Description

Too many kooks spoil the comedy soup? Not when BARBRA STREISAND and RYAN O'NEAL lead a madcap cast (including screen-debuting MADELINE KAHN) on a zany quest that's like a classic screwball comedy - only screwier! ... Read more

Reviews (93)

As comfortable as cashmere...
When a comedy is done right on screen, it often has a very long life beyond its initial release. Such is the case with this wonderful movie. From the moment at the beginning when Streisand hums and sighs and launches into a blazing version of Cole Porter's "You're the Top", the film is a funny, frenetic, comfortable delight that is as cozy as a pair of flannel pajamas. Everyone here is working at the top of their form, and the fact that it looks effortless shows just how accomplished and talented they all are. Barbra looks slim, tan, loose, and very sexy; Ryan O'Neal is perfect as Cary Grant in "Bringing Up Baby", and Madeline Kahn is just perfect. There are so many moments that are memorable, it's hard to name them all. Peter Bogdanovich brought it all together so beautifully, with such style, verve, and loud-out-loud humor, you'll be in heaven for 90 minutes. Hollywood romantic comedy doesn't get any better than this. The DVD picture is bright, crisp, and letterboxed. What a treat for us all!

A gem of a film!!
I remember seeing "What's Up, Doc?" as a kid in a drive-in theatre and laughing uproariously. Later, as an adult, I bought the video and wore it out; the movie still hasn't lost it's charm. I've also introduced many of my friends to the film, but one consequence of that is that my tape is now faded and fuzzy. God bless whoever got this movie onto DVD!!

If you've somehow missed this film ... stop reading, turn off your computer, go to the store and buy it. (Don't rent it; you'll want to watch it more than once.) I mean it. Go now!

I'm not a Streisand fan, but I sure make an exception in this film. She's fantastic! Her zany energy just pours off the screen, her timing and delivery are top notch, and her chemistry with Ryan O'Neal is simply unbelievable. And O'Neal ... is awesome. You might not think of him as an actor who could so ably take on the role of the boring, distracted, absent-minded professor, but man! he owns the role. From his opening shot straight through to the end of the film, he's simply wonderful. And if Streisand's cheerful nuttiness and O'Neal's goofy, sweet seriousness aren't enough for you, there's the inimitable Madeline Kahn in her first role, owning every scene she's in ... 'til Liam Dunn shows up as the judge at the end, that is.

The dialogue sparkles; why aren't more people writing dialogue like this these days? There should be a law. The comedic timing is impeccable. The story is lunacy, but it's sold whole-heartedly ... and the lack of a score (other than Streisand's rendition of "You're the Top" to open and close the film, along with a brief snippet of "As Time Goes By" during the film) makes the whole thing seem almost believable, somehow.

This movie is a gem; I can watch it over and over. The DVD is crisp and clean, looking like it was filmed last week ... a rarity for some early '70's films. The sound quality is excellent; nuances that were lost on my video tape are restored here. Streisand's commentary is generally unilluminating, but Bogdanovich provides some wonderful thoughts and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. All in all, an excellent release.

One minor, tiny little flaw: at the very end of the film, with Howard and Judy on the plane, my VHS version shows Judy batting her eyes, then a cut to Howard ... a cut back to Judy for a lovely pregnant pause ... and finally the return to Howard, who delivers his deadly comeback. The timing on that, as with the rest of the movie, is perfection. But in my DVD, Judy batts her eyes, and we cut to Howard ... who delivers his line after only a short pause. There's a missing bit there in the middle. YES, it's a terribly minor quibble ... but when you monkey with a classic and throw off the comedic timing, a guy has to wonder who would do such a thing.

That's really my only quibble. 5 stars anyway. (Have you bought this DVD yet?! Get going!!)

Great Fireballs of Screwiness, Doc!
Genuine screwball comedy may be one of the toughest cinematic feats to pull off. Alot of directors, including Speilberg, have tried and screwed up, but very few have achieved genuine anarchic, screwball style; Bogdanovich does it ecstatically with Doc. Perhaps one of the reasons films of the seventies are considered so extraordinary is that titles such as Godfather, Exorcist and Chinatown, etc, achieved the high water mark for their respective genres. So it can be said of What's Up, Doc, which not only holds up beautifully but seems even funnier with the passage of years. Do we dare say classic? Yup.

"I can't breathe, is it possible to break a lung?"
The first screwball comedy to be a box office blockbuster since the early forties, WHAT'S UP, DOC? fills it's 94 minute runtime with so many terrific one-liners, double innuendoes, and visual puns that the average viewer will probably have to watch the film a couple of times before he or she catches all of the jokes! Apparently the film inspired repeat viewing even during it's initial release - Doc was the third-highest grossing film of 1972 (right behind THE GODFATHER and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE). In all honesty, I think this film has a higher laugh-per-second ratio than any film before or since.

This film was the perfect (and surprising) way for director Peter Bogdanovich to follow-up his cinematic landmark THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, and he keeps the film's momentum running right at the perfect speed. He also knows how to cast a film flawlessly. Buck Henry's marvelous screenplay contains many scenes with overlapping dialogue and double reverses, and the entire cast never misses a beat. Barbra Streisand literally radiates with magnetism throughout the entire film! Anyone who still wonders why she was the highest grossing actress of the seventies definitely needs to see this film; Streisand's performance in DOC is what being a movie star is all about. Many critics complained that Ryan O'Neal was miscast when the film was originally released, and those critics obviously missed out on the joke. The fact that O'Neal was considered a heartthrob at the time was all part of the fun in seeing him cast as complete goof; and I don't think anyone can deny the fact that he throws himself into the role completely.

As most viewers already know, Madeline Kahn has her finest screen role in Doc, and steals nearly every scene she's in (and she wisely knows just how far to push the characterization without going over the edge). The rest DOC'S supporting cast also could not be improved upon, Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendlrton, and Liam Dunn give just three of the standout performances in this perfect supporting ensemble. As with most comedies, DOC was snubbed at the Academy Awards (Bogdanovich, Streisand, and Kahn all deserved nominations in the respective categories in my opinion), but time has been good to DOC and remains far more popular than many of the films that did get Oscar noms in 1972. Arguably, the best comedy of all time.

About the DVD: The picture quality is very good - a tad soft at times, but very natural and true to the film's original look. The sound is mono, but it's well-rendered. It's great to have the trailer and vintage featurette preserved on disc, and while Streisand's brief commentary isn't very illumenating, Bogdanovich's full-length track is very informative and entertaining.

Use Your Charm.....
This is unquestionably one of my all time favorite films. All of the actors are in top form. Streisand turns in a masterful comedic performance which I would describe as "understated zany". O'Neil is stoic yet endearing. Madeline Kahn (in her movie debut, which makes the film noteworthy if for NO other reason) gives a perfect performance as O'Neil's overbearing fiance. The supporting cast including Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton and Liam Dunn are top notch. Brilliant writing (Buck Henry, et.al.) and directing (Peter Bogdanovich) combine with the cast to make this film one of the rare Hollywood productions that appeals to young and old alike. Don't miss this one, it is truly a classic. ... Read more

Reviews (100)

The Best Steven King Movie Ever
One of the best psychological thrillers ever made, "Misery" is a tride and true adaption of the classic Steven King bestseller, white - knuckle tale filled with suspense that only someone as brilliant as King himself could ever provide

Paul Sheldon (played flawlessly by James Caan) is the author of a very successful book series called "Misery". But after years of success, he decides to kill the character once and for all and get on with his life. He finishes his book, but disaster strikes on his way back to New York. He gets caught in a snow storm and crashes his car. He is on the verge of death when a seemingly harmless nurse named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in an Oscar - winning role), who claims she's his number one fan. At first, Paul really enjoys Annie's company. Then Annie has several outbursts (including the now infamous ankle - breaking sequence), and Paul becomes suspicous of her past. From here on it's a tense battle between cat and mouse. And if you've never read the book before, then you're in for one of the creepiest endings in your life.

