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Dolores Claiborne

Play trailer Poster for Dolores Claiborne R,  1995,  2h 11m,  Crime/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 87% 52 Reviews Tomatometer 82% 25,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
87% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
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.
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Critics Consensus

Post-Misery Kathy Bates proves to be another wonderful conduit for Stephen King's novels in this patient, gradually terrifying thriller.

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Critics Reviews

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Glenn Kenny Entertainment Weekly Jan 20, 2026
A-
Confrontations between ”crude” parent and ”sophisticated” child have long been a dramatic commonplace, but both actresses seem hell-bent to get to the core of their characters. Go to Full Review
Hugo Davenport Daily Telegraph (UK) Nov 18, 2022
Aided by strong performances, Hackford keeps the suspense simmering nicely until a botched courtroom showdown... Interesting, though, to see Stephen King in the guise of feminist. Go to Full Review
Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune Oct 4, 2019
3.5/4
It's rare to see a pop best seller come out this well in the movies. Go to Full Review
Len Capeling Birmingham Post Jun 9, 2026
This is not one of Stephen King's most absorbing tales, but it's saved from itself -- just -- by another outstanding performance from Kathy Bates. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Mar 26, 2025
4/5
Earns its keep among the best King adaptations for its depiction of lives with eternal asterisks — the horrors that quickly crash & slowly recede when you least expect, that you can’t really see lurking in any shadows but that you can always, always feel. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Nov 17, 2024
3/4
...a slow-moving drama that benefits from its atmospheric visuals and top-notch performances... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ron S Apr 15, 2019 very VERY underrated king movie, an in depth direction and story telling with cold perspective. a story that keeps you guessing and simply wanting more of all the way through, a dramatic false crime and fantastic production/direction See more
Ron R Mar 29, 2019 "Sometimes you have to be a high riding bitch to survive, sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to hang on to" - Vera Donovan This is my favorite movie, End review. See more
George S Sep 6, 2018 A truly thrilling , emotional, clever film. This is my first review on Rotten Tomatoes as I have never felt the need to cast my opinions out there . Cathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Christopher Plumber all live above and beyond expectation with regards to their sheer talent ,but I feel that my favourite character by far was Vera Donavan portrayed by Judy Parfitt. Amidst all her superiority and " bitchyness " one cannot help but admire this woman both character and actress alike. She plays the part to perfection making every scene she's in so so thrilling to watch . What a fascinating lady she is. The same can be said for Cathy Bates and Jennifer of course but there's just something extra special and gripping about watching Judy Parfitts emotion seep thru in to her portrayal of Vera. Each and every actor is perfectly suited and this film is impossible to not enjoy even though the subject content is very dark. I cried at several points throughout this film forgetting that it is a work of fiction. This is a must see gem that is very easily forgotten about due to the success of "Misery" . In my general opinion i feel I loved this book adaption more so. The character Cathy Bates played in Misery was Psychopathic to begin with but in Dolores Claiborne we see how life has forged her character over the years due to all she went through. See more
Han S Jul 6, 2018 Smartly acted and directed, this is one of the finer Stephen King adaptations you'll find.
Leia R Feb 22, 2018 Bates gives a knockout performance, and proves that she should be in more Stephen King adaptations. For a thriller, there's isn't as much tension as you usually expect, but this is worth seeing for performances and how the story plays out. See more
Leia L Jan 12, 2018 Great acting with surprising twists. Kathy Bates is superb.
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Dolores Claiborne

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Taylor Hackford
Producer
Taylor Hackford, Charles Mulvehill
Screenwriter
Tony Gilroy, Stephen King
Production Co
Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.8M
Runtime
2h 11m
Sound Mix
Surround
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