Tag Archives: J. T. Walsh

1990 Films, Horror, Psychological Horror, Psychological Thriller, Thriller

Misery-1990

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Misery-1990

Director Rob Reiner

Starring Kathy Bates, James Caan

Scott’s Review #1,511

Reviewed January 18, 2026

Grade: A-

Kathy Bates and James Caan deliver exceptional performances in Misery (1990), a thriller/horror hybrid set in the snowy hills of remote Colorado over a couple of winter months.

Caan plays famed novelist Paul Sheldon, who is held captive by Annie Wilkes (Bates), an obsessive and unpredictable fan. Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role.

Thanks to Rob Reiner’s superior direction, the film never lags and continuously keeps the tension boiling at a heart-racing pace. From an early sequence involving a terrible car accident to a slasher horror-worthy finale, Misery contains something for everyone.

The film is based on the enthralling 1987 Stephen King novel and a screenplay by Academy Award-winning writer William Goldman (All the President’s Men, 1976).

After completing his latest novel involving a beloved series character named Misery, Paul’s car careens off a snowy mountain road, leaving him stranded and unconscious.

Former nurse Annie rescues him and claims to be his biggest fan.

Annie brings him to her remote cabin to recover, where her obsession takes a dark turn when she discovers that Sheldon is killing off Misery, her favorite character.

Misery’s success comes from the chemistry between Bates and Caan. While there are no romantic sparks, the taut captor-and-captee scenes are enthralling as the audience nervously awaits what happens next.

At first, thankfully rescued by Annie, Paul quickly realizes he may be better off dead. Seemingly shifting from kindness to rage, Bates flawlessly reveals to the audience that something is not quite right with Annie.

As the actors play cat-and-mouse with their characters, each scene is potent as deeper layers of character texture surface, especially with Annie.

The fact that she is no longer a nurse is shocking.

They even share a tender scene dining over a lovely meal of meatloaf and red wine, though one character’s intentions are spoiled before too long.

Bits of dark humor surface mainly as Annie uses the words ‘cockadoodie’ and ‘poop’ and greedily munches on chips while watching her favorite game shows.

To heighten the suspense, Reiner’s direction uses several jump scares. It starts as Annie suddenly appears out of the blue, fiendishly hovering over the injured Paul in his bed, with a look of rage or, in some cases, of unrequited love.

Comparisons to the television series Twin Peaks (1990-1991) and the films Fargo (1996) and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) can be recognized.

Supporting characters, the capable Sheriff Buster (Richard Farnsworth) and the horny Deputy Virginia (Frances Sternhagen), are also a married couple, and the cold, snowy small town with peculiar characters like the folksy general store clerk comes to mind when thinking of the aforementioned 1990s efforts.

The claustrophobic bedroom setting, where one bedridden, sane character relies on an insane character for food and medicine, recalls the 1960s cult classic.

When another character uncovers the charade and tries to save the victim, the audience lets out a brief sigh of relief before the rug is pulled out from under them.

Finally, with little to do as Paul’s book agent, it’s nonetheless a treat to see legendary screen actress Lauren Bacall appear in the film.

While many of Stephen King’s adaptations are mediocre or worse, it’s nice to see Misery (1990) get the recognition it deserves. Alongside Stand By Me (1986), this makes two successful King adaptations by director Reiner.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Kathy Bates-Best Actress (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Actress-Drama-Kathy Bates (won)

1991 Films, Action, Drama, Thriller

Backdraft-1991

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Backdraft-1991

Director Ron Howard

Starring Kurt Russell, William Baldwin

Scott’s Review #1,216

Reviewed January 2, 2022

Grade: B

Backdraft (1991) is a highly entertaining yet completely implausible action thriller film directed by Ron Howard.

If made today, it would be on par with Chicago Fire or any other of the slew of similar procedural NBC television shows that currently exist.

The film is even set in Chicago, just like the television series.

The story involves an arsonist on the loose and the subsequent investigation to catch them.

Howard is an influential and respectable director, but his films frequently harbor a safe territory, rarely veering too far left of center.

With Backdraft, I assumed I would get a by-the-numbers masculine film, and that is exactly what I received.

The beefy cast includes Kurt Russell, Billy Baldwin (brother of Alec), and Robert De Niro, with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rebecca De Mornay serving as secondary female characters.

Chicago firefighting brothers Stephen (Russell) and Brian (Baldwin) have been rivals since childhood. Brian, struggling to prove himself as a worthy firefighter, transfers to the arson unit where he aids Inspector Don Rimgale (De Niro) in his current investigation.

There is a rash of fires involving oxygen-induced infernos called backdrafts.

But when a conspiracy implicating a crooked politician and an arsonist leads Brian back to Stephen, he is forced to overcome his brotherly competitiveness to crack the case.

Anyone involved in their local fire department or who has a strong sense of loyalty or brotherhood in a blue-collar vein will love Backdraft for its message.

The strong family unit that pervades most firehouses and police stations is evident throughout the film, fostering a sense of community.

It’s a nice feeling and sets the tone for the viewer to feel a part of things and root for the heroes to defeat whoever is responsible for the arson.

Could it be an unstable member of the fire community or an outsider harboring a grudge?

The story, despite being somewhat of a whodunit, is not the strongest aspect of Backdraft, nor is it much of a reason to tune in and follow. Too often, the writing is lazy or languishes in television-drama territory, with obvious, melodramatic situational setups.

