Jack Torrance

The Shining

Played by Jack Nicholson

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is your average troubled author: a recovering alcoholic with anger management issues, and a sometime child abuser. Hoping to get his next novel off the ground, he makes an executive decision to move his family, including his young son Danny (Danny Lloyd), to a remote hotel in the heart of the Rockies for a snowy winter of absolute isolation, which, you know, screams “fun for the kids.” So it’s not surprising when little Danny begins having disturbing premonitions about the extended stay. Unfortunately for Danny, he has good reason to worry. As a supernatural cabin fever sets itself upon him, Jack slowly begins losing his mind, lashing out at his family, holding conversations and makeout sessions with sinister spirits in the hotel, and oh! Let’s not forget he ultimately comes after his wife (Shelley Duvall) and Danny with a murderous glint in his eye. Sorry Jack - stalking your family with a bloody axe is simply not the way to go about announcing your candidacy for Father of the Year.