You're quite right pharoah, I did expect the film to be the same as the book and I don't think that was an unfair expectation either! Unlike you, I feel that the film should be a fair adaptation of the book and I really don't look for any 'new' ideas from Directors'. I believe that the Author and Director each know their own craft and should not meddle to much in each others'.
I was really disappointed with the fact that;
Instead of the moving animal topiary, we got the maze. Because if there was ever a chance for a Director to terrify his audience and bring something 'new' onto the cinema screens at that time, there was a missed opportunity.
The woman in the bath was turned into a very beautiful younger woman for audience titillation, I assume. The part in the book, where she is described as being fat, bloated and purple and with evil intent was completely overlooked.
Another opportunity was lost here when Danny had reached the door and was counting to 10, as Halloran had told him to do and when he turned around, she was right behind him. That was a terrifying image in the book and I'd love to have seen that translated into film.
Danny, whose character in the book was depicted as a quietly intelligent little boy was portrayed as slightly moronic in the film.
To be fair to Shelley Duvall, physically she was the complete opposite of the picture I had in my mind of Wendy from the book. Wendy was strong and determined to protect her son even though it meant the end of her relationship with her husband. Sorry to repeat myself, but all I can remember Shelley Duvall doing was running around and screaming.
There are a lot of other things that irritated me about Kubrick's version of 'The Shining', but I won't go on and on.
Don't get the wrong idea, I am not a Jack Nicholson hater, I loved him in 'one flew over the Cuckoo's nest', but I still think his portrayal of Jack was wrong for 'The Shining.'
I'm sorry we won't agree on this and I haven't meant to offend you in any way with regard to the film. You are entitled to have it as one of your favourite films as I am equally entitled to say that in my opinion it was the worst film I ever saw. Again you are right when you say it was my biggest disappointment ever, it was and for all the reasons I have listed above!
At least we agree about Stephen King's books and he is a fantastic writer. When I read 'The Shining', I was stunned and envious and just wished that I had written that book.
