"The Stand" (1994) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

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:

Virus | Population | Plague | Old Woman | Mute

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Gary Sinise	...	Stu Redman (4 episodes, 1994)
Molly Ringwald	...	Frannie Goldsmith (4 episodes, 1994)
Jamey Sheridan	...	Randall Flagg (4 episodes, 1994)
Ruby Dee	...	Mother Abigail Freemantle (4 episodes, 1994)
Miguel Ferrer	...	Lloyd Henreid (4 episodes, 1994)
Corin Nemec	...	Harold Lauder (4 episodes, 1994)
Adam Storke	...	Larry Underwood (4 episodes, 1994)
Rob Lowe	...	Nick Andros (4 episodes, 1994)
Laura San Giacomo	...	Nadine Cross (3 episodes, 1994)
Ossie Davis	...	Judge Richard Farris (3 episodes, 1994)
Matt Frewer	...	Trashcan Man (3 episodes, 1994)
Ray Walston	...	Glen Bateman (3 episodes, 1994)
Rick Aviles	...	Rat Man (3 episodes, 1994)
Peter Van Norden	...	Ralph Brentner (3 episodes, 1994)
Bridgit Ryan	...	Lucy Swann (3 episodes, 1994)
Kellie Overbey	...	Dayna Jurgens (3 episodes, 1994)
Chuck Adamson	...	Barry Dorgan (3 episodes, 1994)
Sam Anderson	...	Whitney Horgan (3 episodes, 1994)
Cynthia Garris	...	Susan Stern (3 episodes, 1994)
Billy L. Sullivan	...	Joe (3 episodes, 1994)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Tom Cullen (2 episodes, 1994)
Shawnee Smith	...	Julie Lawry (2 episodes, 1994)
Warren Frost	...	George Richardson (2 episodes, 1994)
Tom Holland	...	Carl Hough (2 episodes, 1994)
Stephen King	...	Teddy Weizak (2 episodes, 1994)
Sarah Schaub	...	Gina McCone (2 episodes, 1994)
Bruce MacVittie	...	Ace-High (2 episodes, 1994)
Dan Martin	...	Rich Moffat (2 episodes, 1994)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	Monster Shouter / ... (2 episodes, 1994)

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

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Company:

Greengrass Productions

Trivia:

The role of Judge Richard Farris was originally to have been played by Moses Gunn who was forced to back out due to health reasons, and Ossie Davis was brought in instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Stu and Glen are on Glen's porch and they hear motorbikes coming, they both jump up, and Glen puts his hat on. Yet in the next shot, with Stu coming down the porch steps, Glen is tangled in the hammock and trying to get out.

Movie Connections:

References "Bonanza" (1959)

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.