The topic of obsessive, psychotic fans could make for a great horror story, so of course Stephen King had to be the guy to write it. Thus, we ended up with the concept of King's 1987 novel Misery. The novel was a success, and like most of his successful books, it was translated into a movie not long after its publication. And just like the novel that inspired it, the movie was a smashing success and even won an Oscar. It's been over twenty years since the movie was released, and it still holds up as an intense, frightening entry into the horror genre.
Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is the author of a popular series of romance novels starring a character named Misery Chastain. He's grown tired of writing books about Misery, and has retreated to a getaway in the mountains of Colorado to finish the manuscript for his first novel without the character. But before he can deliver this manuscript to his publisher, Paul is caught in a blizzard that causes him to lose control of his car. He's severely injured in the resulting crash, dislocating his shoulder and badly fracturing both legs.
Rescue comes in the form of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a former nurse who lives in a nearby farmhouse. Introducing herself as Paul's "number-one fan," Annie is ecstatic to have the writer of the Misery novels she loves so much in her own home. He's glad to have someone nursing him back to health, and she's more than happy to do so. But Annie's happiness turns to rage when she buys her copy of the latest Misery book and discovers the character dies at the end. She angrily forces Paul to burn his newest manuscript and demands he resurrect Annie in a new novel written just for her. As Annie's mental instability becomes more and more frightening, Paul must find a way to survive her violent psychotic outbursts despite his physical inability to flee or even protect himself.
Watch a bunch of movies based on Stephen King's work, and it's a veritable rollercoaster ride in terms of quality. Some of them are really good, while some of them are really bad. And while I don't know if Misery can quite compare to classics like Carrie or The Shining, it's still an effective, downright scary movie that any fan of King (and really, fans of horror and thrillers in general) should see at least once. It boasts impressive direction and outstanding acting, and it's head and shoulders over other, similar fare. I honestly cannot recommend it enough.
The movie was directed by, of all people, Rob Reiner. Yeah, the same Rob Reiner that brought us movies like The Princess Bride and This Is Spinal Tap. He's no stranger to making movies based on Stephen King's work, though, having previously adapted King's short story The Body into the movie Stand By Me four years earlier. His direction on Misery is top-notch, making the movie feel like something Alfred Hitchcock would have done. One particular scene where Paul is investigating the house while Annie is away is intensely suspenseful, having a real Rear Window type of vibe to it. Actually, the whole movie is like that, making almost every scene harrowing in their own ways. It does help that Reiner has wonderful cinematography and music to work with, but still, the way he crafts Misery makes you feel like he'd been making movies like this his whole career.
The movie also boasts a very well-written screenplay penned by two-time Oscar winner William Goldman. He and Reiner had previously collaborated on The Princess Bride, and Goldman's script for this go-round is good stuff as well. I've only read bits and pieces of King's novel and that was so many years ago that I can barely remember any of it. But Goldman has masterfully put together a great script. The way he develops the characters is like something out of old pulp noir stories. It grips you and never lets go, keeping the viewer in rapt attention as we try to figure out just how Paul is going to get out of this mess.
The absolute best elements of the movie, though, are the two primary actors. James Caan and Kathy Bates take up 98% of the movie's running time, and they're completely up to the task given to them. But let's do this one at a time, starting with Caan. Caan is good, very good. It's an impressive, engaging performance that brings a lot to the character. You hate seeing him in this position and you want to see him break free and run away. But the fact that he can't, along with how sympathetically Caan plays the part, makes the movie more intense.
But as good as Caan is, he's outshined by Bates. She completely owns the whole movie with her performance. Bates is intimidating, frightening, yet oddly charming. She plays the part in such a way that you can almost see right from the beginning that her initially sweet demeanor is masking a powder keg full of disaster. Bates alternates between frightening frenzy and girlish glee, like if Charles Manson was in the audience when The Beatles played on The Ed Sullivan Show. This only makes her even scarier, because it feels like two completely opposite people inhabit the same body.
And then there's the "rain gives me the blues" scene. Oh God, that scene. It and other moments like it, where Bates is incredibly calm yet incredibly threatening, are so very tense that for me, they were the scariest parts of the movie. And the fact that these scenes are so rare made them even scarier. We get so used to Bates demonstrating either a sweet happiness or a crazed, violent anger that these scenes make it feel like you're stuck in the eye of a hurricane. You never know just which Annie Wilkes you'll get in any given scene, and Bates's performance is so good that I still say she absolutely earned the "Best Actress" Oscar she was awarded for this role.
As I said earlier, Misery might not be on the same level as Carrie or The Shining. But it's still a tremendous movie that really deserves every positive accolade it's ever gotten. It's one of those gems that I hardly ever see people talking about, but they should. If you haven't seen Misery, see it now! If you have seen it, watch it again! It's definitely worth your time. And you know, I think this is the only place I've ever heard anyone use the phrase "cock-a-doody." Why did that phrase never take off?
Final Rating: ****
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