DOLORES CLAIBORNE
A film review by Alex Fung
Copyright 1995 Alex Fung
Starring Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Judy Parfitt Screenplay by Tony Gilroy, based on the novel by Stephen King Produced by Taylor Hackford and Charles Mulvehill Directed by Taylor Hackford Rated AA [Adult Accompaniment for those under thirteen] in Ontario for brief violence, profanity and mature themes Running time: 131 minutes
Me: *** (out of four stars)
The release of DOLORES CLAIBORNE into wide release this weekend adds another entry into the long list of film adaptations of Stephen King's work. This slow-moving character study provides some outstanding acting performances by the principals, but suffers from a tepid conclusion, inconsistent direction, and may not have wide commercial appeal.
When the maid, Dolores Claiborne, is found brandishing a rolling pin standing over the bloody and dead body of her employer, it seems like an open-and-shut murder case. Upon hearing of the death via a mysterious fax, Dolores' estranged and bitter daughter, Esquire magazine writer Selena St. George, returns from New York back to her tiny island village childhood home. As the two clash horns, the story behind the mysterious death of Dolores' abusive husband two decades ago, ruled an accident despite the protests of Detective John Mackey, is revealed. Did Dolores kill her husband? And did she kill her employer?
DOLORES CLAIBORNE is certainly more of a character study than a suspense thriller. Consequently, it is fortunate that their cast includes some of Hollywood's finest character actors, such as Bates, Leigh and Strathairn.
Kathy Bates plays the film's title character, and gives a sensational lead performance. DOLORES CLAIBORNE is essentially a showcase for the talent of Bates, as her character has a huge amount of screen time. She dominates the screen, producing a character that is compelling and arresting, as we watch the character go through two decades of history via flashbacks. Kathy Bates' performance is award-calibre stuff.
The rest of the cast is also very good. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the perpetually sour, bitter Helena St. George well, and Christopher Plummer seems to be enjoying himself as Dolores' ever-present nemesis, the determined Detective John Mackey. David Strathairn is particularly interesting and suitably smarmy and despicable as Dolores' husband, Joe St. George. Judy Parfitt is fine as Dolores' tyrannic socialite employer, Vera Donovan--it would have been interesting to see, say, Meg Foster in this role. Child actor Ellen Muth is also worth noting as the young Selena during the flashback sequences; she is very impressive.
The direction of DOLORES CLAIBORNE by Taylor Hackford wildly varies throughout the film, ranging from some parts which are quite clever in their own right, to parts which are embarrassingly hokey. The segues between flashbacks and the present are very hit-and-miss in terms of effectiveness. The pacing of the film tends to be numbingly slow, which tends to undermine any suspense which might be built up. However, the cinematography by Gabriel Beristain is wonderful--I particularly like the chilling ice-blue hue permeating the present-day scenes, contrasting well with the many Nova Scotia ocean shots--and Danny Elfman provides a surprisingly understated score for the film.
It would seem that the commercial potential of DOLORES CLAIBORNE is limited. None of the performers in the film could be classified as a big draw, and its pacing may be a turn-off to those expecting a gripping suspense film filled with twists and turns and car crashes and axe-wielding psychopaths. Although being essentially the only film in its genre in release now, it may also be hurt by the negative perception of King works, even with the recent critical success of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and THE STAND.
DOLORES CLAIBORNE suffers from a very unsatisfying conclusion, and moves very slowly. However, the performances are uniformly excellent, particularly Kathy Bates, and the film has its moments. On my four-star scale, I give DOLORES CLAIBORNE three stars.
-- Alex Fung (aw220@freenet.carleton.ca)
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