- Misery (film)
-
Misery 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Rob Reiner Produced by Rob Reiner
Andrew Scheinman
Jeffrey Stott
Steve NicolaidesScreenplay by William Goldman Based on Novel:
Stephen KingStarring James Caan
Kathy BatesMusic by Marc Shaiman Cinematography Barry Sonnenfeld Editing by Robert Leighton Studio Castle Rock Entertainment
Nelson EntertainmentDistributed by Columbia Pictures Release date(s) November 30, 1990 Running time 107 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $20,000,000 Box office $61,276,872 Misery is a 1990 American thriller film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes. The film was ranked #12 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.[citation needed]
Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery.[1]
Contents
Plot
Famed novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is the author of a successful series of novels involving a character called Misery Chastain. But Paul wants to branch out and has just finished the manuscript of a new unrelated novel. He departs from Silver Creek, Colorado to head west but is caught in a blizzard and his car goes off the road. He is rescued by a nurse, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), and brought to her remote home. Both of Paul's legs are broken and he has a dislocated shoulder, so he is bedridden and incapacitated. Annie claims she is his 'number one fan' and talks a lot about him and his novels. She is happy when Paul lets her read his new novel, but later admits she disliked the excessive swearing. While feeding him, she is angered and spills soup on him but regains control and apologizes. She buys a copy of Paul's latest book, Misery's Child, but after learning that he has "killed off" Misery, Annie flies into a rage, almost smashing a table on Paul's head. She reveals that nobody knows where he is (contradicting what she had earlier told him). Annie leaves and Paul tries to escape from his room, but she has locked the door.
The next morning, Annie makes Paul burn his latest manuscript. When he is well enough to get out of bed, she insists he write a new novel entitled Misery's Return in which he brings the character back to life. Paul reluctantly does, believing Annie might kill him otherwise. However, having found a means of escaping his room, he sneaks out whenever Annie is away and begins to stockpile his painkillers. He tries to kill Annie during a candlelit dinner, but is foiled when she accidentally spills her drugged wine. During another escape attempt, Paul finds a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about his disappearance and Annie's past. He discovers that she was suspected and tried for several infants' deaths. Later, Annie drugs Paul and straps him to the bed. When he wakes, she tells him that she knows he's been out of his room and breaks his ankles with a sledgehammer in an act of "hobbling".
Meanwhile, the local Sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) is investigating Paul's disappearance and visits Annie, prompted by discovering a quote she used from a Misery book during her trial years earlier. While there, he finds that Paul has been drugged and hidden in the basement. Annie shoots and kills him; she tells Paul that they must die together. He agrees, but says he wants to finish the novel and "give Misery back to the world". When the book is done, he tells Annie it was his habit after ending a novel to have a cigarette and a glass of champagne. Later, he sends her to get a second glass. When Annie returns, he sets the book on fire. She tries to put out the fire, but Paul hits her head with the typewriter. Annie shoots him in the shoulder and he lunges at her. During the ensuing fight, Paul trips Annie, causing her to land head-first on the typewriter. Annie lunges at him, but he strikes her over the head with a small steel pig statue, killing her.
Eighteen months later, Paul (now walking with a cane) meets his publishing agent Marsha (Lauren Bacall) in a restaurant and discusses his first non-Misery novel, titled The Higher Education of J. Philip Stone, which has become a success. Marsha asks if he wants to write a non-fiction book about his captivity, but Paul is non-committal. While at the restaurant, he sees a waitress whom he briefly imagines as Annie. The waitress claims she is his 'number one fan', to which Paul responds, "That's very sweet of you."
Cast
- James Caan as Paul Sheldon
- Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes
- Richard Farnsworth as Buster
- Frances Sternhagen as Virginia
- Lauren Bacall as Marcia Sindell
- Graham Jarvis as Libby
- Jerry Potter as Pete
- Rob Reiner as Helicopter pilot
- J. T. Walsh (uncredited) as State Trooper Sherman Douglas
Awards
- Academy Award (1990): Best Actress in a Leading Role - Kathy Bates
- Golden Globe (1990): Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Kathy Bates
- CFCA Award (1990): Best Actress - Kathy Bates
Reception
Misery received almost universally positive reviews; on the critic website Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 90% "fresh" rating; the consensus states, "Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date."[2]
Roger Ebert liked the film, stating, "It is a good story, a natural, and it grabs us."[3]
The genre magazine Bloody Disgusting ranked Misery fourth place in its list of "10 Claustrophobic Horror Films".[4]
King himself has stated that Misery is one of his favorite film adaptations, in his collection "Stephen King Goes to the Movies".[5]
International Remake
The film was remade in India as a Tamil film called Julie Ganapathi.[6]
Music
The film's score was composed by Marc Shaiman.
