- Rob Reiner is responsible for two of the very best Stephen King adaptations- 1990’s Misery and 1986’s Stand by Me. Both are part of Reiner’s phenomenal streak of good movies going from 1984’s This is Spinal Tap to 1992’s A Few Good Men
- As if Reiner and King weren’t enough already—they loaded up on the talent involved and tapped the shoulder of William Goldman to write the screenplay (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men) and they get a herculean effort from Kathy Bates (Academy winner for 1990). Bates had been around for a decade (she was in Altman’s Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982) but she transforms as the menacing Annie Wilkes here- superfan and psychopath. James Caan plays writer Paul Sheldon.
- Both a chilling and sometimes hilarious take on fandom, obsession and celebrity. I don’t know if it is King’s view of his readers (he’s pretty mainstream after all- I don’t think many critics and academics are reading King)- but I get a laugh out of Wilkes love of spam, Liberace, eating junk food while watching The Love Connection. She mispronounces Don Perignon and says “what the ceiling that Dago painted?” when asking about the Sistine Chapel from Michaelangelo. She’s religious, looks down on swearing (with her great “cock-a-doody” close-up) but has committed multiple murders. Bates handles her mood swings marvelously
King and Reiner paint quite a picture — eating junk food and watching The Love Connection
Reiner uses a low-angle shot of Bates again and again. It is both logical (Caan is in the bed in front of her) and powerful as a shot choice. It gives her power—often in a disturbing close-up.
Kathy Bates had been around for a decade (she was in Altman’s Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982) but she transforms as the menacing Annie Wilkes here- superfan and psychopath.
- Reiner does summon his inner Hitchcock from time to time (when working on the film he reportedly studied the genre-master). There’s a great cross-cutting scene between Caan working on the lock and Bates doing the same at a different door– manipulation of space and time. Reiner is even smart enough to cut to a close-up of her feet as she walks up the stairs – the details matter in a thriller like this
- Recommend but not in the top 10 of 1990
James Caan ranked -:
Films:
1. The Godfather (1972) – MP
2. The Godfather Part 2 (1974) – MP
3. Thief (1981) – MS
4. Dick Tracy (1990) – MS
5. Funny Lady (1975) – MS
6. Misery (1990) – MS
7. Cinderella Liberty (1973)
8. Gardens of Stone (1987)
9. For the Boys (1991)
10. The Yards (2000)
11. Dogville (2003)
12. Alien Nation (1988)
13. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
14. Slither (1973)
15. The Killer Elite (1975)
16. Comes a Horseman (1978)
17. Red Line 7000 (1965)
18. Bottle Rocket (1996)
19. Rollerball (1975)
20. Countdown (1967)
21. El Dorado (1966)
22. The Gambler (1974)
23. The Rain People (1969)
24. Freebie and the Bean (1974)
25. Brian’s Song (1971) – R
26. The Program (1993) – 3/5
Performances:
1. Misery
2. Thief
3. The Gambler
4. Cinderella Liberty
5. Gardens of Stone
6. The Godfather
7. Funny Lady
8. For the Boys
9. A Bridge Too Far
10. The Rain People
11. Brian’s Song
12. Slither
13. The Yards
14. Dogville
15. Red Line 7000
16. Rollerball
17. Countdown
18. Comes a Horseman
19. Freebie and the Bean
20. Alien Nation
21. The Killer Elite
22. The Program
23. Bottle Rocket
24. El Dorado
25. The Godfather Part 2
26. Dick Tracy
Directors worked with: Francis Ford Coppola (4), Mark Rydell (2), Howard Hawks (2), Wes Anderson, Robert Altman, Lars von Trier, Sam Peckinpah, Michael Mann, Alan J. Pakula, Warren Beatty, Herbert Ross, James Gray, Rob Reiner
I very much dig the similarities between The Shining and Misery. Characters stuck in an isolated location during winter, one of them being unhinged, both nearby a small rural town. And the Richard Farnsworth character who goes on a manhunt is very much reminiscent of the Dick Hallorann character in The Shining and they both suffer the same fate. The setting of the location is more royal and grand in The Shining of course but how can the house of Annie Wilkes be royal and grand?
Anyway, the narrative of Misery is gripping unlike very few films are. You are stuck in this perpetual nightmare. And if you give this material to any other director there is little to negligible improvements than can be made. Reiner does the most basic things right. And often goes for establishing shots of the location and captures Caan’s character often in side profile in isolation. Not to mention the hobbling scene is as disgusting as it is because you see the whole hit clearly. Caan flipping through Annie Wilkes book is very much reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby. One slight nitpick I have with the film is Bates’ motivation to end both their lives at the end. It’s just poor and overwriting. And is really not needed. And is done here for shock value. One of the very best Stephen King films.
