Dolores Claiborne

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne follows Kathy Bates’ title character as she reluctantly confronts her tragic past after the sudden appearance of her estranged daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Selena). Filmmaker Hackford, armed with a script by Tony Gilroy, delivers a slow-moving drama that benefits from its atmospheric visuals and top-notch performances, with, in terms of the latter, Bates’ often spellbinding turn certainly matched by such first-class periphery players as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, and David Strathairn. It is, as such, no surprise to discover that Dolores Claiborne grows more and more absorbing as it deliberately unfolds, and while the stagnant midsection is perhaps not quite as enthralling as one might’ve hoped (ie the 132 minute runtime is hard to justify during this stretch), the picture builds towards an engrossing third act rife with memorable encounters and set-pieces (eg Dolores and her employer, Judy Parfitt’s Vera, have a frank discussion about abusive husbands) – which, when coupled with a satisfying conclusion, ultimately confirms the movie’s place as a solid adaptation that does, curiously enough, omit the book’s horror-forward elements. (It generally works, though.)

*** out of ****