Stephen King has published 65 novels and novellas so far, many of them in the horror genre. Over the years, filmmakers and television producers have consistently drawn from King’s reservoir, making him the second most adapted author of all time, behind only William Shakespeare. Several of his works have been adapted more than once, mainly due to their timeless appeal and thematic complexity. Interestingly, a few of his books and short stories have also never been touched.
In all fairness, some of the untouched works don’t deserve a screen adaptation. The Eyes of the Dragon, which revolves around the chaos surrounding a king’s murder by his magician, is an interesting read, but it feels too similar to parts of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Insomnia, about a man who cannot sleep, doesn’t feel intriguing or terrifying enough, either. So, which book is more likely to achieve the same screen success as The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, Mist, It, and The Green Mile? Published in 1981 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, Roadwork deserves an adaptation the most.
‘Roadwork’ Reminds Us How Cruel the Hand of Fate Can Be
A spirited condemnation of the government’s disregard for the well-being of ordinary citizens, Roadwork begins with a heated man-on-the-street news interview. An unnamed man rants about a new highway extension project, giving various reasons why it’s a bad idea. A year later, the man, now identified as Barton George Dawes, visits a gun shop and buys two high-powered firearms. We then learn that Dawes’ son Charlie died of a brain tumor three years earlier, and that Dawes has been unable to shake off his emotional ties to both the industrial laundry where he has a middle management job and the house in which Charlie was raised. Both are set to be demolished as part of the highway expansion project.
As he grows increasingly depressed, Dawes resigns after sabotaging the purchase of the laundry’s new facility. After learning about this and his unwillingness to find a new house, Dawes’ wife, Mary, leaves him. Dawes then tries to buy explosives from a mafia associate but is rejected. He thus makes his own by assembling a load of Molotov cocktails (popular in most Stephen King stories) and blows up some of the highway construction equipment. Unfortunately for him, his actions cause only a minor delay in the construction project.
From there, the character’s emotional state gets worse. After initially refusing to accept the compensation being offered for the house under the eminent domain statute, Dawes changes his mind after being blackmailed by the city’s attorney. However, he misuses most of the money. As a last resort, he wires the entire house and garage with the explosives before barricading himself inside. The police soon arrive, resulting in one of the tensest standoffs in film history.
‘Roadwork’ Bears Most of Stephen King’s Relished Trademarks
Roadwork doesn’t pull any punches in its analysis of loss and mental health. Even though it’s overly sensational in some areas and feels a tad didactic sometimes, its emotional weight makes it worthy of an adaptation. However, a deeper assessment is required. To determine whether a Stephen King story would be great in theaters or on television, we first have to question whether it’s actually a good Stephen King story. Will it please the fans who religiously follow the author because of certain storytelling styles? Does it bear most of the author’s trademarks? And does it offer something more than these trademarks… something that will appeal to wider audiences? Well, Roadwork ticks a lot of boxes,
Most of King’s stories accentuate the horrors of modern life, and none does it better than Roadwork. For Bart Dawes, the looming destruction of his home is more terrifying than anything he has ever experienced. It means letting go of his late son’s memory and letting go of a routine he has known for most of his life. Such a challenge is often faced by numerous people, hence relatable.
King is also great at showcasing psychological disintegration. The Shining, Apt Pupil, and Misery all feature characters who crash out or get worse because of circumstances beyond their control, forcing them to make questionable choices. In many cases, the characters tend to deny their grief or misfortune. They feel the need to hold on to something that is long gone, resulting in unfavorable outcomes.
Most importantly, many Stephen King tales emphasize institutional malice rather than supernatural-related obsession. In The Shawshank Redemption, the system punishes our protagonist for something he didn’t do. In The Long Walk and The Running Man, the government forces people to participate in a silly game, while in The Mist, the military’s activities cause the emergence of monsters. All these elements are present in Roadwork.
‘Roadwork Is One of Stephen King’s Most Personal Books
Roadwork also deserves an adaptation because it’s one of Stephen King’s most personal works, inspired by things that happened in his own life. While reading, it’s easy to tell that King is writing from the heart. He brings some uncharacteristically bold diary-like touches that add immensely to the sense of menace that pervades the book. The story might suffer from a lack of dramatic impetus in some chapters and characterization that fails to rise above the superficial. Yet, for its flaws, it remains a hugely compelling piece of literature, a moving social drama that tackles grief with empathy, eloquence, and intellect.
In The Bachman Books, King reveals that the story was inspired by the death of his mother.
“I think it was an effort to make some sense of my mother’s painful death the year before – a lingering cancer had taken her off inch by painful inch. Following this death I was left both grieving and shaken by the apparent senselessness of it all… Roadwork tries so hard to be good and find some answers to the conundrum of human pain.”
Interestingly, King was caught in two minds about the book. He reportedly never wanted it printed, but chose to proceed as a way to provide himself with personal therapy. Later, in the second edition of The Bachman Books, King confessed that he had changed his mind about Roadwork and that it was now one of his favorites of the early books.
We came close to getting a film adaptation in 2019. In August of the same year, it was announced that Pablo Trapero had signed up as a director and that Andy Muschietti (famous for It and It Chapter Two) was going to produce. However, it’s no longer happening as it was removed from the movie page of King’s website, where all upcoming adaptations are normally listed.
Is the adaptation likely to be made? Probably! The Long Walk actually had a very long walk to the screen, with all hope being lost at some point, yet we finally got it. Hollywood likes Stephen King, so there’s a high chance that all his untouched stories will eventually be turned into movies or TV shows at some point. Hopefully, Roadwork comes first.
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