@Malith- this is really well done- I’ve seen both films in the last 15-20 days
The Shining gets better and better with each viewing. Every shot is so well thought out and composed. Some tracking shots are done through snowstorms which must have been very hard to get. The opening helicopter shots are stunning as well. Although I kind of felt sad for Shelley Duvall because she was physically struggling during this film and was having convulsions at one point. It is ultra realistic given the scenario but still.
A lot to decipher but a small nitpick I would say is the kitchen door being opened after being locked. It is the only time really that the Supernatural physically got involved. Although it is shown off-camera.
@Malith- I’m with you on pretty much all of this I think- well said
The supernatural was always intended to be very literal in The Shining, and the door unlocking was a cunning way to smuggle it in, with psychology as a cover. Kubrick said as much.
When I watched The Shining in theaters, I though it might be the best movie ever made. It’s just the most perfect combination of form, visuals, sound and score, acting, editing, and story ever put on screen. Even if it’s not the best, it’s probably the most perfect.
James Caan ranked:
Films:
1. The Godfather (1972) – MP
2. The Godfather Part 2 (1974) – MP
3. Thief (1981) – MS
4. Dick Tracy (1990) – MS
5. Funny Lady (1975) – MS
6. Misery (1990) – MS
7. The Yards (2000)
8. Slither (1973)
9. Alien Nation (1988)
10. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
11. The Killer Elite (1975)
12. Dogville (2003)
13. Red Line 7000 (1965)
14. Comes a Horseman (1978)
15. Cinderella Liberty (1973)
16. Bottle Rocket (1996)
17. Rollerball (1975)
18. El Dorado (1966)
19. Countdown (1967)
20. Gardens of Stone (1987)
21. The Gambler (1974)
22. The Rain People (1969)
23. Brian’s Song (1971)
24. The Program (1993)
Performances:
1. Misery
2. Thief
3. The Godfather
4. The Gambler
5. Funny Lady
6. Gardens of Stone
7. Brian’s Song
8. A Bridge Too Far
9. Cinderella Liberty
10. Slither
11. The Rain People
12. The Yards
13. Dogville
14. Red Line 7000
15. Alien Nation
16. Countdown
17. Rollerball
18. The Killer Elite
19. Comes a Horseman
20. The Program
21. Bottle Rocket
22. El Dorado
23. The Godfather Part 2
24. Dick Tracy
Directors worked with: (Francis Ford Coppola, Howard Hawks, Wes Anderson, Lars von Trier, Robert Altman, Sam Peckinpah, Michael Mann, Alan J. Pakula, Warren Beatty, Herbert Ross, James Gray)
Few actors have worked in this many genres Caan has:
– Sports films (Red Line 7000, Brian’s Song, The Program)
– Westerns (Comes a Horseman, El Dorado)
– Road films (The Rain People, Comes a Horseman)
– Action films (The Killer Elite, Thief)
– Sci-fi Action films (Rollerball, Alien Nation)
– Dramas (Cinderella Liberty, Gardens of Stone, The Gambler)
– Sci-fi Dramas (Countdown)
– Musical Dramedies (Funny Lady, For the Boys)
– Thrillers (Misery)
– Gangster films (The Godfather)
– War films (A Bridge Too Far)
– Buddy cop films (Freebie and the Bean, Alien Nation)
The growth in Caan’s character from victim (burning the manuscript) to the weary confident guy at the end (burning the new book himself, eat this you b****) is ridiculously well done.
I think Bates’ motivation at the end to end both their lives make very little sense. She comes off like a coward. Which is a cop out from her usual unfazed demeanour.
I honestly didn’t think that highly of Kathy Bates’ performance in Misery or get why she won the Oscar. It’s a fun character to play for sure and memorable. But we never really get inside the head of her character or she really changes much at all from beginning to end. Without these things I’m not sure what amounts to a great performance. I have no hesitation in saying James Caan gives the best performance in Misery and we, the audience are with him all the way and feel his fears and pathetic state.
@Lionel – the 1990 Oscars was a travesty all around with Goodfellas (1990) getting thoroughly ripped off aside from Pesci’s deserved best supporting actor. It should have won Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress for Lorraine Bracco, and Best Actor for Ray Liotta. For some reason Lorraine Bracco was nominated for Best Supporting Actress even though she played the lead actress role in Goodfellas and she lost that one. Ray Liotta was not even nominated. Just an all around disgrace of the highest order
@James Trapp-Bizzarely enough Kathy Bates won, but that was Misery’s only Oscar nomination. I love the film and it is very gripping. I certainly think other nominations like editing and for Caan would have been deserving. I think you are correct in saying Goodfellas deserved to win Best Picture and Director.
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@Malith- quite right on the errors- thank you