Blyss's Movie Review for:

Main Cast of Characters:

James Caan...........Paul Sheldon

Kathy Bates.........Annie Wilkes

Richard Farnsworth..........Sheriff Buster McCain

Lauren Bacall.........Marcia Sindell

1990. Rated: R. Genre: Thriller; Horror; 107 minutes

I'm your #1 fan......

Paul Sheldon is a famous writer who has made his fortune selling books about his character "Misery". However, he just finished his last Misery novel in which he killed his title character. Now he wanted to try something different just to satisfy himself because he wanted to be known for something other than Misery. He finishes his latest book and has his usual cigarette and glass of wine. Then he decides to go for a ride. While out, he wrecks his car and wakes up in the care of a woman named Annie Wilkes who claims to be a nurse and "his #1 fan". She nurses him for a while and after she goes to town one time, she tells him she has called his family and he believes her. But when she found Paul and drug him out, she also found his new manuscript which she hates and makes him destroy. A few days later, she gets the new and last Misery novel and is ecstatic! She stays out of Paul's hair for a while but it disturbed and becomes violent when she finds out Misery's fate. She is crazed and begins to insist that Misery is still alive and that he should bring her back. She gets a typewriter and paper for Paul and forces him to create the novel. She also informs him that she never called anyone about him and that no one knows he is there. Paul Sheldon once wrote for a living. Now he will have to write to stay alive.

I have also read the novel "Misery" and the movie went a little by the book. Mostly the movie took out a lot of the gruesome details and some scenes which they probably would not have been allowed to do in the movie. I loved Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes. She is exactly the look and type of acting person I would have wanted to play the role. I couldn't imagine anyone else! James Caan did an excellent job in portraying Paul Sheldon, yet I could not envision someone that looks like him as the actual Paul Sheldon in the book for some reason. The best part of the movie for me was the ending which I will not describe because you will just have to watch it. The last 30 minutes or so really kept me on the edge of my seat. I was a little disappointed though that they changed what I call some crucial moments in the book that really emphasized Annie's cruelty to Paul when her needs were not met. It is a great movie and one that I watch a good bit but not something that was true to its originality.

I rate this film: 7

Blyss