Best-selling novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is on his way home from his Colorado hideaway after completing his latest book,when he crashes his car in a freak blizzard. Paul is critically injured, but is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), Paul's "number one fan", who takes Paul back to her remote house in the mountains (without bothering to tell anybody). Unfortunately for Paul, Annie is also a headcase. When she discovers that Paul has killed off the heroine in her favourite novels, her reaction leaves Paul shattered (literally)...