Dolores Claiborne Poster
62
metacriticBased on 19 Critics
74
Based on 16 Users

Release Date: March 24th, 1995

DVD Release Date: January 26th, 1999

R|2 hr 11 min

Plot Summary
In a small New England town, Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) works as a housekeeper for the rich but heartless Vera Donovan (Judy Parfitt). When Vera turns up dead, Dolores is accused of killing her elderly employer -- so her estranged daughter, Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a well-respected New York City journalist, decides to visit her mother and investigate the matter for herself. As Selena digs deeper into the case, she uncovers shocking truths about the murder and her own childhood.

Cast: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judy Parfitt, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Eric Bogosian, John C. Reilly, Ellen Muth

Director: Taylor Hackford

Genres: Crime drama

Production Co: Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation

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Ratings & Reviews

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  • 75
    Barbara ShulgasserSan Francisco Examiner

    All the performances are good, the script is subtle and waste-free and Danny Elfman's score is evocative and appropriate, but the direction is what gives the movie its sweep. show more

  • 75
    Roger EbertChicago Sun-Times

    It's sometimes distracting to tell a story in flashbacks and memories; the story line gets sidetracked. The director, Taylor Hackford, is successful, however, in making the present seem to flow into and out of the past. show more

  • 75
    Mick LaSalleSan Francisco Chronicle

    The mysteries of Dolores Claiborne are never gripping enough to consume an audience, and there are few, if any, surprises along the way. But the women are wonderful and reason enough to see the picture. show more

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