Movie Description 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.
| Credits | | Producer: | Charles Mulvehill | | Cast: | Judy Parfitt |
Notes Shot on location in Nova Scotia.
The film's credits list Alex Hackford as the "Gull Wrangler."
Editorial Reviews "...A long, brooding, classy and atypically well-acted Stephen King adaptation..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars USA Today - p.8D - Mike Clark
"...[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- Entertainment Weekly - pp.72-3 - Glenn Kenny
"...Dark and grim, with a terrific central performance....It's a showy role, and Bates plays it to the hilt..." Variety - Brian Lowry
"...A vivid film that revolves around Ms. Bates's powerhouse of a performance..." New York Times - p.C14 - Janet Maslin
"...Bates and Leigh are well matched here..." Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (03/24/1995)
| See an error? Submit a change request |