"The Stand" (1994)TV mini-series

Director:

Mick Garris

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (book)
Stephen King (teleplay)

Release Date:

8 May 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

The end of the world is just the beginning.

Plot:

After the world is decimated by a man-made plague, a battle of literally Biblical proportions ensues between the survivors.

Plot Keywords:

Apocalypse | Cornfield | Post Apocalyptic | Visceral | Epidemic

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Gary Sinise	...	Stu Redman
Molly Ringwald	...	Frannie Goldsmith
Jamey Sheridan	...	Randall Flagg
Laura San Giacomo	...	Nadine Cross
Ruby Dee	...	Mother Abigail Freemantle
Ossie Davis	...	Judge Richard Farris
Miguel Ferrer	...	Lloyd Henreid
Corin Nemec	...	Harold Lauder
Matt Frewer	...	Trashcan Man
Adam Storke	...	Larry Underwood
Ray Walston	...	Glen Bateman
Rob Lowe	...	Nick Andros
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Tom Cullen
Peter Van Norden	...	Ralph Brentner
Rick Aviles	...	Rat Man

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Stand

Runtime:

366 min | USA:359 min (DVD version) | 60 min (6 episodes) | Germany:345 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Company:

Greengrass Productions

Trivia:

Mike Lookinland, the man who sentries along with Stephen King near the end, is addressed by Stu as Bobby. Mike played Bobby Brady on the "The Brady Bunch".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Trashcan Man is stuffing dynamite into the oil tank, there is one shot of his timer sitting next to the opening, before he takes the timer out of his backpack and places it next to the opening.

Quotes:

Stu Redman: Where's your buddy, Denninger?
Dr. Dietz: [points a gun at Stu] Well, he's dead... They're all dead, everybody except for me and thee.
Stu Redman: And you're here to take care of me. Is that it?
Dr. Dietz: Hole in one!
Stu Redman: Why?
Dr. Dietz: Why? Because I've decided a piece of country fried crap like you doesn't deserve to live, not with so many good men dying.
Stu Redman: Those "good men"... caused this mess!

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

BABY CAN U DIG YOUR MAN

Miniseries can be good after all. And you must watch this, whether sitting or "stand"ing.

Usually, when we hear about a TV miniseries, we probably think "Oh God! Another product placement adaptation of a classic novel! Why does Hollywood do this to us?! I'll watch that as soon as there's a snowstorm in Rio de Janeiro!" And since Stephen King's novels are so great, any adaptation of them is suspect, but surely a TV adaptation would have to be the sort of thing that would make "Ishtar" look like a cross between "Gone with the Wind" and "Citizen Kane".

Well, "The Stand" is nothing like that. I don't think that in all possibility they could have done a better job with this movie. It slowly but surely builds up the plot, then lets everything happen, and by the end, you're completely blown away.

In case you're unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this. Everything in the world is going normally, when one day, a plague starts killing everyone off. People are dying by the thousands, and the government only sees fit to declare martial law. And in the midst of it, a few people are totally immune to the disease. As the movie progresses, these people start converging on a place out in the desert. But all the while, there is an evil man plotting things. And knowing that these people have converged on a place, he may just have his own plans for them.

The truth is, I can't do "The Stand" justice by describing it. It's the sort of movie that you can't possibly understand unless you actually see it. And believe you me, you will get blown away like never before. But I can say that the martial law scenes give one a feeling of what may be coming given the current state of the world.

And the cast. Any time that a movie has a giant cast, it's once again suspect; sometimes, movies have giant casts for no other purpose except to show off a bunch of stars. This one not only has the perfect cast, but it's clearly not for show. Gary Sinise is the nominal star, but there are several others. Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Matt Frewer, Ray Walston and Rob Lowe, to name a few. Appearing in smaller roles are Ed Harris, Kathy Bates, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and even Mike Lookinland (Bobby on "The Brady Bunch").

Look, every minute that you sit there and read my review is another minute when you're not watching the movie. SO GET OUT THERE AND RENT IT!!!!! It might just save your life one day.