Misery (1990) Directed by Rob Reiner
Stephen King has written so many great stories and a lot of those stories have been adapted into movies. Not all of those movies are good, actually a lot of them are pretty bad. Misery is quite possibly the best adaptation, at least the best horror/thriller adaptation. I find it ironic that the two best Stephen King movies, in my opinion were directed by Rob Reiner, Stand By Me being the other. Kathy Bates puts in an amazing role as Annie Wilkes, and James Caan is always solid. I planned on watching Halloween for my last review but I found myself getting sucked in by Misery on satellite. I still may do some reviews on and off throughout the year since I enjoy doing this and I seem to get a fair amount of readers. So stay tuned for Halloween in the future.
Novelist Paul Sheldon is the author of a successful series of romance novels featuring a character named Misery Chastain. Wanting to focus on more series stories, he writes a manuscript for the final Misery novel. While traveling from Silver Creek, Colorado to his home in New York, he is caught in a blizzard and his car goes off the road, knocking him out. Paul is rescued by a nurse named Annie Wilkes, whom brings him to her remote home in the mountains. Paul comes to and finds that both of his legs are broken and his shoulder is dislocated. Annie tells Paul that she’s his number one fan and talks a lot about his novels. As a reward for saving him, Paul gives Annie his new manuscript which she saved from the wreckage. Wile feeding him, she is angered and spills soup on him but apologizes. She buys a copy of Paul’s recently published book, Misery’s Child, giving glowing praise to Paul as she progresses through the book. However, when Annie discovers that Misery dies at the end of the book she flies off the handle and almost smashes a table on Paul’s head. She reveals that she lied about calling his agent and the cops; so nobody knows where he is. Annie leaves and Paul tries to escape from his room but she has locked the door.
The next morning, Annie forces Paul to burn his latest manuscript. When he is well enough to get out of bed, she insists that he write a new novel entitled Misery’s Return, in which he brings the character back to life. Paul agrees since he thinks she’ll probably kill him if she doesn’t go along. He also tells her he will use her name in the book in appreciation. She brings him paper and a typewriter she picked up in town and he tells her it wont work because it smudges. This causes her to go apeshit and scream at him, then she slams the paper on his healing legs and storms out to town. He grabs a bobby pin when she leaves for town and uses it to open the door, he rolls around the house in a wheel chair checking things out. Paul grabs a big pack of painkillers so he can try to poison her. When she returns he asks her to join him for a celebratory dinner. At dinner he tries poisoning her wine but she knocks the glass over. During another venture out of his room while she was gone, Paul finds a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about Annie’s past. He discovers that she was suspected and tried for the deaths of several infants, but the trial fell apart due to lack of evidence. Paul learns that Annie quoted lines he wrote in his Misery novels during the trial. Annie later drugs Paul and straps him to the bed. When he wakes up, she tells him that she knows he has been out of his room and “hobbles” him with a sledgehammer, breaking his ankles so he can’t escape again.
Sheriff Buster investigates Paul’s disappearance when the shopkeeper informs him that he sold Annie considerable amounts of typing paper, Buster goes to Annie’s to look for Paul. Buster pays Annie a visit, and she allows him to inspect the residence. When Buster leaves he hears Paul screaming and enters the house again, finding Paul drugged and hidden in the basement. Annie shoots Buster and tells Paul that they must die together. Paul agrees on the condition that he must finish the novel in order to give Misery back to the world. While she gets his chair, Paul hides a can of lighter fluid in his pocket. When he finishes the book, he reminds Annie that it is his practice to have a cigarette and a glass of champagne. Paul tells her that he will need two glasses this time, one for her. Annie goes to retrieve the second glass and Paul soaks the manuscript in lighter fluid. Annie returns and he sets it on fire, causing Annie to lose he shit and attack him. Paul grabs his typewriter and smashes it over her head, knocking her out. They continue to fight when she comes to and he ends up killing Annie.
Eighteen months later, Paul walks with a cane and meets his agent Marcia in a restaurant in New York. They discuss his first non-Misery novel. Marcia tells him about the positive buzz which Paul doesn’t care about, saying he wrote it for himself. Marcia asks if he would consider a non-fiction book about his captivity, Paul declines. While at the restaurant, he imagines the waitress as Annie. The waitress tells Paul says she is his number one fan. Paul uncomfortably responds “that is very sweet of you.”
This movie is great and really only has two characters most of the movie, which a few moments of Buster thrown in. Paul is put in such a helpless situation with Annie and you really feel for the guy having to deal with that psycho. Kathy Bates is amazing, literally amazing in this movie. She is so believable as a crazed fan. James Caan really makes you feel like he is in fear of his life. The scenery in the movie is great, all the mountains and snow really make you think that the house is secluded and no one would ever really find Paul there. Kathy Bates won an academy award for best actress and it is easy to see why. I give this movie an A, it is too good to give it anything less. I’m going to wrap this up, have to pass out candy and enjoy Halloween. If you find yourself looking for a great horror/thriller to watch, check out Misery you wont be disappointed. Thank you for reading this year and stay tuned for the occasional reviews. Happy Halloween and I hope you have enjoyed my marathon.
