* Mr. Hallorann in the book.
** He storms back from Florida to Colorado, risking his life several times, braving threats both natural (like a terrible snowstorm) and supernatural (like an extremely pissed-off and malevolent entity trying its best to keep him away) to help a little boy in danger. What makes this even more heartwarming is that Danny's not a relative of Hallorann, nor a long time acquaintance. But Hallorann comes anyway, as he promised, because he feels he can't abandon Danny.
** He also encounters two people who likely have a bit of Shining themselves, who go out of their way to help him.
** He'd unknowingly decided to finalize his will just recently, only to realize this might have been the reason why. He's rightly horrified by this realization and starts wondering whether he's really about to risk his, admittedly very comfy, life he'd worked so hard for for three people he barely knew. He then runs right out the door to do just that.
* In the book, Jack momentarily overcomes the influence of the hotel [[PlatonicDeclarationOfLove to tell Danny that he loves him]], but ends up being possessed by the ghosts of the hotel, and dies when the boiler explodes. In the miniseries however, Jack manages to overcome the hotel's influence and [[HeroicSacrifice deliberately set off the boiler]], destroying the Overlook, defeating the ghosts, and [[RedemptionEqualsDeath redeeming himself]]. Despite the miniseries' frankly suspect quality overall, it sells this changed ending perfectly through Jack's last words. Add to the end of the miniseries that a now adult Danny sees his father one last time, saying [[SoProudOfYou he's proud of him]].
-->'''Jack:''' Gentlemen...I think the party's over.
* The parental relationship between the Torrances and Danny; it's clear that they truly love their son. Which just makes it even worse when the hotel ends up taking over Jack and turning him into a monster.
* Wendy and Danny walking through the maze and playing in the snow together.
* Even though she's terrified out of her mind and completely emotionally unprepared to handle the situation, Wendy Torrance keeps going through everything the Overlook and her husband put her through for the sake of her son, and in the end, manages to save both him and herself.
* The last chapter of the book reveals that [[spoiler: Al Shockley gets Wendy a job so she can care for herself and Danny. This is in spite of the hotel he had a huge share in burning down, and Wendy not really liking him due to his encouraging Jack's alcoholism (though she never tells anyone that).]]
* Watch every single reaction to this movie, all of them will comment on how sweet Wendy is and defend her through the screen during the scene where Jack is ripping the pages.
* According to Stephen King he received a phone-call from Stanley Kubrick during production asking if he thought the story was an ultimately depressing or hopeful one? After some thought King replied that any story which established life after death was an inherently hopeful one.
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