Misery (1990)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 November 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

This Christmas there will be... Misery.

Plot:

A famous novelist is "rescued" from a car crash by an obsessed fan.

Plot Keywords:

Fan | Novel | Obsessed Fan | Blizzard | One Word Title

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

James Caan	...	Paul Sheldon
Kathy Bates	...	Annie Wilkes
Richard Farnsworth	...	Buster
Frances Sternhagen	...	Virginia
Lauren Bacall	...	Marcia Sindell
Graham Jarvis	...	Libby
Jerry Potter	...	Pete
Jerry Potter	...	Pete
Thomas Brunelle	...	Anchorman (as Tom Brunelle)
June Christopher	...	Anchorwoman
Julie Payne	...	Reporter #1
Archie Hahn III	...	Reporter #2
Gregory Snegoff	...	Reporter #3
Wendy Bowers	...	Waitress
Misery the Pig	...	Herself

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

In a recent interview with Melvyn Bragg, William Goldman revealed that few actors wanted the role of Paul Sheldon because Annie Wilks overshadowed him so much as a character. Warren Beatty commented before declining that the hobbling scene made Paul Sheldon "a loser for the rest of the film". Goldman was determined to keep that scene in the film as it was his favorite from the Stephen King novel.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Near the end, when Sheldon mistakenly thinks he has killed Annie, he crawls through the doorway over the broken champagne glass. However, we hear no sound of the broken glass dragging across the floor.

Quotes:

Annie Wilkes: God came to me last night and told me your purpose for being here. I am going to help you write a new book.
Paul Sheldon: You think I can just whip one out?
Annie Wilkes: Oh, but I don't think Paul, I know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Driving Miss Gilmore (#6.21)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

MOONLIGHT SONATA

Kathy Bates Is a Sight to Behold

"Misery" is one of those films that over-achieves. The material is not very good, the plot is somewhat thin, and most of the characters are one-dimensional. However, with that said Kathy Bates takes the material and runs with it all the way to the bank. This film made her a household name and provided her with a Best Actress Oscar in 1990. She stars as a crazed fan who cares for author James Caan after he's involved in a near-fatal auto accident in the middle of nowhere. Quickly her mood goes from cheerful to downright frightening when she learns that Caan's fictional heroine "Misery" will die in his newest novel. Caan's character is not very well developed and this somewhat stalls the film, but it really does not matter because of Bates's performance. All in all, "Misery" is one of Stephen King's novels that actually plays well on film. If Bates were taken away, I am not sure how this film would fare. Thank goodness we do not have to find out. 4 out of 5 stars