Dolores Claiborne Reviews

To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and a re-watch might change my opinion about the whole thing. On top of that, I have never been a huge fan of Stephen King’s book adaptations but, at least, the ones with a realistic angle were always better in my opinion (with the notable exception of ‘The Shining’). Anyway, I have to admit it, it was actually a decent thriller but I couldn’t help thinking that the whole thing was pretty much a gimmick. Indeed, 5 years before, Kathy Bathes already played a major role in a Stephen King story, in ‘Misery’, and she pretty much gave a career defining performance (and, indeed, ‘Misery’ is pretty much rock solid as a feature). So, this time again, they took the same formula (thriller+Stephen King+Kathy Bates) and hoped they would reach the same success. Sure, the plot was fairly entertaining and, at the time, Jennifer Jason Leigh was definitely one of the most talented actress of her generation (too bad she never got the major breakthrough she deserved) but I can’t say I was really convinced by the whole thing. Still, to conclude, I still think it is one of the better Stephen King’s book adaptations (with all the garbage they produce, it is hardly surprising) and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I pretty much ignored this film when it was first released. I watched on it's first airing on TV, & I literally couldn't believe at how good it was. So I went out & rented it, & yep, I was right. It's that good.
The story is just perfect from beginning to end. And Kathy Bates, IMO, turns in an even better performance than she did in Misery. The plot may tend to come off as a bit complicated, but the movie does a great job of walking the viewer thru the intermingling flashbacks & various plot points that show the main character's redemptive journey. A journey which includes a mother's fight against against a man's world to save her daughter from the father's "parental indulgences" & how that struggle can lead one to find strength in the most unlikely of places.