My mom bought me Misery for a Christmas present, and I finally watched it last night. Well, not that my hopes were too high - everyone knows movie adaptations are hardly ever as good as the book - but I was a little sad. The movie just couldn't capture all of Sheldon's thought process while he was in and out of conciousness. It got better towards the end, but I thought the beginning was lacking somewhat :\ what do you think?

I wouldn't know. I can't watch Misery all the way through. The movie hobbling scene is too much for me and I just can't move past it. I think I'm traumatized, because now even the thought of broken bones makes me queasy.

But, oddly enough, the hobbling scene in the book, which most people (including the person who decided what was to go into the movie version) thought was way worse, doesn't bother me a bit.

I actually really enjoyed that movie. Yes, the hobbling makes me feel physically ill in the movie, but not in the book. I have an excellent imagination, too, so it's not that! Misery was one of the King movies that people who do not read King can enjoy.

Maybe I will have to try it again, and just leave the room for that part. *shudder*

I loved the movie version. I'm going to read Misery sometime.

I also enjoyed the movie....but I guess that's when compared to all else. Yes, it left a lot out - but most of the other movies were such god-awful adaptions that this one was practically brilliant by default. And much helped by Kathy Bates award-worthy performance!

I do wish the Do-Bee part was left in the movie! For me, that part in the book was more shocking than the hobbling (from the movie version).

I loved Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes. She WAS Annie Wilkes. I also loved her as Dolores Claiborne, too. I think she is a greatly underrated actress. The only reason I couldn't get totally into it was that I'm not a big fan of James Caan.

Yes, Kathy Bates was incredible!! I really liked the movie, mostly because of the cast. I did think there were several things wrong with it. It did not include Paul's addiction to Novril, which I thought added a lot to the relationship between the two; he depended on her for the drugs. I also think the ending was terrible! So un-Stephen King! There's no way he would get out of that ordeal as sane as he was in the end of the movie.

My favorite part in the book is where he finally snaps when the police find him and starts babbling nonsense; yet another part that should have been included in the movie.


All in all, as far as movies go, I thought Misery was great, but you can't make a movie that portrays Paul's declining mental state as well as the book did.

I saw the movie before I read the book. I LOVED Kathy Bates, she completely made the movie what it is. After I read the book then saw the movie again some parts bothered me, in being different from the book but still love the movies! Book too.

I don't think he did get out of the ordeal totally sane, he saw Annie in the restaurant.

The book was by far, better than the film-adaption!
I read the book before watching the film. *(spoiler alert)*.....The part in the book when she gruesomely sawed of his foot just made me cringe and feel quite ill. It had more of an affect on me than the film version. The whole scenario in the book was so clear in my mind that i felt like i was actually there. Stephen King is really good at catching the human imagination!

Ryan, I had a totally different experience!

*Possible Spoilers below*

I remember seeing the movie as a kid (my parents were the "hey, it's your nightmare" type) and being absolutely traumatized by the hobbling scene in the movie. To the point where I couldn't finish the movie (and never have, and I'm 27 now), and to this day have a "broken bone thing". I can't even watch amateur skateboarders because I know, at some point, they will break something, and it will be awful and.. *shudder*

My brother once broke both arms at once when he tripped over a log while flying a kite an put his hands down to break his fall. Luckily, I wasn't there, but even seeing the X-rays later made me woozy. His left arm had multiple breaks, and looked like a swan neck, and I almost passed out seeing the X-ray of it.

On the other hand, the hobbling scene in the book, while definitely more gory and permanent, didn't bother me nearly as much. I must be the only person in the world that would prefer to have it just cut off than have to see it flop around with broken stuff inside. *shudder*

Your right Becky she only hobbled him. Ryan, she hobbled him in the book & the movie. She didn't saw it off. I think sawing it off would have been so much worse. Kathy Bates did a wounderfull job as Annie, the bitch was INSANE.

She sawed it off in the book, but to me, the worst part was the cauterizing. To this day, a benzene blow-torch is pretty terrifying to look at.

Are you sure Kandice? I remember it as she hobbled him in the book & movie.

It was referred to as hobbling in both, but the method was very different.



In the book, she cut off the foot and cauterized the stump with a blowtorch, and in the movie she just broke both ankles with a sledgehammer.

Hobbling is simply a way to make it harder for someone to physically run. They did it with runaway, and then recovered slaves. It may not erase the desire to run, but certainly increases the physical effort. Hobbling can also be cutting one or both achilles tendons. (nasty!)

