MURDER BY MISERY! Misery (1990) ***

SLIPPED AWAY! SLIPPED AWAY? SHE DIDN'T JUST SLIP AWAY! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! YOU MURDERED MY MISERY!

Annie


Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is the mediocre writer of gothic novels starring Misery Chastain. But he wants to move on. Finishing up a manuscript in Colorado, he unfortunately crashes but is saved by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a kind nurse. But this is based on Stephen King book so the good times can't last. It turns out is a psycho - no big shock here being as she tells us Paul's "number one fan."


So she intends to inflict a lot of said misery on Paul (and does!) to bring her heorine back from the dead. Far inferior to the novel but then that is a deconstructive look at the writing process. This is a superior thriller about a fan meeting a celebrity author and torturing him with impunity. The writing and direction for most of the film are superb - especially one grisly scene. But the concluding scenes are terrible and diverge from the book greatly by introducing a very phony epiphany by Sheriff John T. "Buster" McCain played by Richard Farnsworth


Would there be a better way to end things? Can't say. The director and writer settle for less in this solid but unambitious adaptation.


Trivia: Bates won a Best Actress Oscar in 1990 for the role.


Director: Rob Reiner Writers: Stephen King (novel), William Goldman (screenplay)


Stars: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth


Soundtracks SHOTGUN Performed by Jr. Walker & The All Stars (as Junior Walker & The Allstars) Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P. Written by Junior Walker (as Autry DeWalt) Published by Stone Agate Music A division of Jobete Music Co., Inc.