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Dolores Claiborne, 1995
Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) is caught standing over the body of her dying employer, the wealthy Vera (Judy Parfitt). Dolores's daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) returns home when she learns that her mother is being accused of murder. As a smarmy detective (Christopher Plummer) tries to prove that Dolores is guilty, the events bring up another death from the past: the death of Dolores's husband, Joe (David Strathairn).
Another rewatch, and another film I quite enjoy.
On the surface, the film is a story about a woman who, despite being strong-willed and resourceful, finds herself put upon the subservient role that her gender and circumstances demand. But while the film has a lot of overt themes and content related to Dolores being a woman, for me the real heart of the film is the tragedy of what we'll do for those we love, and the fact that we cannot control the way that they love us back. At the same time, we also see the pain that is the pressure of being an object of love.
Everything that Dolores does---from the physically demanding work for Vera to enduring the verbal and physical abuse doled out by Joe--is for the sake of her daughter. She is determined that Selena will not share her fate. Selena will make something of herself, she will get off of the island, she will be happy.
Only that last piece is something that no parent, no matter how loving, can guarantee. And we see in Selena's misery that her mother's desperation, expectations, and even her pride create a weight that Selena cannot at times bear. Every ounce of pride in her mother's face only makes Selena feel the agony of her failures (or perceived failures) all the more.
I absolutely love Kathy Bates in this film. I'm not a fan of the phrase "real woman," but Kathy Bates both looks and feels like a real human being. She is an incredible anchor for the narrative, walking the edge of abrasive and vulnerable in the same breath. Leigh is pretty good as well, but Bates absolutely towers over everyone else in the film. Plummer is sufficiently hatable as the detective who is determined to see Dolores punished, and a very young John C Reilly is on hand as a police officer. Parfitt is at turns hilarious and tragic as the wealthy employer.
I'm always a bit mixed on stories where there are frequent flashbacks, though here I think they mostly work. I do find some of the dialogue to be a bit on the nose. There's a throughline of the line "Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hold onto." Unfortunately, I feel like it's only when Dolores says it---in response to Selena wondering why she so willingly needles others---that it actually feels appropriate. It's meant to show a kind of passing down of wisdom between generations, but I think it's only medium successful. Likewise, some of the dialogue in the final showdown is a bit clunky to my ear, though it still hits some good emotional beats.
One plot element that always bugs me a bit is the idea that
Altogether a solid mystery and character study.
Dolores Claiborne, 1995
Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) is caught standing over the body of her dying employer, the wealthy Vera (Judy Parfitt). Dolores's daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) returns home when she learns that her mother is being accused of murder. As a smarmy detective (Christopher Plummer) tries to prove that Dolores is guilty, the events bring up another death from the past: the death of Dolores's husband, Joe (David Strathairn).
Another rewatch, and another film I quite enjoy.
On the surface, the film is a story about a woman who, despite being strong-willed and resourceful, finds herself put upon the subservient role that her gender and circumstances demand. But while the film has a lot of overt themes and content related to Dolores being a woman, for me the real heart of the film is the tragedy of what we'll do for those we love, and the fact that we cannot control the way that they love us back. At the same time, we also see the pain that is the pressure of being an object of love.
Everything that Dolores does---from the physically demanding work for Vera to enduring the verbal and physical abuse doled out by Joe--is for the sake of her daughter. She is determined that Selena will not share her fate. Selena will make something of herself, she will get off of the island, she will be happy.
Only that last piece is something that no parent, no matter how loving, can guarantee. And we see in Selena's misery that her mother's desperation, expectations, and even her pride create a weight that Selena cannot at times bear. Every ounce of pride in her mother's face only makes Selena feel the agony of her failures (or perceived failures) all the more.
I absolutely love Kathy Bates in this film. I'm not a fan of the phrase "real woman," but Kathy Bates both looks and feels like a real human being. She is an incredible anchor for the narrative, walking the edge of abrasive and vulnerable in the same breath. Leigh is pretty good as well, but Bates absolutely towers over everyone else in the film. Plummer is sufficiently hatable as the detective who is determined to see Dolores punished, and a very young John C Reilly is on hand as a police officer. Parfitt is at turns hilarious and tragic as the wealthy employer.
I'm always a bit mixed on stories where there are frequent flashbacks, though here I think they mostly work. I do find some of the dialogue to be a bit on the nose. There's a throughline of the line "Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hold onto." Unfortunately, I feel like it's only when Dolores says it---in response to Selena wondering why she so willingly needles others---that it actually feels appropriate. It's meant to show a kind of passing down of wisdom between generations, but I think it's only medium successful. Likewise, some of the dialogue in the final showdown is a bit clunky to my ear, though it still hits some good emotional beats.
One plot element that always bugs me a bit is the idea that
WARNING: spoilers below
Selena would have forgotten so many details about her father's molestation AND her mother finding out. Maybe if she were younger. Maybe if it was a one-time thing. But we are supposed to believe that she has repressed repeated abuse? Being given gifts for her silence? Being confronted by her mother on the ferry? Despite being presented in a very compelling way (that mirror moment on the ferry is *chef's kiss*), it doesn't quite pass muster for me.
Altogether a solid mystery and character study.