No movie fan should be without "Misery". It is in a class of its own, different from other King classics like "Carrie", "Cuju" and "The Shining". If those films didn't do it for you, then "Misery" will get your blood pumping, your palms sweating and your heart racing in no time.

I Feel Your Pain!
I Feel Your Pain!

Misery is a 1990 suspense drama released by Castle Rock Entertainment, directed by Rob Reiner, with a running time of 107 minutes. Based on a Stephen King novel, this drama is considerably enhanced by the performance of its leads, James Caan (Paul Sheldon) and Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes).
The tale is really very simple. Paul Sheldon is a successful writer whose career has been made on the back of a series of novels about a 19th century heroine that he is growing weary of, called "Misery." Although she has been the focus of a hugely popular series of novels, Paul wishes to 'retire' the character and focus on writing something more personal. After finishing his latest book, Paul sets out from a Colorado lodge nestled in the Rocky Mountains and begins his drive back to the city during a horrible snowstorm. Let's just say he doesn't make it.
As luck would have it, former nurse Annie Wilkes is passing by and drags him from the wreck. When he comes to, he is in bed being tended to by his 'number one fan' (Annie) in her home. Annie assists Paul in his recuperation, as both legs and an arm are broken as a result of his accident. His gratitude soon turns to concern though, as it become increasingly clear that her love of his Misery novels is far from normal. This unhealthy obsession is only too apparent as she finishes his latest manuscript where Misery dies. To say she becomes outraged would be an understatement. Her rage and insistence that he should rewrite the book leads him to becoming a prisoner in her home.
You would think that a movie centered on two characters in one room wouldn't offer much in the way of excitement, but you need to see this movie! As it becomes quite clear to Paul that help is not on the way, the movie takes on claustrophobic urgency. You find yourself yelling at him, trying to help him escape. As Annie spirals slowly into insanity, things begin to look even bleaker for Paul.
Kathy Bates deservedly took home an Oscar and Golden Globe award for her performance as Annie, and James Caan is wonderful in what must have been a difficult role to play, since he spends most of his time in casts lying in a bed.
Misery is not your typical dramatic movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you second-guess whether you would really like to be rescued, in a snowstorm, by a "good Samaritan." I give the movie a 4-star rating and recommend it for all viewers, especially Stephen King fans.

Fantastic
The scary thing about Steven King's novels is that they're not that ridiculous. This one in particular, could very well happen. Just remember the penguin always looks south.

Intense and very original.
Misery is by far one of my favorite movies. A writer gets in a car accident and ends up being held at this crazy nurse's home.Excellent plot & fantastic ending---A must've for any one into suspense and who loves S. king's books & movies.

"She can't be dead, MISERY CHASTAIN CANNOT BE DEAD!"
By now pretty much everybody knows the rule that the best movies made from Stephen King novels do not put his name above the title and do not trumpet the fact in the trailer. This would be film's like "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and, of course, "Misery." Director Rob Reiner did the first and last films on that list, so he would know. The idea in this 1990 film is fairly simple and one that obviously would send shivers up and down King's own spine: what if an author became the captive of his "number one fan," who, needless to say, is a psychotic maniac?

Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a famous writer, who has been turning out historical bodice rippers about a heroine named Misery Chastain. As was the case with Arthur Conan Doyle, who killed off Sherlock Holmes at one point, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who tried to kill off Tarzan's Jane, Sheldon has enough of his fictional creation and has killed her off in a book about to hit the stands. Meanwhile he has just finished a new novel about the slums in which he grew up that he hopes will establish his reputation as a serious writer. However, after he leaves the secluded Colorado Hotel where he goes to write his books his car crashes during a snowstorm and he is horribly hurt. But before he dies he is taken from his car and when he awakes he finds himself in a bed, both of his legs broken, and in the care of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a nurse who gleefully informs Paul that she is his "number one fan."

Grateful to be alive and believing Annie's story that they are snowed in and that the phone lines are down because of the storm, Paul recuperates. He even lets Annie read his new manuscript, a privilege reserved for his editor, agent, and anybody who saves his life. But Annie does not like Paul's new novel and when she discovers he has killed off Misery she goes off the deep end. It becomes clear to Paul that if he has any hope of getting out of there alive, he is going to have to bow to dictates of his "number one fan" and bring Misery Chastain back from the grave.

Meanwhile, Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) has called up the local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and alerted him to the fact that the writer, on his way to New York with a new manuscript, has disappeared. With the help of his plucky wife (Frances Sternhagen), the sheriff starts to search for Paul, who is trying to find some way of getting away from Annie, even in his hobbled condition. Unfortunately, the more he learns about Annie, the less he likes his prospects and the more desperate his condition becomes.

The original novel had a great irony in that under Annie's stern editorial guidance Paul is rather mortified to find the new Misery novel he is writing is the best thing he has ever done. But with William Goldman's script the novel he is writing is but a small part of the game of cat and mouse between Annie and Paul. Once it becomes clear Annie is insane Paul faces the daunting task of keeping on the slippery slope of her good side. Besides, Goldman knows that the whole bit that King did in the novel with Paul's typewriter, which keeps losing keys as his work goes along, would not translate to the film, so he did not even try.

This film represented the second time King created a female character who would be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, the difference being that Kathy Bates won for "Misery" whereas Sissy Spacek did not for "Carrie." While Caan turns in a solid performance as a character bound to a bed or wheelchair for most of the film, ultimately it is Bates who makes this film work with the way that she goes from sweet to sour on the drop of a pin. Annie's is a many faceted lunacy and part of the terror is that Paul never knows which one will come walking through the door or back out of it again. "Misery" struck me as being a flip on "The Exorcist" in that instead of being afraid of what we would find when we walked through the door, this time we were afraid of what was going to open the door and walk through.

"Misery" is a relatively simple and rather intimate horror film. This time King's monster is a human being and that makes Annie Wilkes one of the scariest, especially as she is played by Bates. When you think of all the fine cinematic performances Bates has turned in since then, especially in "Dolores Claiborne" and "Primary Colors," you have to be glad that Bette Midler turned down the role of Annie when it was offered to her. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

I loved this movie!
This movie just sort of snuck up on me. I was having a bad day, and it was on TV, so I thought I'd give it a chance. And it turned out to be *just* the thing to pick me up from my doldrums.

A very, VERY sweet movie that is interesting, gripping, has some mystery, romance, and is fine for the whole family. Highly recommended.

Beautiful scenery (I always love beautiful scenery) and two wonderful main characters. Tom Berenger is a grumpy, reclusive and rather shy tracker who get sucked into a very unusual quest -- to find a lost Native American Tribe. He is wonderful in his roll -- he does "grumpy but lovable" better than most other actors I can think of.

Barbara Hershey is fantastic too. Beautiful, brainy, capable, dedicated and a perfect compliment to Berenger's character. I really admired her in this film.

I won't reveal too much of the plot here, but it is a delightful film, and I highly recommend it. Maybe a little on the longish side, but I wouldn't have it any other way. One of my favorite movies to date.

MAGICAL MOVIE
I don't usually watch westerns but when my father told me about this movie, and I saw the awe that filled his eyes, I knew I had to watch it. I did and I was enchanted by everything about it. I loved the performances of Tom Berenger as the tormented Lewis Gates, Barbara Hershey as the bookish anthropologist Lillian and especially, Zip, the scrappy little bob-tailed dog that had so much personality! I also enjoyed Wilford Brimley's narration throughout the movie - it was entirely believable because he is so down to earth. The story is slightly implausible, bordering on fantasy - a bounty hunter and an anthropologist find a "lost" tribe of Cheyenne Indians living in an incredibly remote area of Montana. But the movie is so well done you find yourself wishing it were true. The actors who potrayed members of the lost tribe - especially the man who played Lone Wolf - were extremely authentic without being caricatures or stereotpyes. And the music - this movie wouldn't be as good without that marvelous music. And last but not least, the scenery. The mountains, the rivers where the escaped convicts and later Lewis run for fresh water - made me wonder if such a place really exists. This is a must-have movie best viewed when you are in need of hope and a reason to feel good about the world. And sometimes I wonder if Lillian and Lewis "lived happily ever after" with that lost tribe. I sure hope so!

