Misery

Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Rating: R
Genre: Thriller
1990

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A novelist (James Caan) is rescured from a car crash by his biggest fan (Kathy Bates). She is very kind and helpful at first, but when she learns he plans to kill her favorite character, her personality takes on a frightful demeanor.

Review:

Tim: Misery is a challenging, difficult, suspenseful movie that is very, very hard to forget. I didn't always enjoy the experience (there are too many nerveracking moments to consider this enjoyable), but it is a powerful, entertaining, and memorable movie. I really enjoyed it.

The movie is based on a novel by Stephen King, directed by Rob Reiner, and features a cast including James Caan, Kathy Bates, and Lauren Bacall. All the elements were in place here for something special. And yet, many movies can claim a similar pedigree, but failed to live up to their potential. That is not the case with Misery. This is a great movie and one I will likely never forget.

I love the story. A writer is in a serious car accident and rescued by a fan of his work. As she nurses him back to health, all seems fine. However, he soons realizes her obsession is not healthy and his caretaker turns into a terrifying nightmare of a woman. I love the paralyzing fear the character must have had. With two badly shattered legs, he can't walk at all. I thought to myself time and time again, "What would I do in that situation?" It had to be incredibly frustrating, to be bed ridden when all you want in the whole world is to escape. Rob Reiner did a fantastic job of bringing this to life on the screen. As we watch Caan struggle, we're transported to that snowy cabin and feel the sense of complete isolation that he feels. King created a great story here- a man is completely in control of his wits, but unable to move and must rely on a psychotic woman to keep him alive and take care of him. It's brilliant, and creates a great deal of drama.

The story is strong, but the cast makes it come to life. I liked James Caan in the lead role, but I have to admit I feel he's a bit overrated as an actor. I think he's good, but rarely great. That is how I felt about him here. He did a good job in the role. He made us experience the movie through his eyes, and we sympathized with him. He was a complex character, and we definitely rooted for him in the film. I can't really make complaints about his performance. And yet, he didn't hit a home run with it, either. I wanted more from him- more emotion, more power. Still, I can't fault the guy at all.

Kathy Bates, on the other hand, gives a remarkable performance. She is mesmerizing as she starts out perfectly normal, then slowly unveils the more unhinged aspects of her personality. She is able to turn from sweet to sadistic in a few moments, and the performance is completely believable. Almost any other actress in the role could have resulted in complete failure for the movie. We wouldn't have believed the events of the film were plausible. And yet, because of the shocking performance of Bates, we believe. She makes the film. I'm very glad she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, because no one else could compare with the jaw-dropping performance she gives. It's truly something to behold. I also want to mention I like the pairing of Caan and Bates. They work very well together on screen.

Rob Reiner gives us some terrific moments. There are several scenes with Caan crawling around with broken legs- even the thought of trying to move that much with that kind of injury caused me to cringe. Add in the suspense of an approaching Bates, and these scenes are incredibly suspenseful. Reiner does a great job keeping us on our toes. I also have to mention the hobbling scene. It is easily the most disturbing, retching scene I've seen in a very long time. It's famous for obvious reasons and is incredibly difficult to watch. It's an important scene though, because it makes you realize how dangerous the situation is. I hated it, but I loved it as well.

Misery is not an easy movie to watch and not a very uplifting one. However, it is expertly crafted by Reiner and features an incredible performance by Kathy Bates. It's an intense, entertaining, unforgettable film, and I respect it very much. This is a great movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Secret Window, Dolores Claiborne, The Shining