Misery - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Misery or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Misery

[kenzi]

James Caan accepted the lead role after Jack Nicholson turned it down. Caan had previously turned down Nicholson's Oscar Winning role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), in which he also is the victim of a psychotic nurse, Louise Fletcher, who also won an Oscar for her role.

[tammy]

DIRECTOR_CAMEO(Rob Reiner The helicopter pilot.

[jeffrey]

Annie (Kathy Bates) places a wooden block between Paul's (James Caan) ankles and uses a sledgehammer to "hobble" him. In the book, Annie cuts his left foot off with an ax. The scene was changed, so that there would not be too much gore.

[victoria]

The title of Paul's next novel is "The Higher Education of J. Philip Stone," a possible reference to actor Philip Stone, who appeared in The Shining.

[russell]

Jack Nicholson was offered the role of Paul Sheldon, but passed because he was not sure he wanted to do another movie based on one of Stephen King's novels, after what he had experienced with Stanley Kubrick on The Shining (1980).

[linda]

At one point, Carol Burnett was considered for the role of the agent, and Vicki Lawrence was considered for the role of Annie Wilkes.

[bernice]

"Misery" was almost turned into a Broadway play, with Julia Roberts as Annie Wilkes. King vetoed the idea, because Annie is (in his words) "a brawny woman who can sling a guy around, not a pixie."

[amber]

At 59 mins.) The shot through the bed rails that transitions into a shot through trees is meant as a nod to the idea that Paul's basically in jail.

[bessie]

After seeing the notorious scene where his character gets his ankles broken at a screening, James Caan turned to Rob Reiner and said "You're a sick fuck".

[sophie]

Kathy Bates was reportedly disappointed that a scene was cut in which she kills a young police officer by rolling over him repeatedly with a lawnmower. Director Rob Reiner was afraid that the audience would laugh at it.

[bessie]

The theme music in one of the trailers for this film is a actually piece of James Horner's score from Aliens (1986) which has been used in several trailers for other films like Dark Universe (1993).

[jamie]

Rob Reiner was questioned before heading into production if this was really the right project for him as his background was mostly comedy up to this point, but he stated, "it's important for me to find my way into the film... and as you will see the movies really about a man who is trapped by his own success and is desperately trying to break out and establish himself in a different way. I felt very much those feelings when I finished All in the Family."

[eli]

A dress worn by Kathy Bates in her role as Annie Wilkes is on display at Planet Hollywood in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

[elmer]

They spent weeks getting Paul Sheldon's (Caan) briefcase to look "just right" in regard to the faded and worn exterior.

[harry]

Annie's revolver is a Colt Cobra "D" Frame .38 revolver.

[stephanie]

The car accident scene was captured with a setup involving nine cameras, "six or seven" of which actually functioned. "We knew we weren't going to be able to throw a car off a cliff too many times."

[christina]

Stephen King was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to "Misery", because he was skeptical that a Hollywood studio would make a movie faithful to his vision. However, King was impressed with one adaptation of his works, Stand by Me (1986), and agreed to sell "Misery" under the proviso that Rob Reiner would either produce or direct the film.

[gabriel]

In a recent interview with Melvyn Bragg, William Goldman revealed that few actors wanted the role of Paul Sheldon, because Annie Wilkes overshadowed him so much as a character. Warren Beatty commented before declining, that the hobbling scene made Paul Sheldon "a loser for the rest of the film". Goldman was determined to keep that scene in the film, as it was his favorite from the novel.

[sara]

According to writer William Goldman, Richard Dreyfuss almost accepted the Paul Sheldon part because he regretted turning down the lead role in When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and he wouldn't like to disappoint the director Rob Reiner again - they previously collaborated in another Stephen King's adaptation in Stand by Me (1986). Reiner asked Dreyfuss to read the script but he didn't like it.