With every plus there's a minus. Life comes with scales and scales require balance. People want success but don't know how to handle it once they do. Being rich is great unless one doesn't know how to be fiscally responsible. The same goes for fame. It's great being the center of attention, but sometimes it's not so great. This film is a great example of that, despite the actual story being an allusion to the author's alcohol addiction. Ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things. Sometimes those things are of no benefit to anyone. So how could being a famous writer lead to such a situation? Try meeting a deranged fan who won't let up on the harassment.
The plot is about famous author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) who just finished a new book he's ready to publish. On his travels he has a car accident and is rescued by a devoted fan named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). At her place she nurses him back to health, only for Sheldon to realize Wilkes is more than a fervent fan. Her desire is to be Sheldon's next character of focus. Meanwhile, Sheldon's family and agent Marcia Sindell (Lauren Bacall) are concerned about his disappearance. For help, they contact the local sheriff Buster (Richard Farnsworth) and wife Virginia (Frances Sternhagen) to see what they can do. Based on the novel by Stephen King and written by William Goldman who'd later pen Chaplin (1992) and Maverick (1994), makes this quite a watch.
It's interesting that viewers get to know quite a lot about the main characters just by the trailer alone. Even with all that being revealed, there's still much to see that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. With Rob Reiner directing in this genre for the first time, it's all the more captivating. Before this Reiner had also directed Stand By Me (1986) and The Princess Bride (1987). Like mentioned before, the film has a balance between the high strung and more pleasing moments believe it or not. Seeing Paul Sheldon trying to find a way to escape his captor's home is beyond nerve racking because of how unhinged Annie Wilkes is. But then there's also the scenes involving Buster where his deductive skills play a major part in the story.
However, a weak point in the story occurs when a plot device is used to tie two different plot threads together. These two plot threads share the plot device, but when looking at it from a bigger point of view, it seems very convenient. Almost like the probability of such a thing happening is completely unlikely. This doesn’t take away the performances from the cast members. While Kathy Bates had been acting prior to this feature, it was here she made her breakout role. She plays her character well alongside veteran actor James Caan who was in hits like The Godfather (1972) and Rollerball (1975). The more intriguing scenes are delivered through Sternhagen and Farnsworth’s characters. Farnsworth is also known for starring in The Grey Fox (1982).
The camerawork is also well done. Shot by Barry Sonnenfeld, who would later on direct The Addams Family (1991) and Men in Black (1997), the camerawork here is shot competently for the film. The viewer truly gets to see how mentally unhealthy Annie Wilkes is in her home and the stress that Paul Sheldon develops because of it. The music was another great component. Composed by Marc Shaiman, the film score again has a stable mix of tones in different areas of the story. There are unsettling cues with piano and strings for Sheldon’s hardship, as well as softer easy going motifs using horns for Buster’s investigative scenes. Unfortunately, the score is a bit short in material but still captures the feel of the movie.
Taking out one convenient particular part of the story that helps move the plot, this thriller will hold its viewers’ attention. The tension only cranks up as time goes on thanks to the acting, camerawork and music.
Points Earned --> 8:10
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