- Soundtrack listing
- "Number One Fan"
- "She Can't Be Dead"
- "Open House"
- "Go to Your Room"
- "Buster's Last Stand"
- "Misery's Return"
See also
References
- ^ "Awards for Kathy Bates". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/awards. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
- ^ Misery at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Ebert, Roger. "Misery :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". rogerebert.suntimes.com. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19901130/REVIEWS/11300301/1023. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ A Look at the Top 10 Claustrophobic Horror Movies!
- ^ Stephen King's 10 Favorite Adaptations
- ^ Julie Ganapathi, Tamil Movies Cinema
External links
- Misery at the Internet Movie Database
- Misery at AllRovi
- Misery at Box Office Mojo
- Misery at Rotten Tomatoes
- Misery at Metacritic
Media based on Stephen King works Films Individual filmsThe Shining (1980) • Cujo (1983) • The Dead Zone (1983) • Christine (1983) • Cat's Eye (1985) • Silver Bullet (1985) • Stand by Me (1986) • The Running Man (1987) • Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) • Graveyard Shift (1990) • Misery (1990) • Sleepwalkers (1992) • The Dark Half (1993) • Needful Things (1993) • The Shawshank Redemption (1994) • Dolores Claiborne (1995) • Thinner (1996) • The Night Flier (1997) • Apt Pupil (1998) • The Green Mile (1999) • Hearts in Atlantis (2001) • Dreamcatcher (2003) • Secret Window (2004) • Riding the Bullet (2004) • 1408 (2007) • The Mist (2007) • Dolan's Cadillac (2009) • It (2011)Film seriesCarrieCreepshowCreepshow (1982) • Creepshow 2 (1987)Children of the Corn (1984) • The Final Sacrifice (1993) • Urban Harvest (1995) • The Gathering (1996) • Fields of Terror (1998) • Isaac's Return (1999) • Revelation (2001) • Children of the Corn (2009)FirestarterFirestarter (1984) • Rekindled (2002)Maximum Overdrive (1986) • Trucks (1997)Pet SemataryPet Sematary (1989) • Pet Sematary Two (1992)The Lawnmower ManThe Lawnmower Man (1992) • Beyond Cyberspace (1996)The ManglerThe Mangler (1995) • The Mangler 2 (2001) • The Mangler Reborn (2005)The Dark TowerThe Dark Tower (2013)Television Single films or miniseriesGramma (1986) • Sorry, Right Number (1987) • It (1990) • Golden Years (1991) • The Tommyknockers (1993) • The Stand (1994) • The Langoliers (1995) • The Shining (1997) • Quicksilver Highway (1997) • The Revelations of Becka Paulson (1997) • Storm of the Century (1999) • Kingdom Hospital (2004) • Stephen King's Desperation (2006) • Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)Multiple films or miniseriesSalem's LotSalem's Lot (1979) • A Return to Salem's Lot (1987) • 'Salem's Lot (2004)Sometimes They Come BackSometimes They Come Back (1991) • Sometimes They Come Back... Again (1996) • Sometimes They Come Back… for More (1998)Rose RedRose Red (2002) • The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003)SeriesThe Dead Zone (2002) • Haven (2010)Films directed by Rob Reiner 1980s This Is Spinal Tap (1984) · The Sure Thing (1985) · Stand by Me (1986) · The Princess Bride (1987) · When Harry Met Sally... (1989)1990s Misery (1990) · A Few Good Men (1992) · North (1994) · The American President (1995) · Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) · The Story of Us (1999)2000s 2010s Flipped (2010)Categories:- 1990 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 1990s thriller films
- American thriller films
- Films directed by Rob Reiner
- Films based on works by Stephen King
- Screenplays by William Goldman
- Bipolar disorder in fiction
- Films about writers
- Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award winning performance
- Films featuring a Best Drama Actress Golden Globe winning performance
- Psychological thriller films
- Castle Rock Entertainment films
- Columbia Pictures films
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