Dolores Claiborne

Name: Dolores Claiborne
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: March 24, 1995
Duration: 132 min
Rating: 62
Cast: Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kathy Bates

1995

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Ratings

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Dolores Claiborne

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: March 24, 1995 | R

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kathy Bates

Summary: This haunting adaptation of Stephen King's novel is an atmospheric whodunit that's part mystery and part human drama. (Warner Bros.)

Director: Taylor Hackford

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 132 min

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Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson

The movie is given unusually wide dimension by director Taylor Hackford, who creates a subtly scary drama that emphasizes character over caricature (in most cases) and plausibility over formulaic stupidity (again, in most cases). Read full review

Richard Schickel

The sensible formality of Taylor Hackford's direction has the effect of cooling the film's narrative frenzies and helping the actors dig some simple, truthful stuff out of the hubbub. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Although the forced ending, which seems deigned to create an unnatural moment of triumph, weakens the climactic catharsis, it doesn't diminish the naked honesty which forms the foundation of Dolores Claiborne. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Deftly cutting between the past and the present, director Taylor Hackford manages to establish a compelling mood and pace even though the pic lacks a thriller's true "Aha!" moment Read full review

Janet Maslin

Written as a book-length harangue from its heroine's point of view, and directed efficiently by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne has become a vivid film that revolves around Ms. Bates's powerhouse of a performance. Read full review

Empire Angie Errigo

Despite superb performances by Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh, a limp, almost TV movie trite, climax never comes near delivering the shocks it should. A shame, as what could have been superb, is merely average. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Since there is a mystery, the movie might have been entertaining camp had director Taylor Hackford staged it with pace, style, or a whisper of surprise. Instead, the plot just clunks forward-for two hours and 10 minutes. Read full review

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User Reviews

Scraper

Jan 12, 2014

Lost in the gloom that is Stephen King is an amazing story empowering to women. Instead of strong archetypes of today's crime shows portraying strong women as those who can sling guns and punch out the bad guys, Dolores Claiborne uses different elements. Dolores holds the burdens of aLost in the gloom that is Stephen King is an amazing story empowering to women. Instead of strong archetypes of today's crime shows portraying strong women as those who can sling guns and punch out the bad guys, Dolores Claiborne uses different elements. Dolores holds the burdens of a shattered family over huge spans of time and boldly stands in the way of those who want to destroy her to protect those who matter most. Through the grayness of the setting and the weight of the subject matter is revealed a story of strength, honor, and perseverance.… Expand

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PhilipBlake

Jun 22, 2019

Dolores Claiborne is criminaly underrated. This is one of the most intense and sick drama ever directed. One of the most subtle Stephen King story, this is almost shocking that Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh don't won an academy award for their deep performances. Danny Elfman'sDolores Claiborne is criminaly underrated. This is one of the most intense and sick drama ever directed. One of the most subtle Stephen King story, this is almost shocking that Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh don't won an academy award for their deep performances. Danny Elfman's original score would be at least nominated too. I just can't believe the poor reviews from so called professionals. When I see that some poor pop corn blockbuster crap like Captain America or Avengers have better ratings I just can't believe it. Critics are really a bunch of morons. One of the best drama ever, case closed.… Expand

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lasttimeisaw

Feb 11, 2014

It all starts with Dolores (Bates) wields a rolling pin and tries to finish the life of Vera (Parfitt), a decrepit lady in wheelchair, so the first thing jumped into my mind is, is this MISERY (1990, 8/10) part II, another Stephen King’s creepy thriller starring Kathy Bates?

Yes, theIt all starts with Dolores (Bates) wields a rolling pin and tries to finish the life of Vera (Parfitt), a decrepit lady in wheelchair, so the first thing jumped into my mind is, is this MISERY (1990, 8/10) part II, another Stephen King’s creepy thriller starring Kathy Bates?

Yes, the movie will blow you away, yet in a very divergent way, DOLORES CLAIBORNE is a majestically hatched harangue to the male-dominant society with a pungent tint of misandry, and miraculously, as a male audience, I am not repelled at all, because a trio of actresses thoroughly win me over with their powerhouse rendition, they all act like a **** to survive in the inequitable world, the undertone oozes with bone-chilling malignity which as if we are reaping our own consequences to disparage the worth of womanhood.

Director Taylor Hackford (Mr. Helen Mirren) maximizes the juicy script (adapted by Tony Gilroy with superb grasp on verbal tit-for-tat) with contrast palettes (seamlessly segue between bleak present and balmy past) to channel us into two unsolved death cases. 15 years later, Selena (Leigh), a young reporter in New York, reluctantly revisits her mother Dolores in remote Maine, who is accused of murdering the aforementioned Vera, a rich widow and the longtime employer of Dolores, who works as a maid in her house for over 20 years. Local detective John Mackey (Plummer) keeps his suspicious eyes on Dolores and steps up offensively, while the friction between the mother-daughter pair exacerbates since there is an irreconcilable one-sided estrangement (Selena to Dolores) or even hatred standing between them.

Soon what really troubles all these people comes to light, it is many many years ago during an eclipse day, Dolores’ domestic abusive husband Joe (Strathairn, heinous, smug, but dangerously sexy) accidentally (or not?) fell to his death near their home, and Dolores gets away with it (and thus ruined Mackey’s perfect career record), but the truth is never that simple, the justification and motivation behind a premeditated murder is converted to a self-defensive protection, it is a familial harassment with a much dark and more reprehensible secret, but the repercussions haunt and torture the pair for so many years although the maltreater bit the bullet long ago.

Firstly Kathy Bates is robbed for an Oscar nomination say the very least, compellingly affectionate and decisively bold as a desperate mother who will do anything to offer a better prospect for her daughter, a selfless love which she asks no recompense, even though Selena completely cuts her out of her life, she is just contented to collect her newspaper articles and be as proud as a mother can be. Bates is simply a nonesuch to be a big-screen diva with her killing bearing fluctuating between a vulnerable housewife and redoubtable matron.

Jennifer Jason Leigh, the most under-appreciated actress among her coeval, strikes as an unthankful and wayward stuck-up hipster at first, but she slowly unwinds her wound with aching perseverance and she is pretty amazing too, we are all fully aware there must be a reason behind all the bickering and rebuffs, then we discover her deepest trauma which she wholly obliterates, it hits like a big bang, and she generates wonderful luster of compassion no lesser than Bates.

The biggest surprise is the lesser-known theater actress Judy Parfitt, a bona-fide scene-stealer, plumb pivotal to the sinuous storyline, who registers unsettling incarnations during two different time frames, the younger Vera who is haughty and fastidious on the appearance, far-seeing and astute underneath; then the elder Vera, paralyzed and miserable, death is her only salvation and she wants to culminate it in her own way for the last time. Although the
She is my current win for BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS of 1995 while Leigh comes strong as the third. Last but not the least, Christopher Plummer never fail to attain the limelight with his incisive gaze and lucid utterance, even the character is not particularly interesting.

DOLORES CLAIBORNE radiates phenomenal visual potency by juxtaposing the eclipse marvel with the accentuated action set piece, only when the sun is blocked by the moon, as if it symbolizes, that’s the time the cold-blooded retribution can be consummated with heightened sentient venting! A truly remarkable movie and let’s not diminish the merit of the perfectly aligned score by Danny Elfman.… Expand

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59	#59 Best Movie of 1995
82	#82 Most Discussed Movie of 1995
83	#83 Most Shared Movie of 1995