I love, love, love Kathy Bates in this movie. When I think of it, she is what I think of. When it was playing in theaters, I was about 14, and I managed to see it at least three times. Rob Reiner's direction is competent. James Caan's acting is surprisingly subdued. Even Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall and Frances Sternhagen create sympathy for their barely shown characters.
But, my God, Kathy Bates is brilliant, playing Annie as someone quirky, scary and even funny. William Goldman's script, which originally called for Annie to use a welding torch to remove Paul Sheldon's feet, does allow her the chance to go over the top, of course, but Bates' subtlety at key points in the film is what floors me. The little touches showing Annie watching "Love Connection" or dancing around to Liberace records. Through these scenes, Bates actually builds sympathy for Annie's character, her loneliness, her "morality" and her need to love a fictional character.
As a viewer, I cared deeply for her, even after she went nuts, tied a man to a bed, took a sledgehammer to his legs, held him captive, let everyone around believe he was dead and then tried to shoot him to death.
Kathy Bates has been uniformly great in films ever since this one, but this one is my favorite of hers. She's amazing.
But, my God, Kathy Bates is brilliant, playing Annie as someone quirky, scary and even funny. William Goldman's script, which originally called for Annie to use a welding torch to remove Paul Sheldon's feet, does allow her the chance to go over the top, of course, but Bates' subtlety at key points in the film is what floors me. The little touches showing Annie watching "Love Connection" or dancing around to Liberace records. Through these scenes, Bates actually builds sympathy for Annie's character, her loneliness, her "morality" and her need to love a fictional character.
As a viewer, I cared deeply for her, even after she went nuts, tied a man to a bed, took a sledgehammer to his legs, held him captive, let everyone around believe he was dead and then tried to shoot him to death.
Kathy Bates has been uniformly great in films ever since this one, but this one is my favorite of hers. She's amazing.