The next incorporates spoilers for The Lengthy Stroll
The Lengthy Stroll is a devoted adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the identical identify, even because it makes some large adjustments to the characters and ending. In each variations of The Lengthy Stroll, the plot focuses on a gaggle of younger males who participate in a dystopian endurance competitors the place the penalty for failure is demise.
The Lengthy Stroll‘s solid of characters is generally true to their guide counterparts, albeit with a bit extra range baked into the fashionable portrayals. Nonetheless, there are some notable variations made to the solid, all constructing to an ending that adjustments the ultimate winner and his destiny (even when it retains the grim ethical core of the unique story).
Garraty Has A Completely different Motivation Between The E-book And The Film
Garraty is the primary character in each variations of The Lengthy Stroll, however has very totally different motivations in each variations of the story. Within the movie, Garraty ultimately reveals to McVries that he entered the competitors for an opportunity to achieve the Main. Having seen the Main kill his father years beforehand, Garraty needs revenge.
This provides Garraty’s dogged dedication a harsher edge and makes his remorse upon seeing his mom all of the extra heartbreaking. Nonetheless, it is also an enormous distinction from the guide, the place the Main would not have such a direct connection to Garraty. Though each variations of Garraty misplaced their father to the Main’s regime, it is far more private within the film.
Within the guide, Garraty admits his father was “squaded” and brought away by the key. In distinction, the film model of Garraty witnesses his father, defiant within the face of the Main, be executed on the street. Versus his want for wealth within the guide, this provides the film Garraty revenge as a major motivation.
Garraty Would not Have A Girlfriend In The Film
Within the film, Garraty’s main emotional connection exterior of the lengthy stroll is his mom. She is the one who drops him off initially of the race, and who he sees when the stroll ultimately reaches his hometown of Freeport.
Whereas Garraty’s mom does have a minor function within the guide, the extra overt relationship Garraty has is together with his girlfriend, Jan. Jan is the person who Garraty sees in Freeport within the guide, and whom he ultimately collapses into once they attain the city.
In each variations of the story, McVries is the one who saves Garraty by pulling him away. Nonetheless, within the novel, it is made clearer that Garraty has absolutely misplaced any hope of profitable by that time and even intends to let himself be killed. Within the film, Garraty’s reunion together with his mom is emotional however would not include that overt self-destructive ingredient.
The Film Reduce Scramm (And Gave His Spouse To Hank)
One of many extra notable walkers within the guide is Scramm, who’s established early on because the Vegas odds-favorite to win the complete competitors. Scramm additionally has a pregnant spouse, which he initially believes will inspire him to victory. Nonetheless, he develops pneumonia and finally ends up permitting himself to die after the others promise to offer for his household.
Scramm is reduce solely from the film model of The Lengthy Stroll, with many parts of the character break up between Hank Olson and Stebbins. Hank is the one who’s given a spouse again house (though the movie would not reveal if she’s pregnant). This reveal comes after he is already died, though the group nonetheless vows to offer for her.
Stebbins has his bodily traits amplified considerably, taking over Scramm’s energy, velocity, and endurance. He’s additionally the one who will get sick through the stroll, stopping him from really turning into the winner. Though it is not clear if it is pneumonia, Stebbins finally ends up struggling an analogous destiny to the guide model of Scramm.
Hank Olson’s Demise Is Even Extra Horrifying In The E-book
Hank Olson is likely one of the extra talkative members of The Lengthy Stroll‘s solid, and within the film, he is one of many first characters the viewers has actually related with to die. Though their deaths are pretty related in each variations, the guide takes issues even additional.
In each variations of the story, Olson is left nearly catatonic by the stroll. Finally reaching his restrict, Olson makes a scene by attacking the troopers — getting him shot. Within the film, Olson is left on the road to bleed out as an alternative of being put out of his distress, serving as a warning for the opposite walkers about potential revolts.
Within the guide, nonetheless, Olson initially ignores the gunshot wounds he suffers and retains making an attempt to maneuver ahead. This ends in him being shot a number of extra instances, with Olson explicitly nonetheless strolling at the same time as his intestines are hanging out of his physique. It is solely after he collapses that he dies, at which level he is shot once more to make sure he is lifeless.
Stebbins Will get Scramm’s Remaining Destiny As a substitute Of His E-book Demise
Stebbins has the identical motivation in each variations of The Lengthy Stroll, however his destiny is totally different. In each, Stebbins is the bastard son of the Main. Having been born out of wedlock, he is been ignored by the navy commander. Stebbins intends to win the lengthy stroll so he can use the want to power his father to acknowledge him.
Within the guide, Stebbins is the final particular person to fall earlier than the top of the lengthy stroll. Garraty is just strolling by this level due to the darkish determine he sees within the distance, the sight of which terrifies Stebbins and causes him to die of fright. It is a sudden and surprising demise for Stebbins, who appeared unstoppable.
