Synopsis
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
Misery (1990) is a 1h 47min drama feature film by Rob Reiner. After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan.
Key facts
Cast
Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall, Frances Sternhagen, Graham Jarvis, Jerry Potter, Thomas Brunelle
Original language
English
First release
November 30, 1990 (Canada)
Production companies
Castle Rock Entertainment, Embassy Pictures
Home video distributors
Excalibur Benelux (Belgium), New Line Home Video (United States), Nelson Entertainment (United States)
Based on
Misery
Awards
Academy Award for Best Actress
Setting
Colorado
Crew
Screenplay
William Goldman
Producer
Andrew Scheinman, Rob Reiner
Cinematography
Barry Sonnenfeld
Editing
Robert Leighton
Music
Marc Shaiman
Special makeup effects
Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Rick Lalonde, Robert Kurtzman
Trailer
Stills
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to write one.
Festival History
- FANT Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival 2026 - Estrellas FANT
- MOTELX - Lisbon International Horror Film Festival 2018 - Warm-Up
- Academy Awards 1991 academy_award
- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1991 generic
- Golden Globes (USA) 1991 generic
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1990 generic
VHS & home video releases
| VHS | Excalibur Benelux (cat. no. 10961) | 1991, Belgium, clamshell |
| VHS | Nelson Entertainment (cat. no. 7777) | 1991, United States, slipcase |
| VHS | New Line Home Video (cat. no. 77773) | 1991, United States, slipcase |
Soundtracks
| CD | Misery (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Marc Shaiman, Scott Stambler (1990) | 1 release, 1990: Bay Cities |
| Cassette | Misery (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Marc Shaiman, Scott Stambler (1990) | 1 release, 1990: Bay Cities |
Releases & classifications
| Theatrical | Canada | November 30, 1990 |
| Theatrical | United States | November 30, 1990 |
| Theatrical | Poland | December 31, 1990 |
| Theatrical | Argentina | January 17, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Turkey | February 1, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Japan | February 2, 1991 |
| Theatrical | France | February 13, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Switzerland | February 22, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Greece | February 22, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Sweden | February 22, 1991 |
| Theatrical | South Korea | March 1, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Italy | March 8, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Denmark | March 22, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Australia | March 28, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Netherlands | March 29, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Spain | April 11, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Hong Kong | April 11, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Germany | April 25, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Switzerland | April 26, 1991 |
| Theatrical | United Kingdom | May 10, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Portugal | May 24, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Serbia | June 7, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Ireland | June 21, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Peru | June 23, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Hungary | July 12, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Finland | July 26, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Uruguay | September 5, 1991 |
| Theatrical | Brazil | March 4, 1992 |
| Theatrical | Philippines | July 8, 1992 |
| Television | Germany | January 17, 1993 |
| Theatrical | Czech Republic | March 18, 1993 |
| Television | Germany | January 1, 1994 |
| Television | Philippines | April 27, 1994 |
| Theatrical | Russia | February 3, 1995 |
| Television | Netherlands | July 27, 2002 |
| Streaming | United Kingdom | December 14, 2016 |
| Television | United Arab Emirates | May 24, 2021 |
| Streaming | Brazil | April 29, 2022 |
| Television | Germany | December 15, 2025 |
| Television | France | December 15, 2025 |
| Television | Belgium | September 20, 2026 |
| Television | France | October 8, 2026 |
| Classification | United States | R |
Versions & editions
| Home video VHS | Belgium | 1991 10961 |
| Home video VHS | United States | 1991 77773 |
| Home video VHS | United States | 1991 7777 |
| Home video | United Kingdom | October 5, 1992 |
| Home video | United States | December 29, 1998 |
| Home video | Germany | March 13, 2003 |
| Home video | United Kingdom | July 28, 2003 |
| Home video | Mexico | September 15, 2009 |
| Home video | Netherlands | October 7, 2009 |
| Home video | South Africa | November 27, 2009 |
| Home video | United Kingdom | October 1, 2012 |
| Home video | Singapore | September 8, 2015 |
| Home video | Israel | October 12, 2021 |
| Home video | India | October 12, 2021 |
| Home video | Egypt | November 9, 2022 |
| Home video | United Kingdom | September 21, 2026 |
Full credits
| Director | Rob Reiner |
| Cast | Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes), James Caan (Paul Sheldon), Richard Farnsworth (Buster), Lauren Bacall (Marcia Sindell), Frances Sternhagen (Virginia), Graham Jarvis (Libby), Jerry Potter (Pete), Thomas Brunelle (Anchorman), June Christopher (Anchorwoman), Julie Payne (Reporter #1), Archie Hahn (Reporter #2), Gregory Snegoff (Reporter #3), Wendy Bowers (Waitress), Rob Reiner (Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)), J.T. Walsh (State Trooper Sherman Douglas (uncredited)) |
| Screenplay | William Goldman |
| Producer | Andrew Scheinman, Rob Reiner |
| Cinematography | Barry Sonnenfeld |
| Editing | Robert Leighton |
| Music | Marc Shaiman |
| Production design | Norman Garwood |
| Special makeup effects | Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Rick Lalonde, Robert Kurtzman |
| Costumes | Gloria Gresham |
Additional data: TMDB.
Source: Wikidata (CC0-1.0)
Source: Cinémathèque québécoise, linked catalogue data (CC BY 4.0)