Excellent
I had purchased the VHS of this movie on a whim, thinking my husband would like it. He likes anything "Western". I found myself totally absorbed in this movie. The theme was different than I expected, but I was not disappointed. I would recommend viewing this movie to anyone with an interest in the West and its history. Tom Berenger is one of my favority actors, anyway.

Modern Day Western With A Century Old Feel
This review refers to the HBO DVD edition of "Last Of The Dogmen"...

"Last of the Dogmen" is a beautiful story that takes my breath away everytime I watch it. It's one of those films that even if you start out viewing it alone, pretty soon, you'll find the rest of the family gathered around simply because one glimpse of the scenery,one paragraph of the dialouge,one look at the story and it's got a hold on you.

It's a modern Western, with all the romantic adventure of one that may take place 100 years ago. Lewis Gates(Tom Berenger) is a bounty hunter hired to track three deadly criminals who have escaped deep into the "Oxbow" of the Montana wilderness. As he follows their trail, he begins to uncover a 100 year old mystery. One of the clues is an arrow that could only have been used by a tribe of Cheyennes that existed over a century ago.
He can't let go of what the possibilities may be and convinces the beautiful Dr Lillian Sloan(Barbara Hershey), expert in Native American culture, that there may be something incredible out there. Their search begins as they try to uncover the past, and what they find is a way of life too beautiful to be spoiled by modern day man and it is up to them to save it!

It's just an incredibly beautiful film that interweaves the search for the past with Gates' own ghosts from his past. The friendships formed,the evolving romance, the cinematogrpahy, the musical score, and the heartwarming story all combined for a wonderful film.
Even "Zip" the dog(played by "Zip"), will be tugging at your heart.Berenger and Hershey worked beautifully together, and Steve Reevis and other American Indian actors were not only wonderful but lent a great deal of realism and authenticity to the film...Bravo!

The DVD presents a wonderful widescreen picture, taking in all the majesty of the Rockies. The DD5.1 is very good. The sounds of nature and the modern day sounds of helicopters and such, are quite a contrast to behold in surround sound.The DVD also has some nice features. It may be viewed with the sound in either the Theatrical version, or the Director version. Both are in DD5.1, and the main difference I found was that the Theatrical version has the captivating narration by Wilfred Brimley,and the Director's version does not. There is the option of Director(Tab Murphy) commentary, and it also provides subtitles in English, French and Spanish for those needing them.There are other features that include, cast bios and costume sketches as well.

If you liked "Dances With Wolves", give this one a try. I can not say enough good things about it. If you have already seen it, you will enjoy it again on this DVD. It's for Western lovers, adventure lovers, romance lovers and anyone who just wants to get lost in a good story for a couple of hours.It is rated PG(there is some violence and mild langauge)

Happy trails and enjoy.....Laurie

A neglected gem of a movie
When this movie was released in 1995 alongside other competition, it flopped due in part to it's main idea, a movie about Indians. But it was never given a fair shot and by this review I hope to change that. The basic plot of the movie is very simple but very interesting. What if there was a lost pocket of Cheyenne in the wilderness of the Northwest? This question brings together two very well developed characters, Tom Berenger as a lonely tracker/bounty hunter with his sidekick dog Skip, and Barabara Hershey, a professor of Native American history. A relationship builds between the two and they are taken in by the native Americans. But, they leave a trail, and are followed by the local sheriff who hates Gates (Berenger's character) and would love to see him in the slammer. A lot of effort and thought was put into this movie, making it not only epic and romantic but also thought provoking and insightful into what we can and should do for the Native Americans. The question I mentioned above is asked later in the film, answered and ends with one of the most spectacular conclusions rivaling that of the Shawshank Redemption. The musical score by David Arnold who has worked on many films including the most recent James Bond movies, is very sweeping and majestic with a lot of romance. I loved this film and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

"Munch On Some Grindage," And Watch This Movie
My review really would classify this at a rating of 3.5 stars. I'm really not a Pauly Shore fan, but this is probably his best movie.

My kids wanted to watch this on Thanksgiving, and now that we've finished, I realized that it really is a fairly decent film. Besides its somewhat predictable plot, the story is quite funny. Pauly Shore plays a California college student, nicknamed Crawl, who goes home over Thanksgiving with his friend, played by Carla Gugino, to her parents' farm in "middle America," as he puts it. Crawl pretends to be his friend's fiance so she doesn't have to face her high school sweetheart, and proceeds to help out at the farm. Throw the California city boy into farm life, and you can only imagine what type of trouble he gets into.

Shore seems to be at his best in the role, and Gugino adds a lot of flavor to the film as well. The acting on the whole was pretty good, and overall, it was a pretty enjoyable film to watch with my family. It's funny and leaves you with a warm feeling in the end. This is a nice family film.

Great film
I'm not that much of a Pauly Shore fan, but when I first saw this I loved it. Now, years later, I saw it on TV and still loved it. It's a funny film. I'd say it's Pauly Shore's best film. Everyone in the family will enjoy it.

Excellent comedy that will be a modern cult classic.
Pauly Shore's best role since " In The Army Now" has him as a city boy from L.A. in love with a Farmer's daughter and joins her for Thanksgiven and wants to be part of the family but he sometimes screws things up.

Very entertaining, funny and sometimes heartwarmining with fine performances, a must see movie.

The DVD looks good with picture and sounds great with it's sound.

Son in Law
All I can say about this movie is if you have a daughter going off to school then this is a must see movie ! And God help us all if "Crawl" is the one in charge. Full of laughs and suprizes. A must see movie if you are in the mood for laughs

One of the best comedies I've ever seen
I'm not saying that Pauly Shore is a great actor, but Son in Law is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Shore plays a Shore-like resident assistant named Crawl at the California university chosen for matriculation by Rebecca of some farm (probably not Sunnybrook) in South Dakota. Her jock boyfriend Travis, who apparently spends all of his free time trying to look more and more like Tom Cruise, doesn't want her to go, afraid she will change out there on her own. Becca, as Crawl calls her, has a hard time adjusting to college life and is ready to quit and come home when Crawl convinces her to stay and try a little harder to fit in with the crowd. Soon, shy little Rebecca has been shorn of her long hair, clothed in "weasel ware," and tattooed, allowing her to mingle easily on the beach and at mud wrestling bars. When she learns that Crawl is going to be alone during Thanksgiving, she invites him home with her. Her parents and Travis are shocked when they see Becca's new undeniably hot look, but they are even more shocked when a lunatic in the form of Crawl shows up with her. He takes to country life in his uniquely Shore-ian way, horrifying just about everyone in the state of South Dakota. This is before Crawl announces that he and Becca are getting married, a lie engineered on the spot to forestall Travis' own marriage proposal to the new and improved Becca. Dad decides to show Crawl what farming is like, trying to drive him away with the nastiest farm chores known to man, at which point much hilarity ensues. In time, Crawl begins to win over Becca's family and even becomes a star attraction on the local square dance circuit, inspired by such songs as the theme to Green Acres and John Denver's Thank God I'm a Country Boy. Travis has his own plans for getting Becca back, though; feathers fly, and not just those from the turkey that gets loose in the house.

