Misery (film)

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Misery

US mass market DVD cover (8-1-2000)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Produced by Rob Reiner & Andrew Scheinman
Written by William Goldman
Starring James Caan
Kathy Bates
Richard Farnsworth
Frances Sternhagen
Jem Sanlisoy
Scott Ernst Wilson
Chris Ogilvie
Music by Marc Shaiman
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) November 30, 1990
Running time 107 min.
Language English
Budget $20,000,000
IMDb profile

Misery is 1990 American horror film, based on the novel Misery by Stephen King. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance of Annie Wilkes.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Paul Sheldon is the writer of a very successful "Misery" series of romance novels. When he is injured in a car accident, he is taken in by Annie Wilkes. His legs are injured and he cannot walk. At first, Annie, who says she is a nurse, seems to have Paul's best interests in mind. She brings him painkillers, feeds him, and rants on and on about how she is 'his number one fan'. But it soon becomes clear that Annie is mentally ill. After getting Paul's permission to read his current, unpublished (and non-Misery) manuscript, she fails to appreciate the quality of the writing, as she prefers the mass-market pulp of the Misery series.

During this time, the latest Misery book comes out (Misery's Child), and Annie eagerly dives in, not knowing that this book (and the entire series) will end with Misery's death. After screaming at Paul, she brings him his unpublished manuscript, and a box of matches. She forces him to burn his book.

The next day, she brings him a typewriter and typing paper, and tells him he must fix the book and bring Misery back. He sees a pin on the floor and tells Annie he can't type on this paper because it smears. She angrily goes back to town to get him new paper. He gets the pin, and uses it to pick the lock on the door. However, this doesn't help, since it seems hopeless to get out. So he begins working on the book.

Later on, he escapes his room and explores the house at which he finds a scrapbook that has incriminating evidence that Annie was a convicted serial killer. He goes back to his room, only to wake up in the night, just in time for Annie to inject him with a liquid that knocks him out. When he wakes up next, she has tied him to the bed, and informs him that she knows he has been out of his room. She then proceeds to break his feet so he can't escape again. (In the book, his foot is cut off.) Meanwhile, while many people have assumed that Paul is dead, a local law enforcement officer, thinks that he is still alive, and through various clues, tracks down Annie. Annie sees him coming and knocks out Paul, dragging him to a room. After searching for a bit, the officer finds him, only to be shot by Annie a few seconds later.

Annie then tells Paul that she loves him and that they must die together. Paul sees some lighter fluid on the floor next to him, and gets Annie to agree to let him finish the book first. She goes to get his wheelchair, and Paul stuffs the bottle of fluid down his pants. After he finishes his book, he gets Annie to bring him a cigarette, a match, a glass, and a bottle of champagne. He then tells her she needs to get two glasses. While she is gone, Paul pours fluid all over the manuscript and lights the match. When Annie comes back, he lights the book on fire, sending Annie over the edge. After a bloody fight, Paul manages to kill Annie. 18 months later, Paul has been found, and his new book is popular (Paul burned a stack of empty papers instead of the real manuscript). Paul admits that he sometimes still sees Annie. The movie ends with a waitress telling Paul that she is "his number one fan".

Spoilers end here.

[edit] 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
  • Thomas Brunelle - Anchorman
  • June Christopher - Anchorwoman
  • Julie Payne - Reporter 1
  • Archie Hahn III - Reporter 2
  • Gregory Snegoff - Reporter 3
  • Wendy Bowers - Waitress
  • Rob Reiner - Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
  • J.T. Walsh - State Trooper Sherman Douglas (uncredited)
  • Jem Sanlisoy - Turk Turkilton III
  • Scott Ernst Wilson - Paul Young
  • Chris Ogilvie - Some old women selling umbrellas

[edit] Crew

[edit] Awards

  • Oscar (1991): Best Actress in a leading role - Kathy Bates
  • Golden Globe (1991): Best Performance by an Actress in a motion picture (drama) - Kathy Bates
  • CFCA Award (1991): Best Actress - Kathy Bates
  • Saturn Award (1992): Best Actress - Kathy Bates
  • Saturn Award (1992): Best Actor - James Caan
  • Saturn Award (1992): Best Horror Film
  • Saturn Award (1992): Best Supporting Actress - Frances Sternhagen
  • Saturn Award (1992): Best Writing - William Goldman

[edit] Music

The film's score was composed by Marc Shaiman. It was released on CD in January 1991, on the Bay Cities record label, to critical acclaim.

[edit] Soundtrack track listing

  1. Number One Fan
  2. She Can't Be Dead
  3. Open House
  4. Go To Your Room
  5. Buster's Last Stand
  6. Misery's Return
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