Paul Sheldon (James Caan) hates his job. His job is writing very popular, very profitable romance novels for an audience he doesn’t respect. So, having just finished a manuscript for the “serious” literary novel he hopes will transform his career, his distraction while driving through a blizzard is perhaps understandable. Naturally he crashes, breaking his leg badly, and is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a nurse who happens to be a huge fan of his Misery series of novels. A parasocial nightmare ensues, and Paul must rescue himself as Annie resorts to increasingly disturbing measures to keep Paul around until he writes exactly the sequel that Annie demands

Based on a Stephen King book, written by William Goldman and directed by the late Rob Reiner, who was much better known as a comedy and romance director, Misery toes the line between horror and hilarity as well as any movie ever made. Bates’ Annie is as much a kooky, absurd joke as she is a terrifying monster, and both halves work in concert to keep us as viewers as (literally) off-balance as Caan’s Paul is.

This screening is held in the Historic Duncan Auditorium. This space utilizes open seating for this event, seat selection is not required.

VIEW the full 2026 “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” series lineup.