Tried rewriting the ending to The Mist and it got way too dark for me

I spent last weekend coming up with an alternate ending where the mist clears right after the main character makes his big decision, but I accidentally turned it into a happy ending by letting the family survive. The whole thing felt wrong because the original ending is so brutally bleak. Has anyone else tried rewriting a famously sad ending and ended up feeling like you ruined the whole point of the story?

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mary6144mo ago

Tried a rewrite of Old Yeller once when I was a kid. Made it so the dog just got really sick and then got better after a trip to the vet. My little sister cried harder at my version than the real movie because she said it was boring without the sad part. Sometimes the darkness is what makes a story stick with you.

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drew_west4mo ago

Oh yeah because nothing says emotional payoff like "the dog coughed a little and then lived happily ever after." Plus side though you saved a few bucks on tissues I guess.

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