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Entertainment Movie Review Misery certainly loves company By GARRY J MURDOCH Herald Special Theres good news and bad news for writer Paul Sheldon Hes just been saved from certain death in a car wreck in the snowy Colorado Rockies The bad news Hes been saved by his number one fan a psychotic recluse who wants to keep him as a pet writer And there you have the plot behind Misery the movie based on Stephen Kings novel of the same name James Caan plays Paul Sheldon a man famous for his slew of Misery romance novels Novels he only wrote to pay the bills in hopes of writing more serious work Meet Annie Wilkes played by Bates his number one fan of the Misery series She has all of his books in hardcover has Sheldons picture over the fireplace and has memorized all there is to know about him from his to the one cigarette he smokes after he finishes writings book One may think Annie is nothing more than an overavid fan but for Paul Sheldon who slowly begins to realize that Annie is not going to call for an ambulance but leave him in her guest bedroom with two broken legs She is much more than that Annie Wilkes passion for Paul Sheldons books extends beyond that of the man himself Coupled with the fact we are introduced to her scrapbook nothing but newspaper clippings of ac cidents one which befell her late husband we get some insight into what Paul Sheldon is in for Nothing short of Misery The movie is not surprisingly different from the book Nor is it as good However it does have some merits on its own In the book we see what Paul Sheldon is going through both psychologically as well as physically We see him not only try to rationalize what is happen ing to him but why Annie behaves the way she does James Caan far from over the hill does extremely well with what little the role allows him to portray as writer Paul Sheldon As the story relies heavily on facial reactions not vocal responses to Annies brutality has done an admirable job although perhaps showing a little more fear in certain places might have made the performance more convincing One cannot help feel that with all the closeups of Paul Sheldon in his reactions to Anne Wilkes that a narration would have worked extremely well here The real surprise here Is Kathy Bates who plays the disturbed Annie perfectly happy and cheery one moment angry and downright psychotfc the next One doesnt know when to expect the JekyllHyde transformation to occur Unfortunately for Paul the fact he has killed off Misery Chastain the heroine of the Misery series a book that Annie is now reading so that he can end the series and get on to establishing himself as a serious writer doesnt please her one bit How much it pleases her is almost too frightening to watch Especially if youre Paul Sheldon a man who is beginning to believe hes about to become a permanent house guest- Director Rob Reiner Stand By Me has created a good movie here surprisingly adding humor in spots you dont expect Annies condition may be psychotic but her ability to change moods as rapidly as the weather brings Christmas carolfest 90 billed as an even ing of Christmas music for the whole family wdi be held Dec 730 pm at St Johns United Church on Guelpb Street in Georgetown Local church choirs and the Georgetown Choral Society as well as a brass quartet will pro vide vocal renditions of Christmas favorites under the direction of Haydn Evans church organist at St Johns United Church Although there is no admission charge for the performance donations will be accepted with proceeds from the concert going to the Georgetown food bank Rehearsals for the choirs have been scheduled for this coming Monday at 8 pm and Sunday Dec 230 p m a St Johns United Church some humor to various situa tions One moment she is threatening to blow Pauls brains out with the pistol she just loaded the next moment she is giddy over the new chapter of the Misery book she is forcing Paul to turn out so that Misery can live again The true problem with the movie lies in the fact that Reiner hasnt explored the character of Paul Sheldon enough Sure we feel sorry for him that his legs are busted and he can move without inflicting greater pain than what he is already suffering We feel even sorrier for Paul because Annie has decided to keep him and theres nothing he can do about it But what is Sheldon thinking How are we to know as the book tells us that he understands why Annie is a recluse why she has sabotaged her own phone or that he feels the new Misery book she is forcing him to write is truly his best work ever Sheldon hides the book at the end from Annie but Reiner never allows us to know what becomes of it Two other changes are worth mentioning the movie surpris ingly isnt as gruesome as the book Kings books have a tenden cy to go overboard on the blood and guts part and thankfully Reinder has decided to forego most of the extreme violence that Annie inflicts upon Paul in both the amount and the actual punishments she gives to him However the movie is still ex tremely painful to watch in a cou ple of parts as tonneddown as it is The other change is to the storyline which has only one policeman Richard sworth who comes looking for Sheldon at Wilkes house The result is the ending has to be changed and it isnt nearly as dramatic as the climax of the book Taken on its own however the movie is good Its suspenseful Its even humorous Almost anyone could have played Caans role but Kathy Baker really deserves a hand for her per formance Not everyone can play someone who smashes Pauls foot one mo ment with a sledgehammer and then tells him she loves him the next I hope no one ever loves me that much GOOEY GOOD VOU COULD WWII YOUR OWN TMNT MOVIE SO COME ON IN AND FimiUJAUJrr SI 8731651 NOW OPEN Stop In For Lunch Main SIS Georgetown Onl 1 8737402 RESTAURANT 109 MAIN STREET SOUTH GEORGETOWN ONTARIO BUFFET of all you can eat Chinese Culilne Friday Saturday Sunday at pm Salad Bar Shrimp Beef Ham Pork Soap Corn Chicken umbo Hat Soar Soup Bttl Broccoli Shrimp- Sweet Soar Chicken Bill Bell Chop Sue Hot I Spier Chicken Beel Mil id Vegetable Bitch Steik Cantonese Chow Mein Spare Chicken Fried Pott Deep Chicken ffmp Assorted Dtnerb person Children price Licenced Under When You Color Well Pay Tax Fast TakeOut Delivery Service 87751067 Home of The Best Country Music For 25 Years THIS WEEK REG BENOIT CountryWoatem OPEN SUNDAYS CLOSED MONDAYS Book Your Christmas Party Eariyt PHONE US NOW ROSETOWN INNS 2nd ANNUAL NEW YEAR LAST ROUNDUP LOUNGE Jenny Josie Jigs Dinner Buffet served at tin a 3000Couple 2000Slngle 226 Queen St E Brampton THE HERALD Wednesday December lMft- B7 GEORGETOWN CINEMAS 235 STREET CINEMA 1 a little lady Evenings at 700 5 pm Matinees Saturday Sunday at 200 pm CINEMA 2 NOW PLAYING Evenings at 5 pm Matinees Saturday Sunday at 200 pm LAST DAYS 7 NO COUPONS Evenings at pm Only Jacobs Ladder Evenings at 915 Only TALKING TOO TUESDAYS PASSWORD THURSDAYS BABY TALK