Thought-provoking drama from John Singleton. Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a young African-American, is sent to live with his father in South Central Los Angeles. Despite his earnest attempts to stay out of trouble, he and his friends are drawn into local gang violence. Eventually he finds that he must choose between a life surrounded by crime and his desire to leave the neighbourhood and get a college education.

Sick of his 19th Century romantic heroine, Misery Chastain, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) kills her off and writes a more personal, modern novel. When his car crashes in remote mountains he is saved by 'number one fan' Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who adores Misery and has even named her pig after her. As she nurses him back to health at her remote dwelling, he realises she is not just going to let him go...