The 2004 thrillerSecret Windowis based on Stephen King’s novellaSecret Window, Secret Gardenwhich is part of his 1990 collectionFour Past Midnight.David Koepp wrote and directed the movie and he’s no stranger to the horror and thriller genre, as he also wrote and directedStir of EchoesandYou Should Have Left. Johnny Depp stars as Mort Rainey, a writer who is having a hard time working on his novel, and who realizes that his ex-wife Amy (Maria Bello) cheated on him with Ted Milner (Timothy Hutton). Complicating matters is John Shooter (John Turturro), who shows up at the cabin where Mort is writing and seems intent on making Mort’s life miserable.
John says that Mort copied John’s short story “Sowing Season” for his own tale called “Secret Window,” which sets up the main plot of the movie.Secret Windowtells a fascinating story that turns writers block into a nightmare.
RELATED:Stephen King’s Children of The Corn: What Makes the Children Evil?
Who Is John Shooter?
ThroughoutSecret Window, it seems that John Shooter is a man who is stalking and targeting Mort and Mort must figure out a way to get rid of him. But the end of the Stephen King movie reveals that John Shooter and Mort are the same person and that Mort created John Shooter as a kind of alter ego.
Amy comes to the cabin where Mort is living and sees “SHOOTER” everywhere, and this is when it’s revealed that Mort came up with the name Shooter because it means “shoot her.” Mort murders Ted and Amy. The final scene shows Mort writing his story, finally able to get the words out, and he shrugs off Sheriff Newsome’s (Len Carlou) belief that he will be punished for the murders, as he tells Mort that he’s the number one suspect.
SomeStephen King adaptations change his endingspositively, and the same thing can be said ofSecret Window.In the novella, Mort dies, and Amy and Ted spend some time talking about why Mort came up with the character of John Shooter. TheSecret Windowmovie ending is better than the novella as it’s more powerful for Mort to kill Amy and Ted and continue with his writing career, believing that he can hide forever.
Secret Windowis ahorror movie with perfect pacing and tensionand some smart lines throughout. When Mort says, “You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It’s the most important part of the story, the ending. And this one… is very good. This one’s perfect,” this is fascinating given that some fans think that Stephen King’s endings aren’t that great and leave a lot to be desired.
The final line ofSecret Windowis also smart, as Mort shares in a voiceover that he has written a great ending: “‘I know I can do it,’ Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl. ‘I’m sure that in time, every bit of her will be gone and her death will be a mystery… even to me.” This suggests that Mort has no regret or remorse about killing his ex-wife and her partner and he never will.
Why Does Mort Wear Braces In Secret Window, And Why Does He Bury The Bodies In A Corn Field?
There are two other important parts of theSecret Windowending: Mort is wearing braces and he buries Amy and Ted’s bodies in a field near his cabin where corn grows. There is no official answer to the first question, but it seems that Mort has been grinding his teeth from stress throughout the movie, and now that he’s working hard to make sure that he doesn’t get caught, he needs braces. Although this might be a small detail, it’s a compelling one that speaks to the talent that Stephen King has for character development. While someStephen King stories haven’t been adapted, it makes sense that this one was, since Mort convinces the audience that John Shooter is real.
Mort buries the bodies so corn will grow over them, and he believes that this will help him avoid detection. The corn is a smart and scary detail added, proving thatStephen King’s movies make changesthat make the films exciting and terrifying.
Does Mort Get Away With The Murders In Secret Window?
The ending ofSecret Windowsuggests that Mort definitely gets away with the murders and that he will be able to cover up what he did. Even though the sheriff believes that Mort will be caught, Mort is confident that he will be fine. The exchange between these two characters is just as eerie as the rest of the story and hits the exact right tone, creating a memorable conclusion.
WhileSecret Windowisn’t often considered one of thebest Stephen King movies, the ending is smart, and suggests that Mort has been so traumatized by his wife’s affair that he has created a character out of thin air.
In a2017 interview with Vulture, Stephen King shared how he feels about his movie adaptations: “I love the movies, Kyle. That’s all I can tell you. I do!.” He continued, “As far as I’m concerned, if somebody wants to make a movie [from my stories], I’m behind that idea and I’m always interested to see what they come up with.” Although not every Stephen King fan loves theSecret Windowmovie, the ending is powerful and can’t be easily forgotten.
