Dolores Claiborne: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, Judy Parfitt, David Strathairn, Eric Bogosian, John C. Reilly, Ellen Muth, Bob Gunton, Roy Cooper, Wayne Robson, Ruth Marshall, Gabriel Beristain, Taylor Hackford, Charles Mulvehill, Gina Blumenfeld, Michael Kelly, Stephen King, Tony Gilroy: Amazon.ca: Video

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Dark secrets, family torments, and two murders swirl around the stoic, hardened figure of Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates), a housekeeper accused of murdering her employer of 22 years. Then there was that timely accident that took Dolores's husband (David Strathairn) during the solar eclipse of 1975. Yet with all the somber suffering that follows Dolores like a miasma of pain, none of it compares with the heartache of a relationship she has with her grown daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Although this flick is rife with horror, it is not of the supernatural kind, but rather of the torment only real people can impose on one another. The script is full of colorful language, and director Taylor Hackford successfully weaves several plot threads and psychological dilemmas throughout this engrossing tale without diminishing any of them. He not only culls intense performances from his cast, but he also brings to life the landscape around them. When the film's best-kept secret is finally given up, it occurs under the surreal backdrop of a solar eclipse that is a truly sensational bit of cinematography. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

69 Reviews

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (69 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars STUNNING -- SHOULD HAVE WON OSCARS!, Feb 18 2002

By

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dolores Claiborne (VHS Tape)

WOW...I won't go into any more detail than the previous reviewers did, as they have summed up my feelings too on this remarkable, underappreciated and underrated movie. Oscars should have gone to director Taylor Hackford, the cinematographer, Danny Elfman's haunting score, and the acting, oh my. Of course, Kathy Bates is overwhelming; Jennifer Jason Leigh has never been better; Christopher Plummer certainly sheds his "Sound of Music" persona; Judy Parfit is unbelievably effective as bitchy Vera, but her portrayal is so dimensional that we come to care for her; Ms. Parfit's scene with the pig musicbox playing "Happy Days Are Here Again" is brilliant. Also superb is Ellen Muth, who plays the young Selena, and John Reilly as the sheriff, who stands up to Plummer's state detective. Of course, one can't overlook David Straitharn as Dolores' cruel and abusive husband. His performance is so convincing that I don't think I'll like him in anything! My only regret is I didn't see this one earlier. Can we go back and do the 1995 Oscars over??
I loved this movie!!!! Stephen King should rank this and "The Green Mile" as his crowning adapted movies!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The twist in our reaction to it ., Dec 20 2002

By

Vlad (russianwriter.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dolores Claiborne (Widescreen) (DVD)

I'll start from the end : Kathy Bates playing a horrible person . Her own daughter hates her , everybody does ( including the viewers ). Little town in Maine ... she is a #1 suspect in a murder case of her employer . Detective on the case is an oldtimer , who was suspecting her in a death of her husband many years ago . How did I feel first half of this film ? I hated her sooo much . Case closed - she is guilty !
Then the second half came in ... I was so upset at myself ! There is always a second side on every coin .
Our feelings at 2 different sides of this story tear us apart and leave us confused and destroyed . Very different story based on a very different book by Stephen King .

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes Being A Witch Is All A Woman Has To Hang On To..., Jun 28 2004

By

Sheila Chilcote-Collins "Sheila Renee Chilcot... (Collinswood, Van Wert, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dolores Claiborne (Widescreen) (DVD)

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!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 69 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 142 reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes being a [..]is all a woman has to hold onto.
Selena St George has seen better days. She was once an award winning writer, but now it looks like she may lose her job and she can't seem able to get through the day without a... Read more

Published on Aug 21 2007 by Nolene-Patricia Dougan