Pauly Shore is in full Pauly Shore mode in this movie, but it works tremendously well here. The acting is great all the way around, Carla Gugino is adorable, Shore is hilarious, and there's not a dull moment to be found from beginning to end. I've watched this movie several times, with no noticeable decrease in the enjoyment factor from one viewing to the next. My parents, who haven't been to a movie since I was a kid dragging them along with me, actually borrowed this movie from me; some of their friends had been trying to find this hilarious movie they had seen but could not remember the name of for some time, and I recognized the plot as soon as they got around to asking me about it. It's a pretty unforgettable movie that appeals to a wide audience. If you have avoided Son in Law like the plague just because Pauly Shore stars in it, I urge you to reconsider and give this movie a chance. This is a very funny film the whole family can enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) loses his job at an auto factory, he expects to quickly find another. But instead, his wife Caroline (Teri Garr) starts working for an ad agency and Jack ends up taking care of the house and kids. He soon runs afoul of shopping etiquette, a voracious vacuum cleaner, and he can't even drop his kids off at school properly. He starts losing his pride and letting himself go. He stops shaving, drinks at all hours, and watches soap operas. And not only does a predatory divorcée (Ann Jillian) have her eye on him, Caroline's new boss (Martin Mull) has more than business on his mind. Will their marriage survive? What makes Mr. Mom work isn't its role-reversal premise, but its clever off-the-main-plot scenes like the obstacle course at the company picnic, where a footrace with swim fins is set to a variation on the theme to Chariots of Fire; a poker game using discount coupons for money; or a traumatic, soap-opera-influenced dream Jack has when he realizes his life is going down the toilet. This is the first starring role for Michael Keaton, who went on to star in Beetlejuice and Batman; he makes the most of both its comic and sentimental side. The script, incidentally, is written by John Hughes, who later went on to write and direct The Breakfast Club and Home Alone. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Cute!
Mr. Mom stars Michael Keaton as a guy who loses his job and is having trouble finding a new job but his wife played by Terri Garr finds a job and he has to stay home and take care of the kids and do the housework etc, it is a cute movie with some funny and charming scenes and Michael Keaton and Terri Garr are both good and the kids are cute. I give it 3 stars because even though it's a cute movie it's a little dated and it's not as cute as some other similar movies but I still think it's worth watching at least once so I recommend renting this and then seeing if you like it enough to buy.

Keaton is masterful
After he burst off the screen in Night Shift, Michael Keaton was given his first leading role in this film. He plays Jack Butler who designs and builds cars for a big Detroit auto maker. Due to cutbacks, he is laid off from his job. His wife, played by Teri Garr, has been a housewife to their three kids and hasn't worked in years. Jack and her make a bet as to who will get a job first. Of she does and Jack is forced to stay at home and watch the kids. He obviously has no idea how tough the job is and the film goes through his transformation from an inept house dad to a growing into the role. Some hilarious scenes include a trip to the supermarket gone awry, Jack's addiction to soap operas and his confrontations with his wife's smug boss played with oily charm by Martin Mull. Teri Garr is very funny as is Ann Jillian as her best friend. The real star is of course Mr. Keaton, who shows he cannot only be funny, but touching and caring. a first rate performance.

A Delightful Family Film
Mr Mom is a delightful family movie reversing parental roles where the man works and makes money and the woman stays at home and raises children. It all starts when Jack loses his job at a Michigan car plant caused by a shrewd accounting, who wants to improve financials by downsize personnel. The movie protrays the accountant as dishonest, cheap negotiator; who shifts blame by using a job enticement to get Jack too appear before a corporate board too take blame for losses. The accountant tries to manipulate Jack into taking responsibility for a sudden drop in profits and increases in costs, in Jack's old division. The Accountant wants Jack and his friends too confess and get their jobs back, 1/2 price. Jack confronts senior management and reminds them, he doesn't work for the company, anymore. The mood shifts and the accountant trys to pursued Jack too confess of siphoning funds for his own purposes; Jack wants his job back, however, he knows the truth is more important, so he stands up to the accountant and tells management, when he was there, costs were down and profits up. The movie pokes fun at the company's senior management attempts too creating short term profit gains by layoff staff and ignoring the effectiveness of middle manager, in particular Jack to keep costs down and production up. Its difficult to know, how Jack really helped the company. The Rocky analogy was a perfect setup for "Gung Ho". Revelation of Jack's skill will be discovered in "Gung Ho".
Jack's wife Caroline uses her connections too get a job working for an advertising firm tasked with creating an advertising campaign for Schooner tuna. Caroline brings Schooner back to selling "Americanism", "we at schooner tuna care", and "during this period of economic crisis, Schooner will drop the price of each can of tuna, 50 cents". Caroline is smart, if you want to move inventory, drop price; profit margins are less but product starts to sell, the cost of good don't increase stablizing against further losses, sales increase, and inventory decreases. I would say Caroline was pretty smart, maybe much smarter than Jack.
Caroline experiences the corporate climb, sexual harshment, hardline politics, long work days, and starts missing experiences with her children. Jack tells her not to forget what is most important. Jack experience mid-life crisis, throws a race against Carolines boss, drinks too much, gambles with his new female friends, gets confused while multitasking (clothes, TV maintanence, changing diapers, school dropoffs, and Soap operas). Jack becomes Rocky, cleans up his home, task command of his life, and makes a come back.
The movie is very delightful. The cast bringing humor, empathy, and friendship to the big screen.

Delightful family movie
Mr Mom is a delightful family movie reversing parental roles where the man works and makes money and the woman stays at home. It all starts when Jack loses his job at a Michigan car plant caused by a shrewd accounting, who wants to improve financials by downsize personnel. The movie protrays the accountant as dishonest, cheap negotiator; who shifts blame by using a job enticement to get Jack too appear before a corporate board too take blame for losses. The accountant tries to manipulate Jack into taking responsibility for a sudden drop in profits and increases in costs, in Jack's old division. The Accountant wants Jack and his friends too confess and get their jobs back, 1/2 price. Jack confronts senior management and reminds them, he doesn't work for the company, anymore. The mood shifts and the accountant trys to pursued Jack too confess of siphoning funds for his own purposes; Jack wants his job back, however, he knows the truth is more important, so he stands up to the accountant and tells management, when he was there, costs were down and profits up. The movie pokes fun at the company's senior management attempts too creating short term profit gains by layoff staff and ignoring the effectiveness of middle manager, in particular Jack to keep costs down and production up. Its difficult to know, how Jack really helped the company. The Rocky analogy was a perfect setup for "Gung Ho". Revelation of Jack's skill will be discovered in "Gung Ho".
Jack's wife Caroline uses her connections too get a job working for an advertising firm tasked with creating an advertising campaign for Schooner tuna. Caroline brings Schooner back to selling "Americanism", "we at schooner tuna care", and "during this period of economic crisis, Schooner will drop the price of each can of tuna, 50 cents". Caroline is smart, if you want to move inventory, drop price; profit margins are less but product starts to sell, the cost of good don't increase stablizing against further losses, sales increase, and inventory decreases. I would say Caroline was pretty smart, maybe much smarter than Jack.
Caroline experiences the corporate climb, sexual harshment, hardline politics, long work days, and starts missing experiences with her children. Jack tells her not to forget what is most important. Jack experience mid-life crisis, throws a race against Carolines boss, drinks too much, gambles with his new female friends, gets confused while multitasking (clothes, TV maintanence, changing diapers, school dropoffs, and Soap operas). Jack becomes Rocky, cleans up his home, task command of his life, and makes a come back.
The movie is very delightful. The cast bringing humor, empathy, and friendship to the big screen.

Somebody must've died...there's a limosine out front.
If you don't own this movie, get it. It is a classic. The characters are believable and real and the comedy is perfectly blended between real-life/palusible situations and that intanglible movie quality that makes movies like this great. Kenny and Alex remind me...of me...when I was their age. Jack Butler, Carolyn Butler, Ron Richardson, Joan...all fantanstic characters. In my opinion, movies of the 1980's (character/plot driven movies) don't get any better than this. My one critique is that the male stripper scense seem a little out of place. Yum Yum Tuna Bits! ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Warning: Never Visit New York!
I loved this film! I very seldom disagree with one of Leonard Maltin's reviews. But I sure did on this one. He claims this movie is "excruciating". Well...yes, I think so too. Excruciatingly funny, that is! I think that Jack Lemmon is wonderfully "over the top" in this picture. His character (as far as I see it) is obviously written to be played way, way over the top! That's what makes it funny. Realistically, we have to know that all 64 (or so) crises and maladies that befall this poor midwestern couple could not ALL happen at once in a million years! So, therefore, I think the viewer must look upon Lemmon as more of a "caricature" than a "character" in this film. Most of this movie was filmed outdoors, and there's a nice "Big Apple" flavor here. Some of my favorite lines from "The Out-Of-Towners" ..... Lemmon (upon hearing his luggage didn't arrive): "Well you flew ME through the fog! How come you're now worried about two leather valises?!" .... Lemmon (after frisking little boy searching for funds): "...Explain to the police? What I was doing in the woods with a little boy...with my hands in his pockets?!? They'd give me twenty years!"

