Big omission from the book that surprised me… *BOOK SPOILERS*
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Dolores Claiborne
sparklemotion149 — 10 years ago(June 28, 2015 11:23 AM)
I got a copy of the book for 50p from a flea market to take with my on holiday. One of those great little finds, where I was confident I'd enjoy it with sun to soak up and time to enjoy a good book. Of course, it paid off, and the book is a beautiful, haunting piece with touches of horror that stayed with me long after I'd finished reading.
Perhaps in a foolhardy way, I sought out the film as soon as I was back off my holiday, very happy to know Kathy Bates starred as Delores. (It's never a good idea to read/watch adaptations so closely together IMO!)
I just watched the film, and by and large, I felt it was a damn good adaptation. I was happily surprised that the confessional monologue, which is perfect for the novel, was made suitable for the screen and re-told as it was with some great structuring. Although the Selena/Delores POV was an addition, it felt true to the tone of the novel and didn't contradict what I'd already read. They seemed to go hand in hand, as companions, rather than as conflicting mediums of a similar tale.
I am not a stickler for changes from book to novel - they are necessary, and often welcome. However, there was one aspect of the novel I was very surprised wasn't in the film, which is the extended tale of Joe's death. BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD
In the novel, a key event is that Joe is not killed outright. He calls out for help from Delores, and begins to climb the well before falling back down. Delores goes to bed paranoid that he will climb out, and when she goes to check on him he grabs her ankle (very Carrie esque!). Delores is forced to use a rock to hit him over the head and finish him off, where she is still convinced he isn't dead, and constantly checks on his twisted corpse at the bottom of the well. She is haunted by him shouting her name, echoed by Vera later in her life.
The stuff of nightmares. Plotting a murder (no matter how justified) is horrific as it is, without the reality of death creeping up on you and things don't go to plan. This area of the book haunted me massively, and I was hugely surprised it wasn't in the film.
I understand that the main discourse was mother/daughter, but the novel did lay out that Delores never wanted her daughter to know about her responsibility in the death. Okay I can buy that for this alternate re-telling, Delores does tell Selena, and in my head she was telling her the cleanest possible version of what happened.
When Selena and Delores parted ways at the harbour, I was convinced that we were going finish by seeing an expanded version of what Delores endured, picking up from when she shone the flashlight down the well. (The inclusion of this with no POV shot, and indeed the inclusion of her rushing to the shed at all, suggested maybe more was filmed?)
For me, this would have shown exactly how much Delores suffered for her daughter. Joe's death was a massive blow to her, the way it happened was so horrific, and she carried it with her for so many years. It wasn't just a gory or horror-like aspect of the story, it was intrinsic to Delores' character. One which, to hold back from Selena at the end (understandably) would have shown Delores still had to shoulder the burden of her terrible secrets, an suffer to protect her daughter.
I'd be interested in other people's thoughts! The film was pretty darn good, but I did issue a little 'huh!?' noise when the credits rolled!
What do you hear? Nothing but the rain. -
romefan123 — 10 years ago(June 30, 2015 08:21 PM)
There's not a whole lot of talk on this Message Board, unfortunately, for what is really a fine film, as we both know. I loved your commentsand I, like you, have read (and devoured) that book six times now. It's a fast, comfortable read, if that makes any sense. Agree with you on many fronts.
Think that a scene in which this was depicted may have been filmed. It would be logical that it was cut, just for time, but perhaps, some day, by some miracle, some extended version comes out. However, there's such a small market that not so sure they'd release anything with deleted scenes and all that. But it sure would be a gem.
Whole book was written in like a total stream of consciousness. Don't think they did an injustice to it, during the film. Thankfully, Vera's fascination with excrement was largely put out of the film. Hated reading those scenes, to be fair, with the dust-bunnies to follow a close second. Additionally, the family dynamics change in the movie. There is no "Little Joe" and the other brother, who, one has to wonderwas there abuse going on there? Not that simply because he abuses the girl he'd abuse thembut one has to wonderno suggestion from the book though.
Glad you enjoyed both versions
"HeyI like thatI like that!!" Terry Silver Karate Kid III -
romefan123 — 10 years ago(June 30, 2015 08:41 PM)
Oh, and great name, by the way, Donnie Darko is such a great film, nice job there!!
Add some more thoughts if you want, I have no one else to talk with about this great novel and film:)
"HeyI like thatI like that!!" Terry Silver Karate Kid III -
kittym30 — 10 years ago(October 26, 2015 08:28 PM)
You know, I am watching this on cable right now and i could've sworn there was an extended version you rented back after it was released(on vhs). I vaguely remembered her smashing his head in and the detective saying something along the lines of :"I find it really funny how Joes skull was bashed in yet his back was broken." I read the book a few times as a teen and still have it stashed somewhere in my library. Could've prob just been my overactive imagination making me believe it was in the movie, though. Makes me want to hunt down and original VHS copy and a player just to make sure.