Why thank you Becky & Kandice. I just thought hobbling was only breaking of the ankles.

i loved kathy bates as annie wilkes she did a great job and i do find it hard to watch the hobbling part but i still watch it and the book was amazing its been a long while since i read it but i still remember that i couldnt put it down when i did it was only for a second it was just brilliant i love stephen king he is a genius

Yes he is a genius. And Kathy Bates was great in Misery & Dolores Claiborne.

Can you imagine what being one of his kids would be like? To have the most awesomest writer as a dad, how fing cool would that be?

I think it would be a bit daunting. Especially if, like Joe, you wanted to be a writer too. I would be terrified to be constantly compared to dad and not live up to the expectations.

I'd probably go into dentistry or something instead. LOL

Damn i didn't think of it that way.

Ryan wrote: "The part in the book when she gruesomely sawed of his foot just made me cringe and feel quite ill."

I was at my little brother's soccer game when I read that part. On our way home he kept asking my why I looked so pale. All that stuff about the squeal of the bone being shattered... I've got a tough stomach, though. I love **reading** about that kind of stuff, it brings excitement into my life. :D

Speaking of SK's children --- I realize we all know what Joe is up to (and an incredibly brilliant writer he is!!) - and I know that Naomi is married to one of her college professors. Goddess bless him, SK was there to "give her away" even though it was a gay marriage. She's now a minister with the non-dogmatic Universal Unitarians (I think that's the name) But -- does anyone know what Owen is doing?

I believe Owen is a writer too...I think more regular fiction than horror.

Why shouldn't King have given her away just because she was marrying a woman? He's her father, and she was getting married and King doesn't strike me as the type to care who the intended is, as long as they are happy and love each other. :)

I'm probably reading too much into comments again, but it just seemed to imply that King is against gay marriage but went along with it anyway for his daughter's sake. And I don't really feel that that's the case. Although I don't know for certain, but again, he just doesn't really strike me as the type. *shrug*

A wedding is a wedding to me as long as there are two consenting adults standing at the altar or before the justice or whoever, I don't see a difference between a same-sex and a heterosexual wedding. I say good for everyone who wants to and CAN get married. Hopefully this option will be extended to everyone soon. :D

Becky I'm gonna let Bondama defend his own words but I will say I thought it was interesting, as a book that King wrote for Nsomi, that Eyes of The Dragon does have that part where **SPOILER***(maybe?) Roland struggles with whether or not Peter should play with the dollhouse because it'll "make him look like a sissy" and the ultimately lets him be who he is (Peter). Unrelatedly, when i was little, it used to creep me out that King had a daughter named Naomi Rachel King. My sister's name is Naomi. Biblical names were popular in the 70's to early 80's, i guess.

Rachel wrote: "Becky I'm gonna let Bondama defend his own words but I will say I thought it was interesting, as a book that King wrote for Nsomi, that Eyes of The Dragon does have that part where **SPOILER***(may..."

Great minds must think alike, because I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing about the doll house and Roland's eventual decision. I think she was pretty young when he wrote it, but maybe not too young for that to have presented itself in small ways. I just love Stephen King:D

I don't think that any defense is necessary, really. I was just commenting on the wording, which just struck my liberal "Why should a gay marriage be any different?" nerve. LOL

Bondama is a she -- It's just an old medieval term I ran across in book and loved - basically just means "good woman."... but truly, the only reason I mentioned Naomi's marriage was because I was so proud of the fact that no one, especially SK, went out of their way to make this a wedding different from any other one, one of probably 3-400 performed that day. I would never in a million years expect SK NOT to give his beloved Naomi away.

At Naomi's wedding, SK didn't make any "announcement," nor would I expect him to. It would be totally inconsistent with the writer we Constant Readers have grown to know and love.

I am an AIDs volunteer, have been for 15 yrs, and the heartbreak that ensues when one "spouse" can't be with her/his beloved at that last hour is unbearably heartbreaking. There are few more unfair laws that those that prohibit gay marriage because not only can "family" members be the only visitors, but they have to go thru an unbelievable amount of red tape just to sign a Living Will with one's partner.

Sorry, I realize this is waaay off topic. I do apologize completely for my inept wording. Of all the fathers in the world, I would not expect Uncle Stevie to desert his Naomi on her special day...