George and Gwen go to the big bad city of New York
I met Sandy Dennis backstage at a play once and wanting to say something more than the usual remarks of admiration I told her that my father stayed up one night to watch "The Out-of-Towners," which was of some import because my father never stayed up to watch anything. She said her father liked that one too and I got an autograph in which she spelled by first name correctly.

This 1970 film, the original version of "The Out-of-Towners" for those who say the recent version that is part of Steve Martin's attempt to be in more remakes than any other living actor, is my favorite Neil Simon script, which is rather ironic when you consider that he is primarily a comic playwright. However this script takes the hapless couple of George (Jack Lemmon) and Gwen Kellerman (Dennis) from their home in Ohio to New York City, where he has a job interview. However, their plans for a nice dinner at the Four Seasons are dashed when the plan circles the airport for hours before being diverted to Boston. Instead of eating at one of the best restaurants in the world they end up with her eating peanut butter on white bread and him eating crackers and olives with no drinks. This actually ends up being the best thing that happens to George and Gwen the rest of that night, which involves a train ride to New York, no room at the inn, a garbage strike, a mugger, and being kidnapped while in the back of a police car. This is without even mentioning the lost eyelash, the broken heel, and the chipped tooth that resulted from a bad encounter with the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks.

Throughout it all, George and Gwen keep up a running dialogue as he gets angrier and take more names while she tries to be the voice of reason and attests that she can verify everything her husband says in his growing list of complaints against the city is true. Everybody always talks about Lemmon's comic partnership with Walter Matthau, but Dennis comes across as the more perfect foil. Eventually her pessimism is turned into paranoia as the city takes the out of town couple for everything they have and keeps on grinding them into the rain soaked streets where the garbage is piling up to the sky. Eventually the idea of being Vice President in a company that has something to do with plastics does not seem like a step up in the world if this is the world in which they have to live.

I am surprised that this movie is only 98 minutes long, but I suppose it is because of all those commercials with late night television and the way Simon keeps pouring one misery after another on George and Gwen that makes "The Out-of-Towners" seem a lot longer, but not in a bad way. The pacing is pretty brisk for a story about two people who have a hard time getting to where they are going, and there are a lot of patented Neil Simon one liners, most of which are true to character and context, although Dennis gets maximum mileage out of repeating the phrase "Oh my, God!" and getting big laughs.

Simon won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for this script, which was originally going to be one segment of "Plaza Suite," which came out the next year. But freeing it from the setting of a hotel room or even a hotel, into the wider expanse of New York City and the surrounding environs was what made this black comedy really work. Keep your eye out for lots of familiar faces who were relatively unknowns when this film came out: Anne Meara, Graham Jarvis, Ron Carey, Robert Walden, Richard Libertini, Paul Dooley, and Billy Dee Williams. Final thought: If you want to see a film that takes the exact opposite approach to New York City then that would have to be Woody Allen's "Manhattan," which would come out at the end of this same decade.

Get Out of Town
Probably in its initial release, THE OUT OF TOWNERS was considered a great comedy. However, today's audiences might find it trite and annoying...especially native New Yorkers or even the New York City travel bureau. It does capture a moment in time just before New York City was on the verge of urban decay in the late 70's, so it has its merits for being a time capsule. Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis are husband and wife George and Gwen Kellerman, mid-westerners who are about to relocate to New York City for a job promotion. Their business trip becomes a "Murphy's Law" film as anything that can go wrong...does go wrong. From lost luggage, missed trains, long waits,a garbage and transportation strike, being rained on, muggings, a kidnapping, an unintentional cancelled hotel reservation, an unintentional mugging of hispanic child, etc., the couple suffer every conceivable mishap Neil Simon (screenwriter) can bestow upon his hapless characters. 'George' is a typical Jack Lemmon character. The performance is not exactly "phoned-in",but it is a familiar Lemmon persona. At first, this viewer sympathizes with George Kellerman. However, with each mishap, he becomes (understandably) mean, irritating, and illogical. The one comic gem about the character is that he writes down every person's name he feels has not given the proper customer service (i.e. airport personnel, hotels clerks) or courtesy after each plan on his itinerary has failed. Then he threatens them that they're going to hear from his lawyer. Sandy Dennis has perfect comic timing as the patient and supportive wife of Lemmon and the location shots of New York City play a major "support character" in the film. Overall, the film should be viewed with caution depending on one's disposition at a given moment meaning it can be hilarious or annoying. Lastly, the film is a showcase of a couple of future stars and well-known character actors. A young Billy Dee Williams (STAR WARS:THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) shows up in an airport sequence. Note: Look for actor Sandy Baron as the "TV-man in church". He played the recurring character Mr. Klompus on TV's SEINFELD and had a very funny role in the comedy film IF IT'S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELGIUM.

Good, but you just want to shoot the both of them.
Having successfully avoided the apparent train wreck of a remake of this starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, I thought I'd rent the original Neil Simon film starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis to see what caused such a fuss as to remake it after such a short period of time.
Jack and Sandy are on their way to New York city from the suburbs, to see about Jack taking a big job there. Suffice it to say, everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and the two are trapped in hell, trying to survive the night before his interview in the morning.
This is considered to be classic dark comedy, that will be annoying to some and funny as heck to others. I think I fell in between the two. Jack Lemmon is such an ass, and his wife such a dunderhead, that it's hard to have much sympathy for either one. As their problems pile up, it's all too obvious that the cause is mainly his own agonizing egotism, being thrown as the small fish into the huge pond. New York chews up and spits out idiots like this daily, and rightly so. Beyond this criticism (coming from a city boy, admittedly), there are some genuinely funny moments here and chuckle worthy constant prattle back and forth between the always talented Lemmon and the creepy huge-gummed Dennis. Still, I felt the "lost in NY hell" story was much better and sympathetically told, as well as more funny in Martin Scorscese's superior "After Hours".

Another Classic American Comedy.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS was written by Neil Simon and remains one of his best works, even though Simon is mainly a playwrite. The movie starts off fairly slow and uneventful as George and Gwen Kellerman, from Twin Oaks, Ohio, are flying to New York where George has an interview (just mere formality) for a vice presidency. They are expecting to eat dinner at 8:30pm at the Four Seasons, but they never see the inside of that famous eating establishment. Instead, the plane circles for hours and ends up going to Boston because of fog. Once in Boston their luggage is lost, they miss the train to New York, and catch the train to New York. Once in the Big Apple, they find that the city is in the middle of transit and garbage collectors strikes. In the pouring rain they walk to their hotel only to find that their room wasn't held and has been given away. Later the couple are mugged, kidnapped, and George is mugged in his sleep. Having not eaten for several hours and with no money they chase a stray dog for a breakfast of a half-eaten box of Cracker Jacks. More chases follow and they are even kicked out of praying in a church because of a televised special. George eventually does make his morning meeting, but by then has learned some very important lessons about family and the simple life back home in Twin Oaks, Ohio.

Jack Lemmon is great in this movie, but I find it's Sandy Dennis who really steals the film. She plays Gwen perfectly, brilliantly foiling Lemmon's performance as the loud and boistorous George. The "O, my God" line, which signals a major worry by Gwen, keeps me laughing every time I hear it.

