Misery (film)

Misery
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rob Reiner
Produced by	Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman Jeffrey Stott Steve Nicolaides
Screenplay by	William Goldman
Based on	Book: Stephen King
Starring	James Caan Kathy Bates Lauren Bacall Richard Farnsworth Frances Sternhagen
Music by	Marc Shaiman
Cinematography	Barry Sonnenfeld
Editing by	Robert Leighton
Studio	Castle Rock Entertainment Nelson Entertainment
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	November 30, 1990 (1990-11-30)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$61,276,872

Misery is a 1990 American thriller film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel and starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth, and Frances Sternhagen. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes, and Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. The film was ranked #12 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Plot

Famed novelist Paul Sheldon is the author of a successful series of novels featuring a character called Misery Chastain. Wanting to focus on more serious novels, he writes a manuscript for a new unrelated novel. He departs from Silver Creek, Colorado to head to Los Angeles but is caught in a blizzard and his car goes off the road. He is rescued by a nurse named Annie Wilkes who brings him to her remote home. Both of Paul's legs are broken and he has a dislocated shoulder, so he can't get out of bed. Annie claims she is his "number one fan" and talks a lot about him and his novels. She's happy when Paul lets her read his new novel, but later admits she disliked the use of excessive swearing in it. 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. 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 complies, believing Annie might kill him otherwise. However, having found a way of escaping his room, he sneaks out when Annie is away and begins to stockpile his painkillers. He tries to poison Annie during a candlelit dinner, but fails when she accidentally spills her drugged wine. During another venture out of his room, Paul finds a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about 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.

Meanwhile the local sheriff, Buster, is investigating Paul's disappearance. While there, Buster finds that Paul has been drugged and hidden in the basement. Annie fatally shoots Buster and tells Paul that they must die together. He agrees, but on the condition that he can finish the novel and "give Misery back to the world". While she gets his chair, Paul conceals a can of lighter fluid in his pocket. When the book is done, he reminds Annie it is his practice to have a single cigarette and a glass of champagne after finishing a novel. When Annie gives these things to Paul, he tells her that this time, he will need a second glass, for her. As Annie goes to get a second glass, Paul soaks the manuscript in the lighter fluid, and as Annie returns with the glass he sets it on fire, much as she made him do to his earlier post-Misery novel. Paul and Annie fight and Annie is killed.

Eighteen months later, Paul (now walking with a cane) meets his publishing agent Marcia in a restaurant. The two discuss his first non-'Misery' novel, titled "The Higher Education of J. Philip Stone." Marcia tells him he should publish the book. However, Paul declines, saying he wrote the novel for himself. Marcia asks if he wants to write a non-fiction book about his captivity, but Paul declines. While at the restaurant, he sees a waitress whom he briefly imagines as Annie. The waitress says she is his "number one fan", to which Paul uncomfortably 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

Production

Producer Andrew Scheinman read Stephen King's novel Misery on an airplane, and later recommended it to his director partner at Castle Rock Entertainment, Rob Reiner. Reiner eventually invited famed writer William Goldman to write the film's screenplay Given that Reiner was a director with a career of comedies, once he read the novel he identified with the theme of a "a guy who needed a new challenge, who needs to push himself and grow". King had refused to sell the novel's adaptation rights because of how other works of his were mishandled in film translations, but eventually let Reiner do Misery after his 1986's adaptation of Stand by Me.

Reiner worked closely with Goldman on the screenplay, with the director explaining that "We got rid of the most gory and horrific parts. I wanted to concentrate on the idea of this chess match between the artist and his fan."

In the original novel, Annie Wilkes lops off Paul Sheldon's feet. Goldman loved the scene and argued for it to be included, but Reiner insisted that it be changed to that she only breaks his ankles. Goldman subsequently wrote this was the correct decision as lopping would have been too severe.

The part of Paul Sheldon was originally offered to William Hurt (twice), then Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Richard Dreyfuss, Gene Hackman and Robert Redford, but they all turned it down. Warren Beatty was interested in the role, wanting to turn him into a less passive character, but eventually had to drop out as post-production Dick Tracy extended. Eventually someone suggested James Caan, who agreed to play the part. Caan commented that he was attracted by how Sheldon was a role unlike any other of his, and that "being a totally reactionary character is really much tougher."

Accolades

63rd Academy Awards

• Academy Award for Best Actress - Kathy Bates

Golden Globe Awards 1990

• Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama - Kathy Bates

American Film Institute Lists

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills—(Nominated)
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains—Annie Wilkes—#17 Villain
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes—"I am your number one fan." - (Nominated)

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."

Roger Ebert liked the film, stating, "It is a good story, a natural, and it grabs us."

The genre magazine Bloody Disgusting ranked Misery fourth place in its list of "10 Claustrophobic Horror Films".

King himself has stated that Misery is one of his top ten favourite film adaptations, in his collection "Stephen King Goes to the Movies".

The film was remade in India as a Tamil film titled Julie Ganapathi.

Film score

Misery
Film score by Marc Shaiman
Released	July 1, 1999 (1999-07-01)
Genre	Soundtrack
Label	Dead Line

The film's score was composed by Marc Shaiman.

All music composed by Marc Shaiman.

Misery
No.	Title	Length
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"

See also

• Psycho-biddy

External links

• Misery at the Internet Movie Database
• Misery at AllRovi
• Misery at Box Office Mojo
• Misery at Rotten Tomatoes
• Misery at Metacritic