RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Misery
Misery

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Misery (1990)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
51 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:33

Fresh:17

Rotten:16

Average Rating:4.2/10

Consensus: Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.

Runtime: 3 hrs 34 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: Romance author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) longs for parting with Misery. Sheldon's plucky heroine of seven novels has delivered Sheldon fame and fortune and recognition beyond the average writer's... Romance author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) longs for parting with Misery. Sheldon's plucky heroine of seven novels has delivered Sheldon fame and fortune and recognition beyond the average writer's dreams, but she is also interminably linked to him. Determined to escape an eternal role as dimestore novelist, he kills her off in the eighth novel and heads to his New England cabin to work on his own Great American Novel. Upon completion, Sheldon excitedly sets out for his New York City publisher in the midst of a raging blizzard and within minutes veers into a desolate snowbank. From the brink of death, he is rescued from the snow by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who just so happens to be Misery's self-professed biggest fan. At first, she nurses him back to health in her remote cabin, telling him the roads and phones are knocked out by the storm, fawning over his literary accomplishments. However, things change when she purchases his eighth Misery book and reaches the point of Misery's death. Annie's psychotic underbelly swiftly surfaces as the unfortunate author is held clandestinely captive in her home. Meanwhile, a wily small-town sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) circles in.... Director Rob Reiner's adaptation of Stephen King's novel is an eerie tale of obsessiveness and isolation. The film features an excellent turn by Caan and an Oscar-winning performance by Bates. [More]

Starring: Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen

Starring: Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren Bacall

Director: Rob Reiner

Director: Rob Reiner
Screenwriter: William Goldman

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Misery

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 19 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVD Beaver | comment Comment
09/10/09
DVD Beaver
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVDFuture.com | comment Comment
10/17/07
R. L. Shaffer
R. L. Shaffer
DVDFuture.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD | comment Comment
10/13/07
Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD

The Collector DVD contains significant comments from helmer Reiner, who claims that while Kathy Bates was always his first and only choice, James Caan was not (most stars turned him down) and trivia too, like Advice for the Stalked or Diagnosing Annie.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
10/10/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

a horrorshow of close-ups

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
10/09/07
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
10/06/07
Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
10/03/07
Reel.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: dvdmg.com | comment Comment
08/08/07
dvdmg.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVD Review.net | comment Comment
08/07/03
DVD Review.net
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dvdrama | comment Comment
07/31/03
Dvdrama
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVD.net.au | comment Comment
03/30/03
Terry Kemp
Terry Kemp
DVD.net.au

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment Comment
03/07/03
Moviehole
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Boxoffice Magazine

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVDnett.no | comment Comment
03/03/02
DVDnett.no
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
10/23/01
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: digitallyOBSESSED.com | comment Comment
06/27/01
Justin Stephen
Justin Stephen
digitallyOBSESSED.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
05/12/01
G. Noel Gross
G. Noel Gross
DVDTalk.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: MediaScreen.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
MediaScreen.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: DVD Angle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Darren Menendez
Darren Menendez
DVD Angle
 
 
1 - 19 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
all

Latest News for Misery

October 10, 2007: RT's Top 50 Horror Movie List Unmasked
Halloween is a great time for three of life's essential pleasures -- pigging out on candy, dressing up in a fun costume, and watching an obscene amount of horror movies.... More...

May 17, 2005: Bates, McDowell and Leigh to Hit the "Funny Farm"
From Cannes, The Hollywood Reporter brings news of an upcoming ensemble comedy that sounds pretty enticing: Kathy Bates ("Misery"), Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Peter Jackson Talks Hobbit, LotR Blu-ray Source: Collider.com
 5
  • Woman Jailed for Filming New Moon Screening Source: Chicago Sun-Times
 5
  • McG Has Plans for Fifth and Sixth Terminator Movies Source: Gizmodo
 18
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
 22
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
 24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
 26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
 22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
 42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
 2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
 162
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
 79
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
 55
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
 50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
 46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
 41
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
 40
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
 37
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
 28
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
 24
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
 22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
 2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
 17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
 12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
 23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
 8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
 15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
 22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
 9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
 28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
 30
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Misery at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Misery at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.