15 Stephen King Stories Made into Films, 12-15

This segment of our list of Stephen King adaptations includes two hugely successful dramas set in prison.

12. Needful Things (1993)

This adaptation was a bit of a clunker, collecting more negative reviews than ticket sales. The movie didn't make much more than $15 million at the box office, which isn't too hot in terms of movie sales. The Faustian story, however, based on the King novel of the same name, is a strong one. Satan has a shop in a small New England town and gladly sells his customers whatever they need -- for a price. The best-known actor in the movie is Ed Harris, who plays doomed Sheriff Alan Pangborn.

13. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption may be King's most critically acclaimed adaptation, garnering seven Oscar nods and grossing nearly $30 million at the box office. The story came from King's Different Seasons short story collection. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins star as Red and Andy, two inmates in prison beginning in the 1940s who strive to reconcile their fates in different ways. This story is effectively frightening not because of supernatural events but because of the terror of watching one's life pass by.

14. Dolores Claiborne (1995)

This psychological thriller tells the story of Dolores, a maid who works for a wealthy woman in Maine, the setting for many of King's stories. When the rich woman is murdered, Dolores's daughter comes in from New York to sort out all the details. Lots of flashbacks about the family's domestic problems ensue and a cast that includes Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh play out the vivid drama with engaging results and a suspenseful ending with a twist. The movie received excellent reviews, especially for the performances by the leading ladies. It did well at the box office, too, pulling in almost $25 million.

15. The Green Mile (1999)

The Green Mile was based on King's series of six short books of the same name. In one of King's most successful movie adaptations, Tom Hanks stars as Paul Edgecomb, a cynical death-row prison guard. Michael Clarke Duncan, Oscar-nominated for his role in the film, plays John Coffey, a prisoner accused of murdering two children. The movie grossed $136 million at the box office and DVD sales are still strong. King reportedly came to the set and asked to sit in the electric chair being used in the film. He didn't like how "Old Sparky" felt and asked to be released right away.


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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen