Dolores Claiborne (1995)

Editor's Note Eighteen years ago, the abusive husband of Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) died under mysterious circumstances. His death was ruled an accident despite the suspicions of police detective John Mackey. Now the elderly woman she has nursed for many years has also died--with Dolores found standing over her body with a rolling pin in her upraised hands--and this time she is accused of murder. Her estranged daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who blames Dolores for her father's death, returns to confront her with her resentment. Are things as cut-and-dried as they seem, or is there more to the story? After years of living a lie, Dolores Claiborne has to finally face the truth with her daughter--or risk losing her for good. Weaving skillfully between past and present, director Taylor Hackford delivers a deceptively adept melodrama, based on a novel by Stephen King and illuminated by Kathy Bates's bravura performance.

	Christopher Plummer
	Eric Bogosian
	Jennifer Jason Leigh
	Kathy Bates
	Stephen King - Based On Novel By
	Taylor Hackford - Director
	Gabriel Beristain - Director of Photography
	Danny Elfman - Musical Score
	Gina Blumenfeld - Producer
	Tony Gilroy - Writer

Eighteen years after being accused of murdering her husband, a small-town Maine woman again finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation. The only one who can save her from the overzealous investigator who failed to convict her before is her estranged daughter. Based on a novel by Stephen King, the film features a star-making performance by Kathy Bates as the title character, a placid woman who can take only so much before she strikes back. Christopher Plummer is the detective determined to convict this time. USA Today
"...A long, brooding, classy and atypically well-acted Stephen King adaptation..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars 03/24/1995 p.8D

Entertainment Weekly
"...[Bates and Leigh] seem hell-bent to get to the core of their characters....All the tension and pleasure of a great pitchers' duel..." -- Rating: A- 11/10/1995 pp.72-3

Variety
"...Dark and grim, with a terrific central performance....It's a showy role, and Bates plays it to the hilt..." 03/20/1995

New York Times
"...A vivid film that revolves around Ms. Bates's powerhouse of a performance..." 03/24/1995 p.C14

Chicago Sun-Times
"...Bates and Leigh are well matched here..." 03/24/1995 p.31

Chicago Sun-Times 7 of 10
Dolores Claiborne is the kind of movie where every corner of the house and lawn contains its own flashback...it's surprising how much it turns into a two-character drama...there is no false sentimentality...[and] no false theatrics in the relationship. - Roger Ebert