Misery

Misery, motion picture about a writer being tortured by his biggest fan, based on a novel by Stephen King. Kathy Bates earned an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her performance as the deranged nurse Annie Wilkes in this film, which was released in 1990. Wilkes is very fond of Paul Sheldon’s pulp fiction novels about the character Misery Chastain. After she rescues the writer from a terrible car accident, she discovers that he has decided to kill off her favorite character and discontinue the series. Wilkes does not like that prospect one bit, so she confines Sheldon in a remote cabin and forces him to rewrite his latest book.

Director

• Rob Reiner

Cast

• James Caan (Paul Sheldon)
• Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes)
• Richard Farnsworth (Buster, sheriff)
• Frances Sternhagen (Virginia)
• Lauren Bacall (Marcia Sindell)
• Graham Jarvis (Libby)
• Jerry Potter (Pete)
• Tom Brunelle (Anchorman)
• June Christopher (Anchorwoman)
• Wendy Bowers (Waitress)
• Julie Payne (Reporter)
• Archie Hahn III (Reporter)
• Gregory Snegoff (Reporter)
• Misery the pig

Awards

• Academy Award for Best Actress (1990): Kathy BatesGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress—Drama (1991): Kathy Bates

Quotes

• Line from movie poster: “Paul Sheldon used to write for a living. Now, he's writing to stay alive.”