35 Years Later, Kathy Bates Reveals Major Change in Stephen King’s Misery That She Still Regrets

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Over the weekend, Kathy Bates and Rob Reiner commemorated the 35th anniversary of “Misery” at the TCM Classic Film Festival with a special screening and panel discussion. During the event, Bates expressed her one regret about the movie, stating that she was displeased it didn’t live up to the graphic violence and gore found in Stephen King’s original novel. She directly addressed Reiner, the director, sharing her disappointment. The pair engaged in a candid conversation on stage, with Reiner justifying his decisions while Bates firmly maintained her perspective. Despite some differences, the discussion was amicable, as they celebrated the film’s enduring legacy and its profound influence on the audience that evening. However, it was evident that there remained a genuine disagreement between them.

In the thriller “Misery,” Kathy Bates portrayed the character Annie Wilkes, an obsessive fan of writer Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan). Nursing him back to health in her isolated cabin following a car accident, she proved to be both violent and unstable. The film’s violence is chilling, but it intensifies even more in the novel. Before shooting began, Bates had already read Stephen King’s book and eagerly anticipated the scenes where Annie runs someone over with a lawnmower or amputates Paul’s foot.

She expressed disappointment when you decided to cut that part out,” she shared with Reiner. The director explained the creative rationale behind deleting the amputation scene specifically – in the film, Annie intentionally breaks Paul’s ankles to prevent his escape rather than making him lose his leg. He stated that adding such a significant loss so late in the story might be too much for the protagonist who had already undergone a profound learning experience.

Bates expressed strong disagreement with that point, but she did commend Reiner in other aspects, as well as Caan and her fellow movie cast members. Regarding the final film, she shared a memory of her initial reaction, saying she was taken aback by its chilling appearance. She admitted she thought it might mark the end of her career, expressing sheer horror at the time.

Indeed, Bates received an Academy Award for her outstanding performance, which came as a surprise to both her and Reiner. She recollected how Reiner had cautioned her, suggesting that getting nominated was impressive but it was unlikely for a horror movie role to win the award. With a grin, she reminisced about Reiner’s reaction when they announced her as the winner — “You just leaped up and exclaimed, ‘YEAH!’

While Reiner addressed another production-related problem that sparked some friction between Bates and Caan due to their contrasting acting approaches, he explained, “Their methods for acting are vastly different. Kathy is an exceptional stage actress, while Jimmy preferred improvisation without rehearsals. We managed to strike a balance: we rehearsed more than Jimmy desired but less than Kathy required, and it seems to be working well.

Currently, “Misery” isn’t offered on any of the popular subscription-based streaming platforms. However, you can digitally rent or buy it from most major PVOD providers. Additionally, you might find it in your local library, either physically or digitally. It is also available on Blu-ray and DVD formats.

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2025-04-30 18:22