I would like to open this review by
gushing praise at Kathy Bates. And as I do so, please consider that
I’m in the process of writing reviews of 100 of the scariest movies
ever made. I’m also a horror movie fan in general, and I’ve seen
this movie before. But even taking all of those factors into
account, Kathy Bates in the movie still terrifies me!
It’s surprising to me that this film
was made in 1990, as it feels very much like a 70s film. The opening
doesn’t immediately tip you off with music and lighting effects
that you’re watching a horror movie. You’re supposed to figure
that out from the fact that horrible things happen.
The movie initially presents itself to
us as being about Paul Sheldon (James Caan), a writer trying to move
on with his career after killing off the main character from his
previous series, Misery Chastain. Paul makes a trip to a remote
hotel where he finishes his next novel, a more serious dramatic story
about slum kids. He attempts to drive home through a blizzard, and
ends up crashing his car.
He’s saved by his “Number One Fan,”
retired nurse Annie Wilkes (Bates), who tells him that the roads are
closed because of the blizzard. Thus, he’ll need to stay with her
for a time. Annie is initially presented to us as a kind, if
somewhat eccentric, woman, and Paul believes that he’s lucky.
Gradually however, Annie is shown to have a violent temper which can
be set off by the most minor of nuisances. She lives in a fantasy
land, and anything that interferes with her delusions is a cause for
retaliation.
When the last Misery book finally comes
out and Annie finds out that Misery is “dead,” things escalate
into a full-blown hostage crisis. Paul has to attempt to write
another Misery novel, bringing his character back to life (in a
dramatically satisfying manner), while also trying to keep Annie
calm, and trying to find a means of escape whenever she’s away.
Kathy Bates was perfect for this role
because of her ability to play Annie as a dichotomous character. On
the one hand, she seems to sincerely believe she’s in a romance
novel, where she has to “save” Misery and fall in love with Paul
Sheldon. On the other hand though, to simultaneously remain a
constant threat, she also has to be aware that he wants to escape and
thus be able to take measures to prevent this from happening. Her
intelligence here doesn’t take away the level of sympathy we have
for her. It’s clear she has severe impulse control problems and an
inability to deal with reality.
James Caan’s real talent here is his
ability to let the audience know when he’s playing Paul Sheldon and
when he’s playing Paul Sheldon putting on an act for Annie. Most
actors would simply telegraph in-character performances by making
their characters terrible actors, but Caan never resorts to such
cheap gimmicks. When sweet-talking, Annie he comes across as a good
actor forced to read terrible dialogue, but still giving it his all.
The movie doesn’t limit itself
entirely to the two of them, but they take up the vast majority of
the run time. We’re given a few scenes with a local sheriff
(Richard Farnsworth) trying to locate Paul (eventually being killed
off by Annie). I don’t have a lot to say about those scenes. I
enjoyed them, they had some nice touches of humor, and Farnsworth
does a good job as Sheriff “Buster.”
By the end, Paul has figured out that
Annie is a full-blown serial killer who’s killed parents, rivals,
and even innocent children, and who wants to live out an insane
fantasy by dying with him. As the end of the novel grows near, Paul
realizes that all of this will inevitably come to a head.
The ending of the movie is fully
satisfying. I’m a bit confused about how Paul was able to get home
with two broken legs afterwards. The only other person who knew he
was there had been killed by Annie. But that’s really not a point
that I found myself dwelling on
Anyone who hasn’t seen this movie
definitely should. It’s a rare horror film that wins an Academy
Award for Best Actress, and there is a damned good reason this film
did. It’s tense as Hell. The characters are understandable
without ever being simplistic. It’s just a great movie.
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