Probably the author whose work has been brought to the screen the most in the history of cinema, many would cite The Shining,On the 40th anniversary of its release, however, I would argue the case that in fact the 1983 horror thrillerBased on King's fifth novel published in 1979, Oscar-winner Christopher Walken stars in the film as Johnny Smith, a kind teacher whose peaceful life in a sleepy town in Maine is forever altered after a serious car accident.
"Once I started to think about that, first of all, it amused me to think that the whole film could be interpreted as the fantasy of a crazy person, and secondly, it is a very good analogy of an artist who creates and has visions of some kind, and is an exile from normal society for that. The author's original story perhaps brought an emotional, more human touch that was perhaps lacking from the director's work up until that time.
That being said, fans of the actor are still treated to one of his best line readings of all time when he tries to warn the father of a young boy that he tutors that the child is in danger. When discussing his dilemma involving Stilson with his sympathetic doctor - who fled from Poland during its Nazi invasion - Johnny asks him: