Annie Wilkes: Love And Obsession

If we take a look at movies Kathy Bates has had roles in, we find famous titles like Titanic and Fried Green Tomatoes . However, the American actress’ biggest success is the film Misery – kidnapped  from 1990. Bates won the Oscar for best female lead for her fantastic portrayal of the psychopathic Annie Wilkes.

Who is Annie Wilkes?

What makes Annie Wilkes so special? We are often fascinated, disturbed and fascinated by villains. They often attract public interest and at the same time also experience rejection. However, Annie Wilkes’ appeal is different from most other villains we see. Her evil seems so real, so true, and so frightening. Who would expect a retired nurse who was the head of a maternity ward to actually be so vicious?

Annie Wilkes is a character with a complex, aggressive, obsessive and bipolar personality. But what she chooses to show the outside world is something completely different. The film Misery – Kidnapped  (1990), directed by Rob Reiner, is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same title. The novel digs into the character’s past, and deals with some facts that are not found in the filmed version.

However, Kathy Bates’ portrayal is so sublime that she created the perfect image of this villain. It arouses public interest and keeps us in constant tension as if we ourselves could feel the torture she subjected the well-known author Paul Sheldon to. Bates’ performance received many good reviews from the public and from film critics. In addition to being the first woman to receive the Oscar for Best Actress in a Horror Film, Bates’ portrayal is one of the best female performances of all time.

Spoiler alert!

We suggest you watch the movie or read King’s novel before reading further in this article. This is because we want to dive into the characters and some of the events they go through. Paul Sheldon, the famous author of the short story Misery, had an accident in the middle of a snowstorm. Annie Wilkes, his self-proclaimed number 1 fan, saved him. In a gloomy place, a suffocating and terribly real horror story begins.

Annie Wilkes: pure evil

Wilkes is a solid, serious, middle-aged woman. She has a very simple appearance. We can easily say that she is a conservative woman because of her appearance: she does not wear makeup, has a simple hairstyle, and the only thing that stands out with her clothes is a small gold cross that hangs around her neck. This cross is a common symbol that we have seen countless times, and which can give us an idea of ​​Wilke’s personality.

However, the small symbol associated with Catholicism and thus with the values ​​of religion, stands in stark contrast to Annie’s real personality. She seems to be a simple and calm person living on a small farm. One thing that is strange is that she has a collection of small porcelain figurines. Wilkes notices even the slightest changes in how they are lined up. This may be an indication of an obsessive personality.

The beginning of the nightmare

At first, Paul Sheldon thought he was in safe hands. After being injured in an accident, he wakes up in the house of a retired nurse who also turns out to be very enthusiastic about his books. She promises to take care of him and help him as he gets better. She tells him that she has already contacted his family and the nearest hospital and told them about what happened. And she tells Sheldon that she will take him to the hospital as soon as they reopen the roads after the storm.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Little by little, Wilkes shows signs of bipolar disorder : sudden changes between a pleasant tone and excessive kindness to hysteria, anger and aggression. Annie was furious when she discovered that Sheldon murdered Misery Chastain (one of the main characters in his books) in her latest novel. This aggressive and endearing personality may have existed since Annie’s childhood.

Annie has a very childish side too. She is a big fan of fictional characters. She discovered Sheldon’s novels as she tried to avoid bad times in her own life. Annie became so obsessed with the stories that she ended up kidnapping the author.

When she discovered that the main character was killed in the latest book, she became cold. She turned her small, charming farm into a hell for writer Paul Sheldon. She was transformed into one of the best villains we’ve ever seen on screen.

Exposure through fame

Unfortunately, fame can be very dangerous. By being a public figure, our private life automatically becomes an open topic for debate, discussion or criticism. A simple mistake, a poorly thought out comment, a wrong answer or a simple reaction can turn your life into hell. There are also those who are obsessed with famous people. These obsessions can be very harmful.

Annie Wilkes loves Paul Sheldon. She is in love with the ideal image of the man she has created in her head. Her obsession with him and her many mental problems led her to torture him. How can a person torture the man she loves? Her ideal love became an obsession.

The story of Annie Wilkes is spooky, but still very real. This is not the first time that a person has been obsessed in this way with a celebrity. Remember that it was one of John Lennon’s fans, Mark David Chapman, who murdered him.

The artist’s freedom is questioned in this film. Are artists really free to choose for themselves what to write? Unfortunately, the answer is no. During the process, we see how Sheldon’s literary agent gives him advice and guidance for writing a more commercial success.

Sheldon and the publishing world

The author does not want to continue writing the series Misery . He wants to try something new instead. This was a problem for the publisher, because they feared reductions in sales figures. At the same time, it would also annoy the fans. The publishing world will always choose the most profitable alternative, the most appealing, regardless of the quality of the work.

Misery shows us the other side of the author’s life, when he loses his creative freedom. Annie becomes Sheldon’s new “advisor” when she forces him to write what she wants. Throughout history we learn that she has killed many people and has become devilish. She is a feared character.