The next article accommodates spoilers for The Lengthy Stroll.
The newest Stephen King adaptation, The Lengthy Stroll, has launched in theaters to a optimistic essential and fan reception. Directed by Francis Lawrence and written by J.T. Mollner, the movie stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.
It follows a younger man named Ray Garraty (Hoffman) who is chosen to take part within the Lengthy Stroll, a authorities scheme during which one younger man from every state participates in a lethal strolling contest during which the winner receives monetary stability and one want. Members can not break their tempo of three miles per hour, down from the novel’s 4 miles an hour, or they’ll “receive their ticket,” a euphemism for dying.
Set in a dystopian alternate United States, the movie explores themes of vengeance, solidarity, integrity, and implicit submission. It’s primarily based on the novel of the identical identify, although sure parts have been modified. For instance, Garraty’s pal and ally all through the Lengthy Stroll, Peter McVries (Jonsson), receives a extra sympathetic backstory.
Likewise, the ending acquired a artistic overhaul. Talking to Leisure Weekly, Lawrence defined:
“I knew that people were really gonna love McVries. What I also loved about it was, just narratively, the idea that we open on a kid in a car and the audience is gonna be programmed to believe, clearly, here’s our winner. I love turning that on its head and going, ‘Guess what?! He’s not the winner.'”
Nevertheless, that was not the one main change made to The Lengthy Stroll’s story. Within the novel, Garraty’s father had additionally died, however the movie provides a brand new layer to this by having the Main (Hamill) be the killer. Lawrence defined that his and Mollner’s Garraty had “different motives for going into the Long Walk:” mainly, revenge and his mom.
Consequently, this affected how he approached the ending of the movie. The director said: “You don’t really want the guy who’s in it for vengeance to win, right? Because that’s really not what the story’s about.”
Characters strolling down the street in The Lengthy Stroll
Each the movie and the novel have a tragic ending for Garraty, however in very other ways. Whereas the kindhearted McVries wins within the film, Garraty comes out on high within the authentic story. Nevertheless, it’s removed from a contented ending as he walks off into the darkness after a mysterious determine, the implication being he received the sport however misplaced his thoughts.
McVries successful does, as Lawrence said, subvert expectations. Audiences count on their point-of-view character to be the winner, and guide readers would count on Garraty to win. That is heightened by The Lengthy Stroll utilizing the scene the place McVries sits all the way down to let Garraty win, solely this time, the latter picks him again up and sacrifices himself.
Consequently, McVries makes use of his want to request a gun and kills the Main himself, making good on Garraty’s revenge. It mirrors the novel’s ending in a approach, as a result of in enacting his pal’s plan, McVries loses part of himself. All through The Lengthy Stroll, McVries maintained an optimistic spirit and mentioned how homicide takes the sweetness out of life. Making this character a assassin himself exhibits that the price of the stroll outweighed his acquire.
Whereas the ending of The Lengthy Stroll is a major departure from the novel, it nonetheless carries a tonal resonance that displays the themes of the movie. Curiously, Hamill revealed in the identical interview that King “loved” the brand new ending. At its core, The Lengthy Stroll tells the story of a younger man led by a corrupt system to pursue glory, the bonds he forges alongside the way in which, and the bounds of his inner morality, no matter which ending audiences devour.
The Lengthy Stroll
7/10
Launch Date
September 12, 2025
Runtime
108 Minutes
Cooper Hoffman
Raymond Garraty / #47
