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IMDbPro

Misery

  • 19901990
  • RR
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
208K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,164
213
Misery (1990)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer2:15
3 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaThriller
After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
208K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,164
213
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Rob Reiner
    • Writers
      • Stephen King(novel "Misery")
      • William Goldman(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • James Caan
      • Kathy Bates
      • Richard Farnsworth
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Rob Reiner
    • Writers
      • Stephen King(novel "Misery")
      • William Goldman(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • James Caan
      • Kathy Bates
      • Richard Farnsworth
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 471User reviews
    • 176Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 5 wins & 10 nominations total

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:15
    Official Trailer
    Misery | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:19
    Misery | Anniversary Mashup
    Jane Levy of "Castle Rock" Is Bringing Pennywise to Your Next Party
    Video 1:48
    Jane Levy of "Castle Rock" Is Bringing Pennywise to Your Next Party

    Photos464

    James Caan in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
    James Caan in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates in Misery (1990)
    Lauren Bacall in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
    James Caan in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates in Misery (1990)
    Kathy Bates and James Caan in Misery (1990)
    Richard Farnsworth and Frances Sternhagen in Misery (1990)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Caan
    James Caan
    • Paul Sheldon
    Kathy Bates
    Kathy Bates
    • Annie Wilkes
    Richard Farnsworth
    Richard Farnsworth
    • Buster
    Frances Sternhagen
    Frances Sternhagen
    • Virginia
    Lauren Bacall
    Lauren Bacall
    • Marcia Sindell
    Graham Jarvis
    Graham Jarvis
    • Libby
    Jerry Potter
    • Pete
    Thomas Brunelle
    • Anchorman
    • (as Tom Brunelle)
    June Christopher
    June Christopher
    • Anchorwoman
    Julie Payne
    • Reporter #1
    Archie Hahn
    Archie Hahn
    • Reporter #2
    • (as Archie Hahn III)
    Gregory Snegoff
    Gregory Snegoff
    • Reporter #3
    Wendy Bowers
    • Waitress
    Misery the Pig
    Misery the Pig
    • Self
    John Michael Quinn
    • Restaurant Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Rob Reiner
    Rob Reiner
    • Helicopter Pilot
    • (uncredited)
    J.T. Walsh
    J.T. Walsh
    • State Trooper Sherman Douglas
    • (uncredited)
    Jay Dee Witney
    Jay Dee Witney
    • News Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Rob Reiner
    • Writers
      • Stephen King(novel "Misery")
      • William Goldman(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Stephen King was quite impressed with Kathy Bates' performance in this film, so much so that he later wrote two more roles for her. The title role in his novel "Dolores Claiborne" was written with Bates in mind, and Bates later starred in the film adaption of Dolores Claiborne (1995). King also wrote the script for the TV mini-series The Stand (1994). His original novel featured a (male) character named Ray Flowers; upon hearing that Bates wanted to be involved in the miniseries, King re-wrote the part as a woman (Rae Flowers) just so Bates could play the part (uncredited).
    • Goofs
      When Buster reads one of the "Dragon Lady" articles in the library, under the picture it says, "...There is a higher justice than that of man, I will be judged by Him." In the close-up shot, the mistake is corrected and now says, "...There is a justice higher than that of man, I will be judged by Him."
    • Quotes

      Paul Sheldon: You want it? You want it? Eat it! Eat it till ya choke, you sick, twisted fuck!

    • Crazy credits
      Misery the Pig - Herself
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: 3 Men and a Little Lady/The Nutcracker Prince/Predator 2/Mr. And Mrs. Bridge (1990)
    • Soundtracks
      Shotgun
      Performed by Jr. Walker and 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.

    User reviews471

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Don't EVER have a Number 1 fan...
    Horror movies generally aren't my cup of tea, but people have always talked about how great Misery is. So I decided to give it a look when it came on TV today. All I can say is that I was definitely not disappointed; this was an amazing movie.

    Misery is the story of writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan), who is driving through a snowstorm after just having finished his newest novel. The car crashes, and it seems that Paul will die, trapped in his car in the snow in a deserted forest, when he is rescued by a mysterious stranger. She turns out to be Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a former nurse who dresses his wounds and gives him a comfortable bed. In addition, it turns out that Annie is Paul's self-proclaimed Number 1 Fan. Specifically, she is obsessed with the Misery Chastain series, Paul's major claim to fame. Annie keeps Paul in an isolated room for days, then weeks, as the outside world searches for him. Eventually, when Annie objects to the content of Paul's latest manuscript, and when she has a hysterical reaction to the death of Misery in the latest novel, Paul (and the audience) come to see that there may be something wrong with Annie.

    Caan and Bates were absolutely stunning in their performances. The vast majority of this movie focused on them, so it was crucial that they both be able to convey the sense that something horrific was going on. It was no surprise that Kathy Bates won the Best Actress Oscar for her role. Everything in this movie really worked to show just how trapped Paul was, and how hopeless his situation seemed. And of course, this movie left a few indelible images in the mind. (One in particular comes to mind, and I really wish that I hadn't seen that scene previously on some other TV show; that almost took away from the impact of seeing it in context.) So, if you are a fan of suspenseful fare, or you just want to see a horror movie (mostly) sans blood and guts, Misery is for you. You will never, ever want to hear anyone say that they're a fan of yours again.
    helpful•76
    21
    • sngbrd39
    • Jan 7, 2006

    FAQ11

    • What is 'Misery' about?
    • Is "Misery" based on a book?
    • I'm confused about "Misery's Child" and the book Annie makes Paul burn. Are they the same?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 30, 1990 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Nữ Anh Hùng Misery
    • Filming locations
      • Genoa, Nevada, USA
    • Production companies
      • Castle Rock Entertainment
      • Nelson Entertainment
      • Nelson Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $20,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $61,276,872
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,076,834
      • Dec 2, 1990
    • Gross worldwide
      • $61,277,271
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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