Great Film The Academy Failed To Notice
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Dolores Claiborne
scottsteaux63-735-780576 — 13 years ago(December 02, 2012 10:24 AM)
In 1990 Kathy Bates delivered a memorable, Oscar-winning performance as the crazed fan Annie Wilkes in MISERY, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Five years later, once again in a King adaptation, she gave arguably an even better and more multi-faceted performance in the title role of DOLORES CLAIBORNE, a non-horror story about a woman's past and the daughter she will do anything to protect. She is aided and abetted here by great performances by the ensemble: Jennifer Jason Leigh as the adult Selena, Dolores's daughter, a pill-popping, hard drinking investigative reporter who dresses all in black and whose entire affect is one of "leave me alone;" Ellen Muth as Selena at thirteen (a particular coup; much of this movie is told in flashback and the resemblance between Muth and Leigh is astounding); Judy Parfitt as Dolores's imperious employer, Christopher Plummer as a detective with an axe to grind against Dolores for something in her past; and the great David Strathairn as Dolores's alcoholic husband Joe. Yet this move failed to garner a single Oscar nomination, something I shall never understand.
The flashbacks in this movie are perhaps the most arresting thing in it: the story is memory, and what makes this film special is that the "now" is filmed in unrelenting shades of grimy grey, while the flashbacks are in brilliant color, a stroke of genius for director Taylor Hackford, as it delivers a powerful message that the past shapes us more than we even realize.
Running through this film is the leitmotif "Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hold onto." Spoken by the adult Serena, Dolores's employer Vera Donovan, and Dolores herself, this is in many ways the central theme of the story: the ways in which women are mistreated, judged, and often abused by the men around them. It is probably the most feminist story King ever wrote, a gritty and realistic tale about women taking care of one another and bonding together in defense against the various cruelties inflicted on them by the men in their lives.
Bates is sensational in the title role; in many ways this is an even better performance than that which she gave in MISERY; it requires her to play a great deal many more notes, age something like eighteen years, and create a woman who is has become her own person through blood, sweat, and tears. Dolores is cranky, has a bit of a temper, and is eccentric in that "there's always one in every small town" kind of way. But not crazy. She is as sane as you and I (assuming of course that we are sane, but eye digress), and when faced with an abomination, she takes matters in hand out of sheer desperation. Yet to call her simply a "victim" would not be correct; she's tough, and she fights back. Fights dirty, too, when the need arises.
Judy Parfitt as the snooty Vera is terrific; she gives the film a few laughs at unexpected moments despite the fact that she is an even more tragic figure than Dolores.
Perhaps the only member of the cast who can truly be called a victim is Selena at thirteen; Ellen Muth, a brilliant young actress, delivers the goods with a powerful performance. The adult Serena is better termed a "survivor;" she may overdo the booze and the pills, but she's still standing. Leigh is virtually flawless here.
Special mention must be made of Christopher Plummer as the detective, so certain that Dolores has committed a murder that he enters the film with his mind made up. Condescending in the extreme, his final showdown, when it comes, is not with Dolores, but with Selena.
And last but by no means least, the marvelous David Strathairn as Joe. Joe is a hateful character; he abuses Dolores both verbally and physically, and gets meaner when he drinks. Yet Strathairn somehow manages to make him rather a pathetic character; you might hate him, but you'll also pity him.
This is a truly great film that was completely overlooked by the Academy. Shame on them.
Never mess with a middle-aged, Bipolar queen with AIDS and an attitude problem!
roflol >< -
scottsteaux63-735-780576 — 13 years ago(December 06, 2012 03:30 PM)
It always felt to me like they actually went out of their way to ignore this movie. Bates, Parfitt, Leigh, Muth, and Strathairn all deliver Oscar-worthy performances, and the direction by Taylor Hackford, cinematography by Gabriel Beristain, and screenplay by Tony Gilroy were all among the best we saw that year. Yet none of them got so much as a nomination.
Never mess with a middle-aged, Bipolar queen with AIDS and an attitude problem!
roflol >< -
scottsteaux63-735-780576 — 13 years ago(December 07, 2012 12:27 PM)
That could be; I remember thinking the promos made it look and feel like a horror story when it was nothing of the kind.
