Cheap Dolores Claiborne (DVD) (Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer) (Taylor Hackford) Price

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Customer Reviews of Dolores Claiborne

Claiborne Holds Firm to the Book
In Taylor Hackford's best film to date Kathy Bates plays the title character and her exquisite performance rivals her own in Misery as the best adaptation of a Stephen King character. After being accused of murder Dolores' daughter, Selena, is summoned to her aid by a mysterious fax, the origins of which are left open to interpretation. Playing Selena if Jennifer Jason Leigh who gives her typical powerhouse performance but tackles it with a less heavy-handed approach. After twety years estranged from her mother, and the past in general, she returns home only to find painful memories and harsh questions from an old adversary, played by the Christopher Plummer and he's a marvel as the investigating officer whose closed eighty-five of the eighty-six homocides he's investigated. The one exception is Dolores' husband whose death was deemed an accident but he believes otherwise. The story unfolds like a finely layered film noir. David Strathairn (here we go again) brings a human touch to the abusive husband who could've fallen into the typical sterotype of film villians in less suitable hands. As you might of guessed the cast is nothing short of a marvel to watch and are helped immeasurably by Hackford's inventive and visually stunning direction. Scribe Tony Gilroy has crafted one of the finest adaptations of ANY novel, showing restraint and sensitivity in downplaying some of the cheesier moments from the book. In doing so he shows respect to the subject matter and maintains the engrossingly steady pace of the film. All in all it's one of the finest, though sadly overlooked, movies of 1995 and should be on every Bates/King/Plummer/Strathairn/Hackford fans must-own list.

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A finely crafted film indeed...
Let me admit this: I have never read the book and I probably never will, as I am not much of a Stephen King fan. Therefore I may not have the same view on this film, as those of you who have.

Dolores Claiborne, as a movie, is surprisingly well made. I have no doubt that this is Taylor Hackford's best film yet. I am especially impressed with the visual effects he used, during the flashbacks. He paints a vivid picture of the world of Dolores Claiborne: A world of sorrow and pain. He pulls the audience into this world and never lets go. Thus, he brings us through Dolores'life and make us feel her pain.

Another great thing about this film, is the acting. Kathy Bate's is as usual brilliant. CAN she even mess up a single line? Jennifer Jason Leigh plays as she is supposed to;nothing more, nothing less. Which in itself should be considered a superb performance. And I was also really pleased by the remarkable performance of Judy Parfitt, the actress who plays Vera. Truly a great portrayl of a women who is as hurt and angry as Dolores. The scene in which she reveals her deepest, darkest secret to Dolores (you who have seen the film will know what I am talking about) is truly one of the best scenes from a movie the last 20 years! She should have gotten an Oscar! Plummer, as detective Mackey is also extremely good. Especially in the finale of the film. Very intense!

However, I feel there is one element of this film that so far has been largely overlooked by the other reviewers: Danny Elfman's superb score. Indeed, this score should be considered one of the finest EVER. Right up there with Herrmann's PSYCHO and Steiner's KING KONG. And I seriously mean that. Elfman's music is, perhaps more than any other element of the film, that which creates the painfull, sadly mysterious atmosphere of this movie. He uses an orchestra largely consistning of strings with added piano etc. and hereby creates a cold, stark sound which is as harsh as our lead character. Yet, he also gives us a score filled with emotion and pain, a score which makes the audience (whether consiously or subconsiously) more involved in the story and makes us feel closely connected to the characters. He creates a tention, that to this day has never been mached in any other score before or since.

Still, Dolores Claiborne is not perfect (Which film is?). The script could have been fairly better penned, especially the inquest scene where Dolores is being questioned.

But overall, this is a finely crated film, which has a lot to offer in the visual department, the acting and especially the score. Well done Taylor Hacford and Danny Elfman!

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Sometimes Being A Witch Is All A Woman Has To Hang On To...
Stephen King's 1992 novel comes to life with a truly great perfomance by Kathy Bates as
the title character, Dolores Claiborne, David Straitharn as her deceased husband Joe St.
George and Jennifer Jason Leigh as their prescription pill popping progeny, Selena St.
George.

This film and novel are from King's writing period of evil, not examined through supernatural
forces, but like "Gerald's Game" and "Misery", the evil that human beings do to other human
beings. Even their own flesh and blood...

The film opens with a fall down the stairs by Vera Donovan (Judy Parfitt, Dolores' employer
and wench of a woman, a marble rolling pin a dead body and a mailman who reports the
"goings on" to the local police detective, John Mackey, played by Christopher Plummer.

Dolores is hauled in for the murder of her employer but we soon find out that this isn't the
first time Dolores has been in trouble with the law! Her husband died of unknown causes
during the solar eclipse of 1975 and many islanders think that Dolores had something to do
with the death of her abusive husband.

The movie succession is filmed in many flashback sequences through the mind's eye of
Dolores that are just quite mesmerizing! Great cinematography and direction in this film, no
doubt!

Did Dolores kill her husband twenty years ago? Did she also murder her badgering witch of
a boss, Vera Donovan? What family secrets are hidden and what will be the outcome of
Dolores and her daughter, Selena?

Watch the film and find out for yourself!

Happy Watching!