Stephen King Week: Misery

"I'm your number one fan..."

Is there a more memorable villain to come out of Stephen King's mind than Annie Wilkes? I'm sure there are others that rank up there, monsters such as Pennywise, Randall Flagg, and Jack Torrence, but the one that scared the crap out of me the most is for sure Ms. Wilkes. Just those five little words she utters, "I'm your number one fan," are enough to send chills down the spine of anyone who read the book or saw the movie it was based on. And boy, do both pack a wallop.

Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) is a bestselling author who has just finished his latest novel while staying at a secluded lodge in snowy Colorado. On his way back to town, Paul is in a horrible car wreck that leaves him severely injured. Luckily (or perhaps not), a passerby saw it and is able to free him from the wreck. When he comes to again at her house, she introduces herself as Annie Wilkes (played by Kathy Bates in an Oscar winning performance). At first she seems like a decent enough person, sweet and nice. But as time goes on, it becomes clear something is off about her. It all changes when she reads the latest installment in a series of romance novels Paul wrote centered on a character named Misery. As she finishes the book, she discovers her beloved Misery dies. Enraged, she takes it out on poor Paul who is in the next room. The next day, she makes him burn his new manuscript for an unrelated book that she thinks is trash (because of the swearing) and forces him to write a new book, resurrecting her Misery.

Meanwhile, the local Sheriff, Buster (played by Richard Farnsworth) is tipped off to Paul's disappearance by Paul's editor, Marcia (played by Lauren Bacall). He begins to look into it with the assistance of his deputy (and wife) Virginia (played by Frances Sternhagen). Once the snow begins to melt, Paul's wrecked car is discovered and Paul is presumed dead. Buster, however, is unconvinced and keeps looking. It's only a matter of time before the two story lines intersect as Buster begins to suspect Annie knows something about Paul's disappearance. The playful banter between Buster and Virginia also provide some much needed comedy relief and break from the mounting tension between Paul and Annie.

This film is a powerhouse of suspense from nearly the beginning to the end, all the more impressive given that such a large chunk of the film takes place in one small house and a significant amount of that is spent in Paul's bedroom. And yet, just the interplay between those two characters is what makes the whole thing work. Paul is not physically stronger than Annie and therefore has to outwit her at every turn, trying to carefully play her so as not to set her off. Unfortunately, he doesn't always win at this endeavor and when she discovers he's been getting out of his room punishes him in one of the most horrifying scenes I may have ever seen (she breaks his ankles with a sledge hammer). This steels Paul's resolve to build up his strength because it's going to be up to him to get himself free, no matter what.

Misery is definitely up there in the rankings of the scariest movies I have ever seen, in a large part due to Kathy Bates in a star making turn as Annie. She creates such a unique and memorable movie monster who is yet at the same time completely human, which only makes her that much scarier. There may be no such things as monsters, but there could be people like Annie and I think that's a big part of that makes this film so terrifying.

I remember watching it for the first time when I was a young one in the basement with my Aunt Peg, who was another Stephen King fan and both of us getting so worked up by the tension and suspense of it all. While repeated viewings haven't quite carried the same impact of that initial viewing, it's still a superior scary movie and one I still very much enjoy.