THE-OUT-OF-TOWNERS is a very witty comedy and one of Neil Simon's finest pieces of writing. It's a great movie to watch alone or with family and friends. It's relatively short (around 90 minutes), too, so even if you don't enjoy it, you won't have wasted much time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid writer William Goldman and star Robert Redford re-teamed for this jaunty, lightly satiric caper comedy from 1972. Redford plays a master thief with his eye on a rare diamond. He assembles a gang of quirky fellow pros (fine character performances by Paul Sand and Ron Leibman, plus George Segal in one of his definitive, neurotic-exasperated roles from the '70s), only to find that stealing the gem is a very elusive and complicated goal. The film, set in Manhattan, was made right around the time that reports of New York City police corruption were reaching critical mass. Goldman's script and Peter Yates's direction take a broad swipe at law-enforcement culture, making it easy to be on the side of Redford's slick antihero. The Hot Rock works best as a series of set-pieces, memorable star turns (Zero Mostel is on board), and edgy exchanges between Segal and Redford. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The only good Dortmunder movie
Of the several film versions of Donald E. Westlake's "Dortmunder" novels, this is easily the best. Not perfect, but it has very good acting and the story stays fairly close to the original book.

Timless Heist Pic for all ages
Okay, I rate movies by what they are aiming to do; THE HOT ROCK aims to entertain, make you smile, and infuse a sense of camaraderie while rooting for crooks. With that in mind, I would think that only Cyclops OD'd on Visine would rate this less than all the stars on a clear summer night

I've watched this film app. eight times, even showed it to my urban HS basketball team I coach a few years ago, and they loved it.

Without revealing any plot lines, this classic rhymer remains with me to this day: Afghanistan banastand. The most famous password since the Marx Bros fiddled around with "swordfish."

Just go get this and then wonder how you never seen or heard of it before.

Can't go wrong, all ages, timeless
Okay, I rate movies by what they are aiming to do; THE HOT ROCK aims to entertain, make you smile, and lend a sense of camaraderie while rooting for crooks. With that in mind, only Cyclops on Visine couldn't rate this anything other than a clear summer night sky.

I've watched this film app. eight times, even showed it to my urban HS basketball team I coach a few years ago, and they loved it.

Without revealing any plot lines, this classic rhymer remains with me to this day: Afghanistan banastand. The most famous password since the Marx Bros fiddled around with "swordfish."

Just go get this and then wonder how you never seen it before.

A Classic Favorite!!
The Hot Rock is a favorite movie of mine that brings back warm memories of my childhood. I loved this movie especially the scene when Dortmunder confronts Murch about not knowing how to fly the helicopter and Murch starts flipping switches, gets it started and takes off. My brothers and I used Murch's line "flip this here, hit this one, this one and this one, then double it over, hit your battery, then your starter and come on baby, come baby--Ha-ha-ha!" all the time when growing up and building cars. It is a classic film set in NYC that all will enjoy and one that goes down as my all time favorite.

My mother (A big Robert Redford fan) would always let me know when it was coming on TV so I could watch it again and again. She said I reminded here of Murch as I could fix or drive anything mechanical and get any engine to start. She recently brought me the DVD for my 40th birthday and I watch it at least once a month.

Redford and his enjoyable cast are funny and very entertaining. It's a great heist film and one that makes you want them to get away with the jewel.

Other great scenes in the film I liked: When "Chicken" pretended to throw Greenberg down the elevator shaft and Abe gets busted for lying about the stone, and when Redford coolly strolls into the back on his last attempt at the diamond. There is also some great close up shots of the World Trade Center while it was under construction. You can actually see thru the building on a fly by.

In a day when many movies are packed with violence and harsh language, this film will bring all whom watch it back to a time when great films were made that could stand on their own without brutality and curse words every other line.

This movie is a classic and I would recommend it to all viewers. I would also love to see (and be involved in any way possible) a remake of this film set here in New Orleans!!!

this came first
I watched this movie with my dad, and within about fifteen seconds, I said, "wow, this feels just like Ocean's Eleven." and he said, "really? I was going to say Out of Sight," not realizing that both were directed by the same guy. So if you want to see what was almost certainly one of SS's inspirations, check this out. It's a riot. It would be hard to go wrong with William Goldman writing and Robert Redford starring, but then you add in Zero Mostel and it's just out-of-control funny. An excellent heist flick. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the chilling bestseller by Stephen King, Misery wasbrought to the screen by director Rob Reiner as one of the most effective thrillers of the 1990s. From a brilliant adaptation by screenwriter William Goldman, Reiner turned King's cautionary tale of fame and idolatry into a mainstream masterpiece of escalating suspense, translating King's own experience with obsessive fans into a frightening tale of entrapment and psychotic behavior. Kathy Bates deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance as Annie Wilkes, an unbalanced devotee of romance novels written by Paul Sheldon (James Caan), whose books provide Annie with a much-needed escape from her pathetic life and her secret, violent past. After Annie rescues the injured Sheldon from a car accident, she seizes the opportunity to nurse her favorite writer back to health, but her tender loving care soon turns to terrorism as she demands that Sheldon write his latest novel according to her wish-fulfillment fantasies. From this point forward, Misery percolates to a boil as equal parts mystery, thriller, and cleverly dark comedy, with the helpless author pitched in deadly warfare against his number one fan. While Bates carefully modulates her role from doting kindness to sympathetic loneliness and finally to horrifying ferocity, Caan is equally superb as the celebrated author who must literally write for his life. It's essentially a two-actor film, but Richard Farnsworth and Lauren Bacall are excellent in supporting roles as they investigate the writer's mysterious disappearance. Frightening, funny, and totally irresistible, Misery was such a hit that some of Bates's dialogue entered the popular lexicon (particularly her nagging reference to Caan as "Mister Man"), and its nail-biting thrills remain timelessly intense. --JeffShannon ... Read more

Reviews (100)

The Best Steven King Movie Ever
One of the best psychological thrillers ever made, "Misery" is a tride and true adaption of the classic Steven King bestseller, white - knuckle tale filled with suspense that only someone as brilliant as King himself could ever provide

Paul Sheldon (played flawlessly by James Caan) is the author of a very successful book series called "Misery". But after years of success, he decides to kill the character once and for all and get on with his life. He finishes his book, but disaster strikes on his way back to New York. He gets caught in a snow storm and crashes his car. He is on the verge of death when a seemingly harmless nurse named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in an Oscar - winning role), who claims she's his number one fan. At first, Paul really enjoys Annie's company. Then Annie has several outbursts (including the now infamous ankle - breaking sequence), and Paul becomes suspicous of her past. From here on it's a tense battle between cat and mouse. And if you've never read the book before, then you're in for one of the creepiest endings in your life.

No movie fan should be without "Misery". It is in a class of its own, different from other King classics like "Carrie", "Cuju" and "The Shining". If those films didn't do it for you, then "Misery" will get your blood pumping, your palms sweating and your heart racing in no time.

I Feel Your Pain!
I Feel Your Pain!

Misery is a 1990 suspense drama released by Castle Rock Entertainment, directed by Rob Reiner, with a running time of 107 minutes. Based on a Stephen King novel, this drama is considerably enhanced by the performance of its leads, James Caan (Paul Sheldon) and Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes).
The tale is really very simple. Paul Sheldon is a successful writer whose career has been made on the back of a series of novels about a 19th century heroine that he is growing weary of, called "Misery." Although she has been the focus of a hugely popular series of novels, Paul wishes to 'retire' the character and focus on writing something more personal. After finishing his latest book, Paul sets out from a Colorado lodge nestled in the Rocky Mountains and begins his drive back to the city during a horrible snowstorm. Let's just say he doesn't make it.
As luck would have it, former nurse Annie Wilkes is passing by and drags him from the wreck. When he comes to, he is in bed being tended to by his 'number one fan' (Annie) in her home. Annie assists Paul in his recuperation, as both legs and an arm are broken as a result of his accident. His gratitude soon turns to concern though, as it become increasingly clear that her love of his Misery novels is far from normal. This unhealthy obsession is only too apparent as she finishes his latest manuscript where Misery dies. To say she becomes outraged would be an understatement. Her rage and insistence that he should rewrite the book leads him to becoming a prisoner in her home.
You would think that a movie centered on two characters in one room wouldn't offer much in the way of excitement, but you need to see this movie! As it becomes quite clear to Paul that help is not on the way, the movie takes on claustrophobic urgency. You find yourself yelling at him, trying to help him escape. As Annie spirals slowly into insanity, things begin to look even bleaker for Paul.
Kathy Bates deservedly took home an Oscar and Golden Globe award for her performance as Annie, and James Caan is wonderful in what must have been a difficult role to play, since he spends most of his time in casts lying in a bed.
Misery is not your typical dramatic movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you second-guess whether you would really like to be rescued, in a snowstorm, by a "good Samaritan." I give the movie a 4-star rating and recommend it for all viewers, especially Stephen King fans.