Never mess with a middle-aged, Bipolar queen with AIDS and an attitude problem!
roflol >< -
scottsteaux63-735-780576 — 13 years ago(December 08, 2012 09:24 AM)
I have read it, and reading it gave me an even greater appreciation for the film because I would never have thought they could have told that story successfully. But Tony Gilroy was very clever; in some ways his screenplay begins where the novel ends: the adult Selena never appears in the book.
Never mess with a middle-aged, Bipolar queen with AIDS and an attitude problem!
roflol >< -
dcabigail — 13 years ago(December 26, 2012 10:49 PM)
Excellent write up Scott. I too thought this was overlooked by the academy. Misery was good but it was over the top and pretty much a one note film. For all you said in your review and more Dolores Claiborne was my number one film that year and stands up as one of my favorites. I agree with you about the past being incredibly colorful and brilliant in contrast to the gray grimy present. I loved the transitions from present to past as well. It was done better than any movie transitions from one period to another.
Whats interesting to me most is not that it was overlooked by the academy. They are always overlooking great films in favor of average films. What interests me is that some people, myself included, consider this a minor masterpiece while the overwhelming majority look at it as an average at best movie. How is this possible? They are not watching the same movie that I am if they consider this average! A friend of mine and I disagree vehemently on this movie. He thinks its ok. Ok? I think id prefer he hated it. At least a strong opinion on a film I consider great would be better than calling it average! -
ToastedCheese — 3 years ago(July 27, 2022 12:39 PM)
In 1990 Kathy Bates delivered a memorable, Oscar-winning performance as the crazed fan Annie Wilkes in MISERY, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Five years later, once again in a King adaptation, she gave arguably an even better and more multi-faceted performance in the title role of DOLORES CLAIBORNE, a non-horror story about a woman's past and the daughter she will do anything to protect.
1995 was a strong year for film and female performances. I do love that Susan Sarandon finally won an Oscar, which was also well earned. The un-nominated Bates gave her a run for her money though. Nominating Streep and Thompson was more for show. The un-nominated Nicole Kidman would have also been a better choice for nominating, for her wickedly black comic performance in
To Die For
.
Bates though in
Misery
, I find memorable for all the wrong reasons. What she did in
Dolores Claiborne
, I find she failed to deliver in
Misery
. It was over-praised and lacked depth and nuance. Her superficiality just doesn't cut it for me with her portrayal of Annie Wilkes.
The adult Serena is better termed a "survivor;" she may overdo the booze and the pills, but she's still standing. Leigh is virtually flawless here.
Leigh as always, is outstanding. The dark qualities in Leigh's talent and the disturbing past that Selena held within her, was a perfect showcase for JJL. She was believable throughout and both her and Bates made for a terrific pairing as estranged mother and daughter.
Norman! What did you put in my tea? -
ToastedCheese — 3 years ago(July 27, 2022 12:48 PM)
It sounds like both these films trigger those that are anti-intelligent as well.
Men like Joe exist and in David Strathairn's capable hands, he did a great job at getting you to really despise Joe and making him believable as well. He made him pathetic, with an inkling of sympathy for him, and only at how pathetic he really was.
Norman! What did you put in my tea? -
Richard Burton's Chin — 3 years ago(July 27, 2022 12:54 PM)
Bates though in Misery, I find memorable for all the wrong reasons. What she did in Dolores Claiborne, I find she failed to deliver in Misery. It was over-praised and lacked depth and nuance. Her superficiality just doesn't cut it for me with her portrayal of Annie Wilkes.
^This so much. I don't understand the praise that movie gets or Bates as Annie. Terrible.
This is a very good movie with very strong actors doing excellent work. It is an underappreciated film. -
ToastedCheese — 3 years ago(July 27, 2022 01:35 PM)
I re-watched
Misery
again the other night and Bates was worse than I recalled. Not saying she gave a rotten performance, but the truth be told, it just wasn't on the money and neither was the film as a whole.
I don't get why viewers who praise the film can't see this. The film lacked the edge of the novel and it took too many missteps in its representation of the material. Bates did not deserve an Oscar for her performance in
Misery
.
Norman! What did you put in my tea?