment in a double-sided single-disc DVD in October 1999, then in a two-disc format in 2000. Both DVD versions have audio commentary and special features. The DVD was re-released on June 18, 2013.

In 2006, American DVD rights reverted to Paramount Pictures/CBS DVD. Paramount has not yet released a standalone version of The Stand, but has released it as part of a collection with The Langoliers (1995 TV miniseries) and Golden Years (1991 TV miniseries). This release of The Stand lacks the audio commentary.

Soundtrack

Stephen King's The Stand (Original Television Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album (Digital download)/Audio CD by W. G. Snuffy Walden
Released May 24, 1994
Length 46:40
Label Varèse Sarabande

Credits and personnel

  • Music composed by W. G. Snuffy Walden
  • Executive producer: Robert Townson
  • Produced by W. G. Snuffy Walden
  • Music recorded and mixed by Ray Pyle and Avram Kipper at O'Henry Studios, Devonshire Studios and Taylor Made Studios
  • Music editor: Allan K. Rosen
  • Synclavier programming by Mark Morgan
  • Orchestrations by Don Davis and John Dickson
  • Scoring contractors: Paul Zimmitti and Debbi Datz
  • Principal musicians:
    • Guitar: W. G. Snuffy Walden and Dean Parks
    • Piano: Randy Kerber
    • Percussion: Michael Fisher
    • Woodwinds: Jon Clarke
    • Violin: Charlie Bisharat

Reception

The film was met with generally positive reviews.

John J. O'Connor at the New York Times wrote, "A great deal of time and money has gone into this production, and it's right up there on the screen... The nagging problem at the heart of "The Stand" is that once the story settles early on into its schematic oppositions of good versus evil, sweet old Mother Abagail versus satanic Flagg, monotony begins to seep through the superstructure... Muddled, certainly, but Stephen King's 'The Stand' is clever enough to keep you wondering what could possibly happen next."[1]

Awards and nominations

1994 Casting Society of America (Artios)

1994 Emmy Awards

1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Connor, John J. (May 6, 1994). "TV Weekend; A Plague and Its Effects". New York Times.
  2. 1 2 3 Stephen King, Mick Garris (1999). Stephen King's The Stand (DVD). Artisan.
  3. ↑ Michael Booth. "5 Points a star: Hollywood action invades Denver neighborhood", The Denver Post, August 27, 1994, page A1.
  4. ↑ Dusty Saundes. "Amendment 2 Drives Film's Makers Away" Rocky Mountain News, May 8, 1994

External links

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.