The realism is not there. The fire sequences are completely stagy and meant to perfectly parlay the story elements rather than have an identity of their own.

With all that said, the star of the film is its visuals, which give Backdraft its adventure and edge-of-your-seat thrills. Even though I knew the fires and explosions were manipulated, I felt like I was inside a burning room with the hissing and crackling sounds of the fire and wind enveloping me.

It’s all for dramatic purposes, of course, but the state-of-the-art special effects are cool to experience.

This is the key to the success of a film like Backdraft and is enough for me to keep watching and become invested in the entire work.

Yes, many characters are types, and despite the big A-list stars, Russell and Baldwin are the only ones who have much of anything to do.

Their brotherly relationship, though fraught with friction, is at the heart of the characters, though the corny dialogue sometimes slips into soap-opera territory.

Backdraft (1991) is a cinematic Hollywood mainstream film that works on many levels. Forget the lazy storylines and the predictability factors for a minute. It provides a blazing-hot inferno of sharp visuals that are worthy of commendation and appreciation.

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound

1992 Films, Courtroom, Drama

A Few Good Men-1992

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A Few Good Men-1992

Director Rob Reiner

Starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore

Scott’s Review #1,012

Reviewed April 15, 2020

Grade: B+

A Few Good Men (1992) is a film firmly rooted in the mainstream Hollywood courtroom-drama genre.

If the necessary elements hadn’t been well woven, the results might have been trite or even cringeworthy.

Nonetheless, with big stars and excellent acting, director Rob Reiner (yes, “Meathead” from All in the Family) lucks out with a predictable, compelling screenplay that is made better by the sum of its parts.

The film will never bore and is a standard edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.

The drama earned several year-end niceties, including nominations for the upper-crust Academy Awards. Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and, surprisingly, the lofty Best Picture statuette.

With no shame about the embarrassment of riches, the real question is whether it was deserved or not; the film walked away empty-handed on Oscar night.

When cocky and handsome military lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and his co-counsel, Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), are assigned to a murder case, their investigation uncovers a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials.

U.S. Marines Lance Corporal Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and Private First Class Louden Downey (James Marshall) are facing a general court-martial, accused of murdering fellow Marine William Santiago at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.

Kaffee and Galloway are to determine if higher-ranking officers orchestrated and forced the lower-ranking men to carry out a “code red” order: a violent extrajudicial punishment, and their form of justice, to kill the young victim, thus silencing him forever.

The questionable part of the plot is whether Base Camp Commander Jessup (Jack Nicholson) administered the order or instead ordered Santiago’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland), to merely “train” Santiago to become a better Marine.

This is where the courtroom drama takes center stage with gusto.

As good as Moore, Sutherland, and Marshall are in their compelling roles, the film belongs to Cruise and Nicholson, the group’s veterans.

The best scenes come at the end of the film as Cruise and Nicholson spar in the courtroom with bombast and trickery.

Nicholson’s Jessup is brooding and traditional, a lifelong military man who channels honor and dedication at any cost. Cruise’s Kaffee has something to prove and wants to win at all costs. So, they tangle in a fierce, macho way.

When he catches Jessup in a lie, just as a spider captures a fly, the scenes crackle with grit and energy.

The unforgettable line, “You can’t handle the truth!” is uttered by Nicholson.

A Few Good Men will both satisfy and dissatisfy those with a connection to or a penchant for the military.

On the one hand, the film celebrates the military as a model of efficiency, and its decorated appeal is admirable.

But the film also stands up to and questions the hypocrisy of one of the oldest establishments and its male domination and bullying methods, not so different from a classic college fraternity.

The courtroom trial of a patriotic group is serious business.

While not a revolutionary film, and sticking to a tried-and-true courtroom-drama script seen on television since the beginning of time, A Few Good Men (1992) delivers a hefty two hours and twenty minutes of pure entertainment.

Powerful acting across the board makes the film a superior experience and a thought-provoking message about whether unthinkingly following orders is still a relevant approach, not just in the military, but anywhere.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor-Jack Nicholson, Best Sound, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Picture- Drama, Best Director-Rob Reiner, Best Actor-Drama-Tom Cruise, Best Supporting Actor-Jack Nicholson, Best Screenplay

1990 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Crime Drama, Drama, Film noir, Mob

The Grifters-1990

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The Grifters-1990

Director Stephen Frears

Starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston

Scott’s Review #597

Reviewed January 9, 2017

Grade: B-

The Grifters (1990) is a witty, broad-appeal film.

It is unique and quirky, in the style of a charismatic film noir from the golden age of film, the 1930s and 1940s.

The film also has a sharp, clean look.

The performances, especially Anjelica Houston, are excellent. All three leads (John Cusack, Annette Bening, and the others) give fantastic performances and feed off each other, so the chemistry works quite well.

Cusack plays a small-time crook named Roy Dillon, inept in some ways, and estranged from his mother (Huston).

When she returns to town, she, along with his girlfriend (Bening), attempts to con and outmaneuver each other for their gain.

The film is set in sunny Los Angeles.

As compelling as the film sounds on paper, I did not find myself completely captured by it. It took me a while to get into the film, and by the time I finally did, it had ended.

Overall, well-made and respectable; I can see how some people would love it, but for me, something was still missing.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Stephen Frears, Best Actress-Anjelica Huston, Best Supporting Actress-Annette Bening, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Actress-Drama-Anjelica Huston

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 2 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Female Lead-Anjelica Huston (won)