Becky -- I don't know if you remember, but this is the second time you've jumped on something you mis-read in a comment I made. I am really going to have to make myself more clear, I can see.;-)

No, I wouldn't say I "jumped on" it. Just questioned the wording. I try (and sometimes fail miserably) to carefully choose my wording when talking about controversial or touchy subjects, or anything that might offend, so I sometimes read a bit too much into word choice - even my own. ("Should I say this, THIS way?" =\)

The "even though" is what got me... because it just seemed to say that there was a decision to be made as to whether or not he should be there since she was marrying a woman.

I see that's not what you meant, though. Sorry about that. Please don't take my questions as anything more than that. I realize that text conversations like these are generally hard to interpret without facial expressions and tone and other cues, so I just wanted clarification on how I interpreted it.

I was not trying to "jump on you" or anything like that. And my question(s) are NOT personally directed at you, Bondama. I am just opinionated, and when I'm unsure of what was meant, I'll ask. Or say why I disagree. Or whatever. But I'll try to be polite about it. :)

In fact, if you HAD felt differently than I (which you do not, and is perfectly clear from your latest post, :D), I'm always happy to hear why.

(And see... all that about word choice and I just had to change one of mine because it was saying the wrong thing. LOL)

Oh well. No offense meant Bondama. :)

Still very off thread topic, but relevant to our earlier discussion, I happened to stumble on this page tonight. http://irregulartimes.com/epsexuallibert... :)

Some of those are pretty clever, and obviously, very true.

We saw a bumper sticker the other day "Don't have sex with pro-lifers". It sparked a very in-depth conversation with my almost 13 year old son. They can certainly keep you entertained on the road.

Becky, I just checked back at the posts and just had to laugh - what else can one do? You and and are probably pretty much alike, I think -- passionate about what we do believe and forever on guard for someone who might step on something we deeply believe in!!

And girl, you ARE polite - It was me who overstepped the bounds of courtesy by using the phrase "jumped on" -- oddly enough, I didn't mean it negatively - I just admire your very quick mind!

Pax? (for now, anyway ;-)

LOL Well I absolutely am passionate for people to be who and what they are and to not be discriminated against, so I will absolutely "jump on" anything I feel goes against that and question it.

But, err... nicely. (Generally.) :D

Bondama-sorry for the gender confusion :)

I know this is still off topic, but I just wanted to let you know what I know about Owen King. A few months ago he edited a book of short stories called WHO CAN SAVE US NOW? Subtitled "Brand-New Superheroes and Their Amazing (Short) Stories". It's a real treat with one of his own stories called "The Meerkat". Highly recommend this one, especially for anyone who likes superheroes (especially odd ones).

Betsy == Thank you so much! After all, that WAS my original question!!!

And Rachel - don't worry about the gender confusion -- I think I just had my head stuffed too full of Latin in school !!

To stay further off topic, :-) the church Naomi is with is called Unitarian Universalist!

Betsy wrote: "I know this is still off topic, but I just wanted to let you know what I know about Owen King. A few months ago he edited a book of short stories called WHO CAN SAVE US NOW? Subtitled "Brand-New ..."

Thanks Betsy, i couldn't think of the name of the book so i didn't post it.

Your welcome! I do recommend it. It's a good read...fun, thoughtful...and some stories are down-right creepy!

I'm kind of late "jumping in" to this conversation....but I thought the hobbling was the best part of the movie. That was the part where the audience fully grasped just how insane Annie Wilkes was...and to what lengths she'd go to keep the guy there.

I think I inwardly cringed more reading the book equivalent of that scene. It seemed to take forever with the sawing and whatnot, while it was over pretty quickly in the movie.

You guys are the best group members... thanks for being nice to each other. Sometimes it is hard to know what people mean through reading what someone typed.

Oh shut up, Angie.





TOTALLY KIDDING! Love ya, Mrs. Mod. *Hug*

We have to be good Angie, you'll send us to our room with no supper. LOL

I love everyone here! EVERYONE! And I would send you to your room without your King book! Now that would be torture!

Yes that would be torture!

I really like Uncle Stevie's sense of humor, no matter how dark his narration is. My favorite Misery scene is in where he compares Paul's shrieking each times Ann Wilkes comes in to Palov's dogs drooling at the sound of the bell. That's just it. Every times Ann comes in, Paul starts automatically screaming. That just shows you the kind of a bogeywoman Ann Wilkes is.

The BIG BAD BOGEY BITCH!