"When you first came here I only loved the writer part of Paul Sheldon. Now I know I love the rest of him too."
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Paul Sheldon has just finished writing his magnum opus. The grand crescendo to the finale of a book series known as the "Misery" books. He's written so many Misery books over the years that he's grown tired of the character, eager to kill her off George R. R. Martin style. As he heads home from finishing his manuscript, his car veers off the snowy path and flips over, rendering him immobile. Fortunately, he is rescued by Annie, a devoted fan of his books. Unfortunately for Paul, she's a little too devoted, and determined to keep Misery alive by keeping Paul hostage at her remote cabin for as long as possible.
Rob Reiner's adaptation of Stephen King's novel, to me, is one of the best ever done, barring The Shining. Ironically, both films deal with very similar plots, with the theme of being trapped in a remote snowy location damaging one's psyche being the main focus. Contrary to The Shining, however, Misery is much more of a psychological thriller, with a healthy dose of un-Stephen King but very 90's humor style to boot. Fueled by Kathy Bates' Oscar-winning performance as the sublimely psychotic Annie Wilkes, this terrorizing hostage film is a staple of essential 90's filmography. It has literally every hallmark of classic 90's style filming, while retaining the unique feeling that most Stephen King stories give.
With less horror and more tense thrills than the normal Stephen King story delivers, Misery is made even better through James Caan's own helpless portrayal of writer Paul Sheldon. Crippled in his car accident, he is forced to use his wits to attempt to outsmart his psychotic makeshift nurse, and escape from her horrifying world. There are surprisingly enough scenes filled with tension for such a small setting for a film, and Reiner stylishly utilizes his minimal location available to deliver maximum thrills and chills. Even the sheriff's side plot manages to not get in the way of Annie and Paul's character development, and actually was fitted into the film quite perfectly. The sheriff and his wife proved to be just as hilarious as Annie herself, with less of the psychotic feeling and more of a quirky, small-town vibe. They provide a nice little respite from the intensely hectic goings-on in Annie's quaint little cabin, and were a welcome change of scenery for the film.
Although I don't want to say that this is necessarily better than The Shining, there's no doubt in my mind that Misery is one of my personal favorite Stephen King adaptations. Kathy Bates' psychotically hilarious performance alone makes this film a masterpiece, but even the other characters make it that much better of an experience. The distinct 90's film feel is, of course, ever present in this film, and it just makes it a perfect time capsule. A reminder of times when things were simpler, before bland horror films or tons of recycled superhero film plots. Even Stephen King seems to be beginning to run out of ideas, but that certainly doesn't mean he has a massive number of classics on his hands. He's probably one of the best horror writers in the history of the genre, and Rob Reiner's two proofs that he can nail King adaptations like no one else has shown me something special about him as a director. He can make some truly remarkable and memorable scenes from these books and more, and it makes me consider him one of the greatest directors in cinema history.
Although I don't want to say that this is necessarily better than The Shining, there's no doubt in my mind that Misery is one of my personal favorite Stephen King adaptations. Kathy Bates' psychotically hilarious performance alone makes this film a masterpiece, but even the other characters make it that much better of an experience. The distinct 90's film feel is, of course, ever present in this film, and it just makes it a perfect time capsule. A reminder of times when things were simpler, before bland horror films or tons of recycled superhero film plots. Even Stephen King seems to be beginning to run out of ideas, but that certainly doesn't mean he has a massive number of classics on his hands. He's probably one of the best horror writers in the history of the genre, and Rob Reiner's two proofs that he can nail King adaptations like no one else has shown me something special about him as a director. He can make some truly remarkable and memorable scenes from these books and more, and it makes me consider him one of the greatest directors in cinema history.