For those who don't know, a writer has just announced that he will be killing off his most beloved character. He is soon after taken prisoner/helped out by one of his biggest fans who tortures him into writing the character back to life. King has always kept one eye on obsessive fans and this movie actually has a little something to say about how people feel like they own an artist just because they consume his art.
James Caan does a great job as the put upon writer here. He is just gruff enough to be dangerously dismissive to his fans while out in the world but vulnerable enough to sell his terror at the various things Kathy Bates inflicts him with. Speaking of Bates, her portrayal of Annie Wilkes is pretty bone-chilling here. She delivers on being a strong physical presence while coming off as sweet natured (most of the time). Her academy award for this movie makes it the only Stephen King adaptation to win an oscar (that's right even, Shawshank didn't win one).
The cat and mouse games are well directed by Rob Reiner, who was more known for comedies at the time. If you like small cast productions and haven't seen this, you should check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment