What both works truly revolve around is not the recovery from a coma, but rather the new found “powers” associated with said recovery. Johnny’s first encounter with these powers came with the touching of Dr. Sam Weizak’s hand. He demands to see his wallet, stating “There’s a picture of your mother in your wallet, I need to have it.” The doctor, hands over his wallet and Johnny instantly flips past the typical plastic photo compartment of the wallet to the very back finding a well hidden laminated picture of the doctor’s mother. He holds the picture between his hands and goes into what is best described as a trance state, claiming that the mother that the doctor had thought to have lost in a German attack, was indeed alive and well, he went so far as to tell the doctor that he could find her in Carmel California. It’s not until a little later in the story, after other such incidences that we find out that the doctor indeed found his mother in the exact place that Johnny assured she would be in.
Johnny’s first major instance of using his power outside the hospital comes when he partakes in a murder case, the case of a local strangler. The most striking revelation Johnny has whilst partaking in this case comes in the form of what is best described as a mere possession by the killer. When he blurts out, “Never catch me…cause I’m too slick.” He continues, a different tone, an inhumane look, the Johnny we know is no longer there but is replaced with the killer. The book and movie differ in location of this revelation as well as the severity. The book states it to be out on a park bench, where as the movie places Johnny within the confines of the sheriff’s office. The difference in severity of the “attack” may have stemmed from a number of reasons. King’s style of writing let’s the reader assume certain aspects, leaving some creativity to the process where as the movie is in a position to lay it all out for its viewer. It may also be possible that the movie was tamed down a notch to prevent a certain rating of the time. Either way, the scene stands as a much stronger symbol in the book, almost a turning point for Johnny, where as in the movie it remains as one event in an ongoing amount of.
The main event of the story is that of a political assassination. Johnny finds himself in a predicament where he bares witness to premonitions of a future senator becoming corrupt and leading into a world of disarray. Johnny is at a rally, when he grabs the senator’s hand. They share a moment; the senator becomes deaf to the outside world. His face turns from one of fake grins to one of absolute horror. It is in this instant that Johnny experiences his most powerful of premonitions ever. He witnesses the man becoming a senator, he witnesses an end. This moment is quickly ended as he is beat with sawed off cue sticks. Johnny plans, debates, and otherwise fights with himself, finally deciding that what he must do is to rid the world of this assumed threat. He takes the chance at a theatre of sorts where he mounts himself in the balcony early one morning before a campaign meeting and waits for the rally to start. When the shot finally becomes clear, he takes it and misses. He then takes another, scaring the crowd, creating a general chaos. Realizing now that he is the target, the senator uses the baby he was kissing at the moment as a shield against Johnny. Johnny is shot and subdued. His attempt at assassination a failure, but his attempt at debunking a fraud, a success.
In this case, I believe Stephen King would be a proud and happy man. A great work was carried over into a movie which quite accurately represented the original work, a rarity in most cases. Both the book and movie convey a general fear, a gift v. curse dilemma, and the idea of a fateful existence. The work is powerful, moving, and a nail biter all in one and holds its prowess in both the written and the theatrical form.