Fantastic
The scary thing about Steven King's novels is that they're not that ridiculous. This one in particular, could very well happen. Just remember the penguin always looks south.

Intense and very original.
Misery is by far one of my favorite movies. A writer gets in a car accident and ends up being held at this crazy nurse's home.Excellent plot & fantastic ending---A must've for any one into suspense and who loves S. king's books & movies.

"She can't be dead, MISERY CHASTAIN CANNOT BE DEAD!"
By now pretty much everybody knows the rule that the best movies made from Stephen King novels do not put his name above the title and do not trumpet the fact in the trailer. This would be film's like "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and, of course, "Misery." Director Rob Reiner did the first and last films on that list, so he would know. The idea in this 1990 film is fairly simple and one that obviously would send shivers up and down King's own spine: what if an author became the captive of his "number one fan," who, needless to say, is a psychotic maniac?

Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a famous writer, who has been turning out historical bodice rippers about a heroine named Misery Chastain. As was the case with Arthur Conan Doyle, who killed off Sherlock Holmes at one point, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who tried to kill off Tarzan's Jane, Sheldon has enough of his fictional creation and has killed her off in a book about to hit the stands. Meanwhile he has just finished a new novel about the slums in which he grew up that he hopes will establish his reputation as a serious writer. However, after he leaves the secluded Colorado Hotel where he goes to write his books his car crashes during a snowstorm and he is horribly hurt. But before he dies he is taken from his car and when he awakes he finds himself in a bed, both of his legs broken, and in the care of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a nurse who gleefully informs Paul that she is his "number one fan."

Grateful to be alive and believing Annie's story that they are snowed in and that the phone lines are down because of the storm, Paul recuperates. He even lets Annie read his new manuscript, a privilege reserved for his editor, agent, and anybody who saves his life. But Annie does not like Paul's new novel and when she discovers he has killed off Misery she goes off the deep end. It becomes clear to Paul that if he has any hope of getting out of there alive, he is going to have to bow to dictates of his "number one fan" and bring Misery Chastain back from the grave.

Meanwhile, Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) has called up the local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and alerted him to the fact that the writer, on his way to New York with a new manuscript, has disappeared. With the help of his plucky wife (Frances Sternhagen), the sheriff starts to search for Paul, who is trying to find some way of getting away from Annie, even in his hobbled condition. Unfortunately, the more he learns about Annie, the less he likes his prospects and the more desperate his condition becomes.

The original novel had a great irony in that under Annie's stern editorial guidance Paul is rather mortified to find the new Misery novel he is writing is the best thing he has ever done. But with William Goldman's script the novel he is writing is but a small part of the game of cat and mouse between Annie and Paul. Once it becomes clear Annie is insane Paul faces the daunting task of keeping on the slippery slope of her good side. Besides, Goldman knows that the whole bit that King did in the novel with Paul's typewriter, which keeps losing keys as his work goes along, would not translate to the film, so he did not even try.

This film represented the second time King created a female character who would be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, the difference being that Kathy Bates won for "Misery" whereas Sissy Spacek did not for "Carrie." While Caan turns in a solid performance as a character bound to a bed or wheelchair for most of the film, ultimately it is Bates who makes this film work with the way that she goes from sweet to sour on the drop of a pin. Annie's is a many faceted lunacy and part of the terror is that Paul never knows which one will come walking through the door or back out of it again. "Misery" struck me as being a flip on "The Exorcist" in that instead of being afraid of what we would find when we walked through the door, this time we were afraid of what was going to open the door and walk through.

"Misery" is a relatively simple and rather intimate horror film. This time King's monster is a human being and that makes Annie Wilkes one of the scariest, especially as she is played by Bates. When you think of all the fine cinematic performances Bates has turned in since then, especially in "Dolores Claiborne" and "Primary Colors," you have to be glad that Bette Midler turned down the role of Annie when it was offered to her. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

A true Christmas classic worth watching.
"One Magic Christmas" is a wonderful film for the entire family to watch during the holiday season. Its very dramatic for a Disney family film, but comes out with a happy ending. Mary Steenburgen plays a mom who has completely lost the whole Christmas spirit in her. It takes the help of her six year old daughter along with a guardian angel and Santa Claus to change her mind about Christmas. Great moments in this film portray a slight realistic approach about a family trying to cope with what they can spend on Christmas gifts. As said earlier, this movie also comes with some very dramatic moments in it. Get this film for the whole family and enjoy it for years to come!

For some odd reason, this film has been out-of-print on home video for a while, but has been made available again in 1999 on home video thanks to Anchor Bay Entertainment. Its available on standard VHS version, widescreen VHS edition, and also on the DVD format as well. Shame on the Disney company for not re-releasing this film on video, and my applauds towards Anchor Bay for doing this. "One Magic Christmas" is a Disney film and yet Disney doesn't have the video rights for it or something? I don't understand that.

This movie will help you realize the true meaning of x-mas..
Mary Steenburgen plays the part of the bitter and frustrated wife Ginny to perfection. I have never seen her play a role this before, it just truly shows what a great and versatile actress she is. The story is about a woman named Ginny who even when everyone else at Christmas seems bright and full of joy, she cannot even bring herself to say Merry Christmas. With money tight Ginny doesn't see why there is any need to be merry. She is the type of person who doesn't seem to appreciate anything she has especially her loving husband, and bright and imaginative kids. It isn't until one christmas when Ginny's daughter decides to do something about her mother to get her back into the christmas spirit and that's when she meets the kindhearted and wise angel Gideon played by Harry Dean Stanton. With the help of Gideon, and Santa Claus she is able to help her mom realize that she shouldn't take for granted everything she has and helps her realize the joy and magic of christmas that she knew when she was just a little girl. This is a beautiful movie and very well acted and with a very good message. Although there are some scenes which are too intense for younger kids like when Ginny's husband get's shot or her kids drown in the lake, but other than that this movie is something for young and old. It will help you realize the true meaning of christmas: family and just how special they are. One Magic Christmas truly is magical!

A HEAT-WARMING, LOW KEY CHRISTMAS MOVIE
Kind of a departure from some of the more recent loud, big budget Christmas movies, One Magic Christmas is rather low key. Mary Steenburgen plays a mom whose family is down on thier luck. Her husband loses his job and they are having serious money problems. She has no Christmas spirit at all.

With help from Her Daughter and a guardian angel played by Harry Dean Stanton, her character, Ginny, soon comes around and all is well.

It's a bit depressing at times as Ginny is very cynical and wants nothing to do with Christmas. But the movie has a nice payoff at the end.

A shame this doesn't seem to be shown more often at Christmastime.

