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Misery (film)

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Misery
File:Misery Film.jpg
US mass market DVD cover (8-1-2000)
Directed byRob Reiner
Written byWilliam Goldman
Produced byRob Reiner & Andrew Scheinman
StarringJames Caan
Kathy Bates
Richard Farnsworth
Frances Sternhagen
Jem Sanlisoy
Scott Ernst Wilson
Chris Ogilvie
Music byMarc Shaiman
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release dates
November 30, 1990
Running time
107 min.
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20,000,000

Misery is 1990 American horror/ Thriller film, based on the novel Misery by Stephen King. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' Academy Award-winning performance as Annie Wilkes.

Plot summary

Template:Spoilers

File:Misery-annie.jpg
Annie Wilkes, portrayed by Kathy Bates.
File:Paulsheldon.jpg
Paul Sheldon, portrayed by James Caan.

Paul Sheldon is the writer of the 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 unbalanced. After getting Paul's permission to read his current, unpublished (and non-Misery) manuscript, she fails to appreciate the quality of the writing, as she prefers the mass-market pulp of the Misery series.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 After screaming at Paul, she brings him his unpublished manuscript, and a box of matches.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. Seeing a fallen hairpin on the floor, he thinks of an excuse to get Annie out of the house and tells her he can't type on the type of paper she has because it smears. She angrily goes back to town to get him new paper. While she is out, he gets the pin and uses it to pick the lock on the door. However, this doesn't help, since it seems impossible to get out. So he begins working on the book.

Later on, he escapes his room and explores the house, in 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 ankles with a sledgehammer so he can't escape again. (In the book, she cuts off his foot.) 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 into 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. Eighteen months later, Paul has been found, and his new (non-Misery) book is popular (his editor tells him "this one might actually have a chance of winning you some awards"). Paul admits that he sometimes still sees Annie. The movie ends with a female food server telling Paul that she is "his number one fan". Template:Endspoilers

Cast

Crew

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

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.

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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