Misery (1990)

"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

Fmovies: There is a reason Stephen King thinks this is one of the best adaptations of his books.

Watching this movie is like running through an ancient tomb filled with booby traps. This is always tense which is just fantastic! Unfortunately this is also the only issue I have with the movie. From start to finish, it's just non-stop tension. You barely get a break throughout the movie it's madness! Once it has finished you're exhausted.

Onto the greats, Kathy Bates absolutely brilliant. At the click of your fingers the character (Annie Wilkes) goes from zero to one hundred. It's so real that it is genuinely frightening. Sometimes you look at a character and you try and picture what they would be like in real life. If there was a real life version of Annie there would be no difference to her fictional character. It was a well deserved Oscar win! That said, Caan who played the character Paul Sheldon was equally as mesmerizing. James Caan had the difficult task of acting acting. This is where he has to act his character who is acting to be someone he isn't, which is a difficult task. I was very impressed by both performances. Casting was perfect for Annie but lucky for Paul as Caan wasn't the first to be offered the role. The role was passed up by massive actors such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and even Morgan Freeman.

This movie was very impressive and with being the only Stephen King movie to have won an Oscar I am surprised it isn't as well-know as others such as Stand By Me or The Shawshank Redemption. Rob Reiner did an outstanding job which I very much commend him for.

Misery is my favorite Stephen King thriller. Misery displays a writer held hostage by his #1 fan. Misery is a spectacular movie because it keeps you wondering what will happen next. Kathy Bates' performance was the best and I'm glad she won an Oscar. Misery is one of King's real-life situation novels. I think that's what he's nest at, writing about real things. Yet, his horror books are still pretty scary and wild. Reiner impressed me with his direction in this film. Highly recommended, if you have any comments for me, please e-mail me at tylerripen@yahoo.com.

Misery fmovies. MISERY (1990) *** Kathy Bates, James Caan, William Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren Bacall. Bates, perfectly cast as loony tune Annie Wilkes, won an Oscar for Best Actress as the self-proclaimed `#1 fan' of bodice-ripping novelist Caan, who finds himself in her web of horror after a car crash landing him in the snow engulfed remote home of his sociopathic, homicidal nurse who will not take no for an answer. William Goldman expertly adapts the Stephen King best seller with a few nice nasty turns here and there and Rob Reiner gives just enough gruesomeness (watch the sledgehammer scene a few times; you'll see what I mean) for frightful flavor.

Writer William Goldman and director Rob Reiner do Hitchcock proud with this one. It has all the elements: a seemingly innocent place and situation invaded by a growing sense of sinister dread until a breathtaking climax. The intelligent script is peppered with moments that will either make you cringe or make you laugh, depending on how morbid your sense of humor is. It is a harrowing movie to watch the first time around. The crew has done a good job of making you feel Paul Sheldon's pain. Few films torture the audience like this one. In fact, I venture to say this is the best film of its kind since "Psycho" thirty years earlier.

The acting is good all-round. Farnsworth steals every scene he's in with his sardonic and relentless sheriff - he did not get enough accolades for what would have been a routine part in a lesser actor's hands. Caan is solid and underplays beautifully, and the inimitable Kathy Bates carries the film with her alternately hysterical or ridiculously-sappy Annie, the psychotic Sheldon fan. Her performance is a throwback to Hollywood's old days - it's not subtle, not quiet, and borders on over-acting. This is not method acting, this is showing off. But Bates makes it work, investing Annie with enough pitifulness to make the character complex and, thus, hold the role together. This movie is famous, of course, for making Kathy Bates an overnight sensation as everybody went into the movie wanting to see what Sonny Corleone looked like as an older man, but left with accolades for Kathy Bates on their lips. She is absolutely terrifying and unforgettable in this role and perfect for it.

Brilliant performance that elevated a 7-star thriller to 9-10 classic status.

Misery has to be the best adaptation of a Stephen King novel. A close runner up is Stand By Me, but for suspense and tension that just gets tighter and tighter, watch Misery. Kathy Bates can go from nice and cheerful to downright crazy like someone turning on a light switch. While watching James Caan suffer through the torture that Bates puts him through, you can't help but sympathize with the guy. Rob Reiner presents us with the problem, and he slowly escalates the tension and the dread that creeps over the movie. Even though the book was different in the "hobbling" process, Annie Wilkes' method of hobbling still gives me the chills whenever I watch it.