If we look at Kathy Bates’ filmography, we’ll find titles as important as Titanic or Fried Green Tomatoes, however, among all the great productions in which the American actress participated, there’s a name that stands out: Crazy Obsession. Speaking of Crazy Obsession, it’s about Bates’ brilliant performance as Annie Wilkes, the unforgettable villain who earned an Oscar for Best Actress.
What makes Annie Wilkes so special? The bad guys often leave us intrigued, disturbed and fascinated. Bad guys, in general, often arouse the public’s interest and also their repudiation. But Annie Wilkes’ charm is different from the one we usually see for the most part. Villains.
- He’s such a real character.
- So believable.
- He’s scared.
- Who would expect a person so unbearable to hide behind such a retired nurse.
- Who was at the head of the maternity ward?.
Annie Wilkes is a character with a very complex, aggressive, obsessive and bipolar personality, yet the image she projects in the world is very different from reality.
The film Mad Obsession (1990), directed by Rob Reiner, is an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name, in the novel there is a further deepening of the character’s past and some omitted data is clarified in the film version. .
However, Kathy Bates’s work is so sublime that it ends up being the incarnation of this villain, an incarnation that arouses the curiosity of the public and keeps us in a state of constant agony, as if we lived in our own skin the tortures to which the acclaimed writer Paul Sheldon submits. Bates’ performance has been acclaimed by audiences and critics and is considered one of the greatest female performances of all time. She was also the first woman to receive an Oscar for Best Actress in a Thriller.
If you haven’t seen the movie Crazy Obsession or read King’s novel, it’s not recommended that you continue reading this article, as we’ll delve deeper into the troubled Annie Wilkes.
In the midst of heavy snowfall, acclaimed Mad Obsession book writer Paul Sheldon suffers an accident and is rescued by Annie Wilkes, who claims to be his number one fan. In an inhospit place, with only two characters on stage, we are presented with a true horror story; suffocating and unbearable, like Mad Obsession.
Wilkes is a middle-aged woman, sturdy and quite sober, her appearance is as simple as possible, without great jewelry or luxuries, she could easily be considered a conservative for her appearance, she does not wear makeup, her hairstyle is simple and the only thing that stands out in her outfit is a small golden cross that hangs from her neck. This cross, as common as it is traditional, is an element that we have seen countless times and that can give us a clue about Wilkes’ personality.
However, this small element that we associate with Catholicism and, therefore, with the values inherent in religion, contrasts with Annie’s true personality. In turn, the small farmhouse in which he lives reminds us of a simple and quiet person, albeit a little sticky. , because it is decorated with quite ridiculous and ancient elements, such as the collection of small porcelain statues. This decoration, at the same time, seems well calculated. Wilkes is able to perceive the slightest change, showing an obsessive personality.
Initially, Paul Sheldon thinks she has fallen into good hands, after suffering an accident and stopping, she wakes up at the home of a retired nurse who, curiously, is a fan of her work and she promises to take care of him. and help him recover. He also tells her that she has warned her about what happened to her family and the hospital and that as soon as the roads open, she will be able to take her to the nearest hospital.
However, none of this was true. Gradually, it shows a certain bipolarity: with a benevolent tone and excessive kindness, we begin to address hysteria, anger and aggression. It’s as if Wilkes can’t contain himself when he discovers that Paul Sheldon had decided to murder Misery Chastain in the last book. Around this time, we also learned that this aggressive and obsessive personality may have always existed in Wilkes, as she herself recalls an episode of her childhood in which she was very angry in the films for the ‘inconsistency she observed in one of her favorite characters.
Lonely Wilkes seems to have an extremely childish side, who likes to fantasize about fictional characters; A true fan of his time, he met Mad Obsession’s novels as he went through a bad time in his life, and served as a subterfuge. Annie Wilkes dreamed of these stories to the point of obsessing over them. so obsessed that she kidnapped the author of the books.
Upon discovering that the protagonist died in the last book, his personality became as cold as the landscape around them, turning the small farm into a real hell for writer Paul Sheldon, evoking an evil worthy of one of the best villains ever seen in cinema. .
Unfortunately, fame can be very dangerous, being a public figure transforms our intimacy into a reason for debate, discussion and something susceptible to criticism, a simple mistake, an inappropriate comment, an unfortunate response, or just any reaction, can put our lives at risk. Hell At the same time, there are people who develop certain obsessions with certain characters, obsessions that can become very dangerous.
Annie Wilkes loves Paul Sheldon, she is in love with him, but not her true personality, she is in love with the idealized image she has created in her head, that obsessive love, linked to various mental disorders that the character suffers of of course, leads him to kidnap and torture him. How can someone who loves someone else hurt you so much?Because it’s not true love. It’s an idealized love, turned into obsession.
Annie Wilkes’ case is terrifying, but also very real, this is not the first time a person has become so obsessed with his idol, we remember, for example, the murder of John Lennon at the hands of fan Mark David Chapman.
The film also questions the artist’s freedom: is he really free to choose what he writes?The answer is no. At first we see the importance of her literary agent, the advice she gives her and how she tries to guide Sheldon towards a more commercial reading.
The author is fed up, you want to embark on a new adventure, you want to try other genres . . . something that will upset the publishing world because it is less profitable and, at the same time, will annoy fans for not being faithful. Publishers, like the world of cinema, are always looking for the most cost-effective option, the one that attracts the public the most, the masses, regardless of the quality of the works, or the initial ideas of the author.
Thus, it shows us the other side of the writer’s life, the loss of creative freedom. Does Wilkes become the new one? Sheldon and forces her to write down what she wants and how she wants it. In addition, little by little, we discovered that Wilkes was involved in other murders and that his perversity was still present.
She is a character who frightens her with her realism, her dark past as a murder nurse and her deep obsession that drives her crazy.
“I’m your number one fan. ” Annie Wilkes-