In contrast, the film adjustments the ending, and the darkish determine is eliminated. As a substitute, Stebbins is the second-to-last particular person to die within the film, ultimately creating the deadly sickness that took down Scramm within the guide and revealing his origins earlier than giving the others recommendation and permitting himself to die.
McVries Is A Lot Meaner Of A Character In The E-book
Peter McVries is likely one of the predominant characters in The Lengthy Stroll, however the film makes the character much more sympathetic than his guide equal. In each variations of the story, McVries is snarky and quick-witted. Nonetheless, his guide model is much crueler in his verbal jabs, whereas the film incarnation is extra jovial and supportive of others.
The origins of his scar are additionally very totally different. Within the film, McVries reveals he obtained the scar after turning into an orphan and encountering a harmful man, who slashed him with a knife and left him for lifeless. That is very totally different from the guide, the place the scar is ultimately revealed to have been attributable to McVries’ girlfriend, Priscilla.
Though he claims to have liked Priscilla, McVries reveals that their relationship turned bitter and he tried to sexually assault her — prompting her to wound him with a letter opener. Eradicating this trait makes film McVries much more sympathetic. The movie reveals McVries would not have a girlfriend, placing extra emphasis on the queer subtext of the character from the guide.
The Vow To Not Assist One One other Will get Extra Folks Killed In The E-book
In each variations of The Lengthy Stroll, the remaining contestants reluctantly conform to ultimately cease serving to one another. This seems to be a short-lived promise within the film, nonetheless, because the remaining “Musketeers” of Garraty, McVries, and Baker are fast to attempt to assist one another when the latter begins to fade.
The vow to not assist each other is extra pronounced within the novel and results in a extra brutal ending for a number of characters. Whereas each variations of Parker assault the troopers and are killed, the guide emphasizes that the others may have helped, however did not.
The price of this self-imposed rule actually hurts Abraham, one of many walkers within the guide who is not within the movie. He is the one who suggests the group not assist one another, and finally ends up struggling for it when nobody provides him a shirt in a single day, main him to develop a chilly and ultimately fall behind.
Peter McVries Is The Winner Of The Lengthy Stroll (However Solely In The Film)
The largest variations between The Lengthy Stroll actually set in through the closing stretch of the movie. In each variations of the story, McVries makes it in the direction of the top of the Lengthy Stroll however chooses to take a seat down and permit himself to be killed. Within the guide, that is the place McVries dies, leaving Garraty and Stebbins because the final two.
Within the movie, McVries tries to do that after Stebbins has been killed. Nonetheless, Garraty will get him again on his toes and saves his life — solely to permit himself to be shot, guaranteeing that McVries can survive. Within the guide, it’s Garraty who survives and wins the Lengthy Stroll.
Garraty’s demise within the cinematic model of The Lengthy Stroll is heartwrenching, particularly as McVries struggles to get him again up. That is really extra reflective of Olson’s demise within the guide, whereby Garraty collapsed onto him and needed to be dragged away to maintain strolling.
The Main Dies In The Film However Not The E-book
In The Lengthy Stroll, the Main serves as an overarching antagonist who represents the damaged society that the characters are trapped inside. Nonetheless, the film makes the Main a way more private goal, giving Garraty (and the viewers) loads of private causes to need him lifeless.
This builds to the ending of the movie, the place McVries abandons his preliminary plans to create a haven for orphans together with his want and as an alternative makes use of it to demand a gun, which he makes use of to kill the Main. It is a main departure from the guide, the place the Main is not killed.
Whereas the Main seems on the finish of the guide to congratulate Garraty on his victory, Garraty would not assault him or attempt to kill him. In actual fact, the Main appears genuinely disturbed by Garraty’s psychological state, including an extra layer of surprising and understated humanity to a personality the story has by no means actually tried to make really feel like an individual.
The Lengthy Stroll’s Ambiguous Determine Is Lacking From The Film’s Ending
The Lengthy Stroll‘s closing beat was modified between the 2 variations, giving the film a much less ambiguous and extra bleakly rewarding finale. Within the film, McVries ignores the Main’s makes an attempt to speak him down and shoots the navy commander lifeless. Within the ensuing chaos, McVries walks on into the evening.
It is a darkish ending, however one which leaves McVries with a specific amount of company and sanity. In contrast, the guide’s ending is much extra grim. Garraty has misplaced his sanity by the guide’s finish, seeing a mysterious darkish determine beckoning him ahead. This propels him to victory, however compels him to maintain strolling ever after he gained.
In essence, Garraty retains strolling within the guide’s ending, one other soul misplaced to the lengthy stroll. Within the film, McVries is left shattered by his expertise however takes cost in a compelling approach. It provides each variations of The Lengthy Stroll a thematically wealthy ending, however with a key distinction within the precise nature of their bleak finales.
The Lengthy Stroll
7/10
- Launch Date
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September 12, 2025
- Runtime
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108 Minutes
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Cooper Hoffman
Raymond Garraty / #47
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