#Wonderful
I have loved this movie for at least 10 yrs. What a wonderful story of coming to realize what things are important in life. Enjoy

Looking for the snowglobe that was use in the movie
I would like to see if anyone know where I can purchase in snowglobe of Santa castle that the little girl had. The one that Gillian(the angel) broke and then fixed it. I have been looking that that one for years.. Please help !!!!!!!!!
Please email me at vickilynnwo@aol.com ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Frankenheimer updates the mutant-monster films of the 1950s with a modern environmental twist in this well-meaning but cliché-ridden late-'70s horror film. Robert Foxworth is so earnest it hurts as a rabble-rousing ghetto doctor who packs up his pregnant wife (Talia Shire) and heads out to the Maine woods to investigate claims of environmental pollution. That's the least of his concerns when a gooey mutant grizzly goes on the rampage and he joins forces with Native American activist Armand Assante (wearing his humorless resolve like war paint) to get out of the woods. Frankenheimer is a good director saddled with a bad, blunt script, and like a pro he delivers the requisite gore and even racks up the tension in a terrific opening chase. But even he can't overcome the clumsiest collection of deformed woodland creatures to claw their way through a monster movie. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Actually quite a good movie.
Okay so it's early Saturday morning, say about 3am. Your flipping through the channels and all that is on are those darn infomercials. Then you strike gold, a good old seventies horror flick. Yup, that about sums my life up, for excitement. In all seriousness, this movie is very good. Scary as hell and pretty grotesque for a PG rated movie. Yes the plot is kinda bleh, but who watches it for it's "save the environent" attempted message. Once you get by all that crap then your down to the "bear" necessities. This is your basic creature feature. Acting comes at a premium, and the characters pull some really idiotic stunts. One such stunt has our few remaining survivors stand, dumb-founded, watching rhe mutant teddy-bear cross the lake. Thinking that it may drowned. Duh??? I think that I would be running like hell. Oh well. The mutant teddy-bear is very cool, kinda cheezy at times, but overall does a good job at making ya jump. Hey, for the seventies the special effects are good. I can understand why the critics would pulverize this movie with negative remarks. Some may say it's cheap and it isn't worth the powder to blow it to hell with. I say otherwise, good for a scare and worth a rent or a latenight looky-see. I would probably stop short from buying it, however.

bear's a wimp- he should've done that to THEIR faces
the title of this message sums it up. All 70's-80's horror flicks suck big time. This bear should have done that to THIER faces he is a bear after all. Grizzly bears(esp mutant ones) can pretty much win every fight and would maim the victim eventually. A human cutting up a bear with a knife and drowning it? c'mon, man! Watch "Grizzly" instead. Yeah it's early 70's feldercarbon, but it is very disturbing to the eye(s).

And Sometimes The Bear Gets You...
Robert Foxworth and Talia Shire are a socially concerned husband and wife, lured to the forests of Maine in order to study the environmental effects of a paper mill. Upon arrival, they find themselves in the middle of a dispute between loggers (led by Richard Dysart) and indians (led by Armand Assante). One evening, Foxworth and Shire are assaulted by a crazed raccoon! Later while fishing, Foxworth sees a duck get swallowed by a five foot long salmon! Does he grab Talia and run back to the plane? Nah, he scratches his head and moves on. Then, he discovers tree roots growing above ground and a twenty pound pollywog! Does THIS force him to reconsider his mission? Nope, he's dead-set on getting to the bottom of this mystery. Foxworth discovers that the paper mill has been pumping mercury into the river for twenty years, causing hideous mutations like the terrifying tadpole and Armand Assante indians. Meanwhile, a dad and his two kids are camping, when suddenly, something huge and ugly attacks! The next thing they know, dad and sis are screaming and junior is flying through the air in his sleeping bag, exploding against a boulder like a down-filled H-bomb! Foxworth, unaware of this, presses on. Talia finds a mutated bearcub in a net and they simply must keep it as evidence. Then, one night while investigating, Foxworth and company are attacked themselves! We finally see the giant, winnie-the-goo, and man is it frightening! Fifteen feet of hairy, drippy, bone-crushing terror! Run away Rob Foxworth! Run away! Too late! The creature is snorting and sniffing it's way through the campsite, looking for it's cub! Oh my! Can our heroes possibly defeat this ecological horror? Watch in wide-eyed wonder! Recommended for fans of fifties mutant movies and the legions of Robert Foxworth followers out there ...

When giant, mutant sausage bears attack!
A medical doctor is sent into the Maine woods to do a scientist's job. Study the environmental impact the local paper mill is having on the land and people. His findings will help settle a violent dispute between the lumberjacks and local native americans regarding ownership of the land. What he uncovers is a monster that chews up more scenery than he does. Director John (The Manchurian Candidate) Frankenheimer crashed and burned with this eco-horror film scripted by David (The Omen) Seltzer. The story is standard b-movie stuff, but the pacing is way too slow and the monsters are not the least bit frightening. Their attacks will cause screams of laughter, not of terror. The only good thing here is that the movie is restored to its widescreen image, which only shows just how poorly Frankenheimer staged the attacks and suspense sequences. Prophecy used to be one of my favorite guilty pleasures and I really wish I could give it a higher rating, but this movie is only for the most devout of monster movie fans.

What¿s that Huffing Sound in the Woods?
I first saw Prophecy as a 10 year old in 1979 and it scared the ** out of me and caused nightmares for a few months. Looking back after seeing it again today, the shambling mutant bear doesn't pack quite the same punch effects wise; but this is still a decent horror flick. The Mambo King plays an Indian and Adrian is the weak pregnant wife along for the ride as a inner-city class conscious doctor attempts to study the environment in Maine and gets wrapped up in a tribal dispute with the local paper mill who has been logging near the village and yes, dumping mercury into the water supply for the last 20 years. This of course has an adverse affect on the flora and fauna, not the least of which is the 12 foot bear that is now chomping down on would be hikers. The exploding sleeping bag w/ feathers floating down is still an image that stays with you, as is the bear slowly sinking across the foggy water trudging towards its victims. The woodland setting is beautiful and Dysart makes a nice company man villain. A nice afternoon time killer. ... Read more

Description

He's guilty of murder.The feds have him dead to rights.At last there's no escape for this mob boss, a "Teflon Don" who has slipped free of murder raps so many times before.But something goes wrong in the jury room.Eleven jurors vote guilty.One woman, her life and family threatened by the mob, votes to let the killer walk.And to set things right, that woman will have to fight back with a vengeance.

In Trial by Jury, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer (Scarlett) plays Valerie Alston, a dutiful juror thrust into a nightmare...and forced by her plight to discover hidden resources she never suspected she had.Armand Assante (The Mambo Kings) is the gangster who vows death to Valerie and her son if she votes "guilty."William Hurt (Body Heat) as a cop turned mob lowlife and Gabriel Byrne (Point of No Return) as a zealous prosecutor add to the excitement of this fast-paced action thriller. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Boring and badly written, no DVD extras
I should have followed my instinct to turn the movie off halfway through. The film was surprising only for its bad writing and lack of suspense (think "Movie of the Week" production of a so-so novel). Joanne Whalley, Armand Assante and Gabriel Byrne are all excellent actors who are completely wasted in these roles. The characters are throroughly uninteresting stereotypes and the finale is simply absurd.

The only redeeming quality in this mess of a film was the role played by John Hurt. He turns in a solid performance as the drunken, ex-cop on the mob payroll who can't bring himself to be the evil thug he's paid to be. However, that role alone doesn't even come close to redeeming the movie as a whole.

The DVD itself has no extras except for the movie's trailer so you're not missing anything special there. Frankly, I'd recommend 'The Juror' instead. That movie has a similar plot, and flaws of its own, but at least I didn't feel cheated when it ended.

Another unjustly neglected picture-
--And not because of the script or the premise, which are frankly shlock: the mob gets to one key juror by threatening her son, and she manages to convince the rest of the jurors to let the bad ole mob boss walk, against their better judgement. In real life of course, the bad guys would've hedged their bets by threatening the families of most or all of the jurors, but then we wouldn't have our feisty protagonist who has to safeguard her son AND set things straight, and of course, no movie either.
Nevertheless, IN SPITE of the ridiculousness of the premise and the somewhat dated dialogue the script inflicts on some of the actors*, Joanne Whalley and William Hurt make this film worth watching. Whalley has to create a woman who initially strikes us as meek and unpreposessing, who somehow finds the resources within to first stir the jury to let the mob boss walk, then protect her son from the gangsters-- a tall order. Whalley does have what it takes to do this, the self-assurance to draw the viewer in, with a quiet and understated performance that makes this transition believable. Likewise, William Hurt is convincing as a weak, flawed man who wants to do right, playing both sides and knowing he'll get burned in the end. Whalley and Hurt are quite a contrast from Armand Assante, so good as a gangster in Q&A, but merely content to chew the scenery in a similar role
here.

*especially Gabriel Byrne and Armand Assante; at least we're spared them referring to Whalley as a dame.