You won't be disappointed!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Dolores Claiborne" is an intriguing adaptation of Stephen King's fascinating novel, featuring a terrifying and thought-provoking account of a middle-aged woman's complex and tragedy-ridden life. Kathy Bates superbly portrays Dolores Claiborne, the main character whose marriage, work life, motherhood and subsequent years after the unfolding of the events depicted in the movie are the film's central frame. We see Kathy Bates as a young mother and maidservant for the difficult Vera Donovan, who is portrayed by the great Judy Parfitt. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Dolores' daughter Selena, a complex character with more facets than a first look would allow to notice. While John C. Reilly and Christopher Plummer play great supporting roles, it's David Strathairn who may be the most outstanding supporting actor in the movie, portraying a frightening version of Dolores' husband Joe.Stephen King's novel may well be one of my personal favorite books, so it was only with great expectations that I started watching Taylor Hackford's interpretation of the story. Hackford changed a lot about the time line and added scenes including further confrontations between Selena and Dolores, but none of those decisions affected the movie in a negative way. The film mainly works thanks to the amazing performance of Kathy Bates, one of the best actresses working nowadays who deserves to be given more serious stuff in the vein of "Misery", "Fried Green Tomatoes" or "Dolores Claiborne" to work with. The story itself may be a rather ordinary one, but Stephen King made it work thanks to the unusual style of writing and one of his most memorable and most interesting narrators, and Taylor Hackford made it work thanks to casting Kathy Bates in this complex role.It is my personal belief that "Dolores Claiborne" easily lives up to the reputation of another Stephen King classic starring Kathy Bates, "Misery". While the latter may be the more memorable movie, there is no doubt that both these movies (and novels) are incredibly well-written and turn a simply premise into an engaging and thrilling story. Even if you already know the plot from the beginning to the end - as you do by reading Stephen King's novel, where he establishes the main plot elements from the very beginning -, both the movie and the book will not stop being engaging until its very end, and in my opinion, that's what good storytelling is about. It may not be a masterpiece, but it is an underrated story more than deserving of your attention and your time.

On an island in Maine, housekeeper Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) is detained after her employer Vera Donovan falls to her death. The mailman stops Dolores before she smashes Vera's head in with a rolling pin. In NYC, Dolores' journalist daughter Selena St. George (Jennifer Jason Leigh) receives a mysterious fax with a news report about the incident. She returns to her hometown to help her mother. Dolores' abusive drunken husband Joe St. George (David Strathairn) is revealed in flashbacks.Kathy Bates is great once again in another adaptation of a Stephen King psychological thriller. There is nothing supernatural except for Bates' acting abilities. If there is a problem, it's a bit too long with so few thrilling moments. The reveals are terrific. Strathairn is a great villain. It would be better if the movie is tighter.

Dolores Claiborne (1995): Dir: Taylor Hackford / Cast: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Judy Parfitt: Compelling thriller about endurable secrets. Kathy Bates stars as Dolores Claiborne who is in police custody for the murder of her boss. She claims to be innocent even though she was witnessed holding a rolling pin over the victim's head. Her daughter Selena arrives home due to an anonymous fax. Christopher Plummer portrays the lawyer out to prove Claiborne guilty. Their hatred dates back to the 1963 eclipse when he was unable to prove that she murdered her abusive husband. Director Taylor Hackford does a remarkable job going from past to present using lighting. Powerful performance by Bates whose past harbours scars but her future contains hope with a confession to her daughter to unearth buried pain. Jennifer Jason Leigh is flawless as her daughter Selena who uses pills to block out scars yet come to grips when she is her mother's last line of defence. Plummer is outstanding as the cynical lawyer whose only loss is to Claiborne but can he risk losing again? David Strathairn is vile as Claiborne's abusive liquor guzzling husband whose death is questionable moral. Judy Parfitt plays Claiborne's boss Vera Donovan whose presence is icy yet steers Claiborne to her ultimate option. Powerful and compelling film regarding carefully hidden sins. Score: 8 / 10

I usually don't review films that 100 or more people have already reviewed, but on rare occasions -- either because a film is exceptionally good or bad -- I make an exception. As I am doing here, for a film which is exceptionally good.Above all else, this film excels due to strong performances by an excellent cast. And at the top of the list is Kathy Bates. This was just one in a series of bravura performances by Bates in the 1990s, and she was at the top of her form here.I can't say that I enjoy Jennifer Jason Leigh in this film, but there's no denying her acting as the bitter now grown daughter was very good. Judy Parfitt, as the murder victim...or not, turns in a riveting performance, particularly the scenes where she subtly suggests murder and where she is an almost total invalid. Christopher Plummer, in a not so likable role as a police investigator, also posts a strong performance. This happened to be the first film in which I saw (or at least noticed) David Strathairn, here in a strong performance as the abusive husband.The script is also strong. I think flashbacks in films are overdone, but here they work well in relating what is a two-part story that ultimately centers around child molestation. Most of the photography is somewhat stark, but that works well for the story and the location; the photography during the eclipse is quite stunning.I rarely give an "8"; my rule for that is that it has to be something unique. This is a rather unique film, and I think one of the better translations of a Stephen King novel to the screen.Highly recommended.