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The story takes place in small coastal town where Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) is accused of killing her employer - aging, mean and wealthy Vera Donovan (Judy Parfitt). Dolores' estranged daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who is a journalist comes to visit her mother after years of not seeing her. We also see the flashbacks of Dolores being stuck in marriage to her abusive husband (David Strathairn) and her and her daughter slowly drifting apart.
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All the women in Dolores Claiborne are up against something but they don't give up - they emerge victorious. Dolores takes a stand against her abusive husband. When he hits her her response is grabbing an axe and letting him know the next time he hits her, she will kill him. Selena has monumental issues but she still goes back to her home town because she knows she cannot leave her mother alone. And Vera? Vera refuses to live life - or die - the way everyone expects her to. She is the epitome of defiance.
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The movie is a very touching and powerful portrayal of motherhood with Dolores being able to survive the worst humiliation, but incapable of standing idly by as something is happening to her daughter. Everything she does, she does for Selena. I loved the scenes between Kathy Bates and young actress who played the young Selena and her scenes with Jennifer Jason Leigh which also had the same kind of grudging familiarity to them. Selena is a very interesting and unique character in her own right - in any other movie, when the truth comes out you would see a major break down scene but because Selena's entire life ever since she was thirteen was a major break down and she already suffered so much the truth cannot make her suffer more. She stands strong and does the only thing she can - supports her mother.
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The film has so many incredible and memorable scenes but there is one that is amazingly touching when we see Dolores caring for aging, aching Vera. Vera who spent her life being harsh and haughty hates her situation. She begins to sob hysterically, crushed by the fact that all she has is Dolores, everyone else hates her and all that waits for her is pain and death. Then Dolores brings her a porcelain figurine of a pig that also plays a tune. The figurine starts playing and we see Vera calm down and Dolores smiling. Such a small, intimate and profound act of kindness of bringing someone a momentary escape from their pain.
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There are monsters in this movie, though - Dolores' repulsive husband and the whole mentality of the small town that passed sentence on Dolores years ago and forced her to live as a recluse. Don't think the men in the movie are all portrayed as villainous - there is sweet John C. Reilly and a righteous cop played by Christopher Plummer who is sure that Dolores killed her husband all those years ago so he is hell bent on putting her behind the bars. He just wants to do his job and to be fair all evidence points to Dolores.
The interesting bit is that the only unusual element here - which makes it stand out even more and adds to it being so memorable - is that the key event of the movie happens during solar eclipse. The whole scene is beautifully shot and the red sky above Maine coast line is not a sight that is easy to forget.
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Seeing how this movie failed to get awards acclaim and stories very similar to it, directed in a manner that almost seems inspired by Dolores Claiborne went to earn multiple nominations in recent years, even though they are not the first ones telling stories of strong women in harsh realities, only shows that perhaps cinema is deteriorating - show me a supporting actress turn lately that matches that of Judy Parfitt in this movie. Kathy Bates herself calls her performance here her favorite and I'd lean toward choosing this one as my favorite of hers too. While Misery is a spectacular role, Bates gets to do so much more and show much wider range as Dolores, a woman who is forced to go to unimaginable lengths and to do that she must find the strength inside herself she never knew existed.
Dolores Claiborne is not an easy movie - it has some truly disturbing scenes and the psychological turmoil depicted here is quite overwhelming. It is however wonderfully crafted and told in a very unique way with the use of unreliable narrator, flashbacks blending with present day events and story reveals shown through the characters accessing their long forgotten, discarded or repressed memories. All of that makes it worth seeing but what makes it exceptional are the amazing performances.
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Plot: A big-city reporter travels to the small town where her mother has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman that she works for as a maid.
Director: Taylor Hackford
Writers: Stephen King (book), Tony Gilroy (screenplay)
Stars: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer
Never heard of this...sounds really interesting tho. Fantastic graphics, as usual.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I write those posts to get you guys to see those movies! :) Thanks!
DeleteThis was an amazing film. Thanks you for reminding (or introducing) people of this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting!
DeleteI haven't seen this movie, although I read the book many years ago. (I loved the character!) Based on your recommendation, I'll look for it.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should, it's a great film!
DeleteOh shit you wrote a review! lol
ReplyDeleteI've never seen this myself but now I really want to.
I wrote it like a year ago, just added a bit to it since the drafts are a wasteland...and so many Logan posts lol
DeleteYou totally should see it....after Glengarry :P
I think this is an underrated film. Everything you just said is absolutely smacked on. I hope to re-watch this very soon as there's a lot about the film that I like a lot
ReplyDeleteI just rewatched it on Sunday before finishing the review and it aged so well, it's so uniquely crafted and the story really is quite timless
Deletethank you for highlighting this movie, I have never heard of it either! will most definitely check it out now!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll like it! It's very heavy but it's a great film that is definitely worth seeing
DeleteI concur that it's extremely underrated. Don't know why it doesn't get more attention. Kathy Bates was excellent as the title character.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see fans here! I still don't get how the film didn't get at least to the Globes
DeleteWhoa. I'm completely in for watching this one, as I had forgotten all about it. As a die-hard King fan ever since I was a kid, I'd be extra stoked to track this one down. Throw in Kathy Bates in her 'favorite' performance and I'm totally sold (she's basically the best thing in anything she's ever been in).
ReplyDeleteGreat RF! I mean, review. Great review.
It's over 2h long but it's very fast paced even though it's a hugely 'internal' movie - so much is happening and the flashbacks are so well placed in the narrative there is not one dull moment.
DeleteHaha, like you commented on RF *Tinkerbel shade dust*
I'm building up the strength to get to last week's RF, okay?
DeleteLast is nothing comparing to what I have in draft for Friday :)
DeleteFound you through The Film Experience. Very underrated film in it's performances, cinematography, and screenplay adaptation. The studio really dropped the ball in not getting some Award support for Bates, Leigh, and Parfitt. A terrific, tragic thriller.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see so many fans of the movie! I'm truly astonished it didn't score big awards, the performances are all fantastic
DeleteOne of my favorite movies. It's just so good. The cinematography in this film was just gorgeous. Vera had the best lines. That's one thing I have to give kudos to Stephen King for--the dialogue was just delicious.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah the dialogue was amazing, so many memorable lines!
DeleteGreat review. I agree, this is not an easy film to take, but everyone excels in it. Strathairn is such a goddamn beast in this film. That fucking ferry ride, good god.
ReplyDeleteThat ferry ride is one of the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen. It's so sickening
DeleteDelighted to come across this well-written piece on a favorite movie :)
ReplyDeleteBoth the book and the movie do an excellent job of portraying female characters refusing to accept the limitations of their enclosed society. What makes the Dolores Claiborne novel further stand out is that it can be read as a companion novel to Gerald's Game or vice versa.