ISN'T IT IRONIC: MISERY
During the 90's, there's been various debate about the so-called "Oscar curse." This term first came into being for Luise Rainier, who won back-to-back Best Actress Oscars in 1936 (for THE GREAT ZIEGFELD) and 1937 (THE GOOD EARTH), but then saw her career plummet when the good roles dried up. The 90's have certainly been a time for performers who won Oscars and were never heard from again, but one thing's for sure - you can't say Kathy Bates was afflicted with any "Oscar curse" after winning Best Actress for MISERY.
While Bates had done some movies before 1990 (COME BACK TO THE FIVE & DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN), and even in 1990 before MISERY (MEN DON'T LEAVE, DICK TRACY), she was still best known for being a stage actress, so much so that playwright Terrence McNally specifically wrote the part of Frankie in his play "Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune" for her. But since she was an unknown, Michelle Pfeiffer went on to snag the role of Frankie for the film version (a decision I will defend in a later article). Few besides writer William Goldman and director Rob Reiner wanted her for the major part of Annie Wilkes in MISERY, but since Reiner was calling the shots, she was cast. Since then, of course, her career has taken off. She was also nominated in 1998 for Supporting Actress for PRIMARY COLORS, she had a major supporting role in TITANIC, and she's appeared in such films as FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, and the made-for-cable THE LATE SHIFT. It would be nice to be among the voices who hailed Bates' performance in MISERY as a great introduction to a talented actress. But while Bates certainly has proven herself a talent, I don't think this movie shows it much.
MISERY is, of course, adapted from the Stephen King novel, and it's one of his best, and most basic, works. A writer named Paul Sheldon (James Caan) has written a series of romance novels starring a character named Misery, but has resolved at the beginning of the novel - and the movie - to kill her off. He's also written a dark novel about growing up, and wants to publish it. But he crashes his car in the middle of a snowstorm, and is crippled in the accident. Annie Wilkes (Bates), Paul's "number-one fan" and a nurse, comes upon him, rescues him, and nurses him back to life. But she also cuts Paul off from the outside world, destroys his copy of his "realistic" novel, and is upset beyond words when she finds out Paul has killed her favorite character, Misery, off. So she keeps him prisoner until he writes a new Misery novel - and will do anything to make sure he finishes it.
Latest Articles