Dolores Claiborne by far.

Dolores Claiborne all the way. I'm so moved by Kathy Bates in DCall the levels of conflict and pain she's able to portray while maintaining that stoic exterior. Dolores is such an outcast figure in the community, the children taunt her whenever they see her. Her daughter prefers to be estranged from her, although as far as Dolores knows, the daughter is aware of the past. Her life is bound and entwined with an imperious woman who refuses to offer friendship or appreciation or adequate compensation, for decades.
How much loneliness is it possible for one person to survive?
I think we're able to get a good idea of the multi-piece set of baggage the daughter's been dragging around as well. There's even time to fit in a seesaw of loathing/sympathy for Vera and the prosecutor.
The story and the characters in
Misery
were lots of fun, but have about one-tenth the depth.

I go the other way. Dolores should have been her Oscar. Not Misery. She was an one note ham in Misery(although not as bad as Jennifer Jason-Leigh in Dolores Claiborne). Misery was nothing more than a revision of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? but then, King has been known to hijack other story lines.

Both are excellent, but Dolores Claiborne wins for me since it stayed with me the strongest.

I just watched DC for the first time, I think like a lot of people. They are both good movies but DC was the better one in my opinion.

I enjoyed Misery, but I found Batess performance in Dolores ClaiborneI found the film as a whole, reallyto be so much more complex and interesting.

Kathy Bates at her best in Dolres Claiborne. On her dying bed I think she would say the same. Great movie!

Misery still has Claiborne beat according to the tallies.

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Please stop comparing apples with oranges, you will only reach failure.
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I've never been a major fan of "Misery", although I grew up watching it and think it's a fun movie. In terms of overall filmmaking and story though, I prefer "Dolores".

I would say for an overall story I liked Dolores Claiborne more. I do enjoy both movies though. although it does take me a while to watch Misery again because of the torture scenes.
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Bates is excellent in both, but DC is the far richer experience for the viewer. The portrayal of domestic violence and abuse and its ramifications is spot-on and extremely well done and nuanced, along with the tyranny of small-town prejudice. Misery, though very entertaining, is in a different league; it missed quite a bit of the relationship between its two main characters in the translation from book to film. DC is much better than I expected; surprised it didn't receive more notice when it was first released. Also has a strong and constructive feminist vein throughout.

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Haven't read the books but here's my vote: Dolores Claiborne : 9, Misery : 8

Bates deserved the Oscar for Dolores, not Misery. Her performance in Misery is "one-note" crazy, and it's a thinly veiled recap of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in which Bette Davis' performance is demented but layered and nuanced. But in Dolores Claiborn, Bates' acting is just as detailed and complicated as any from Bette Davis. Misery was overrated.

Never been a huge "Misery" fan, especially not compared to "Dolores."
"Misery" is a pretty good movie, and Kathy Bates really brings that character to life, but the movie isn't as smart as "Dolores." A lot of the scenes are somewhat repetitive and we pretty much figure Annie out near the beginning of the movie. Caan is good but not great, and has to carry half the film. There's not much depth to the other characters. (I always thought it was odd to see Bacall in a King movie.)
"Dolores" is a lot more intricate, and with better performances. Dolores is a very complex, confused, and sad character, and it takes more out of Bates to pull it off. The plot really surprises, especially as Vera and Mackey reveal themselves. The actors all have a chance to shine. (Plummer was born for a good King adaptation or two.) So my vote's definitely for "Dolores."

I would have to choose Misery over DC. Kathy Bates is great in both films, but in my humble opinion I choose Misery

So I guess the opinion is split so far.
One thing I'd add is that maybe Misery is a little more of a comedy while DC is straight horror.

That is a very good point. Misery is great and Kathy was excellent, but Dolores Claiborne has an overall fantastic cast, with the only possible weak link being Jennifer Jason Leigh. She does fine, don't get me wrong, but maybe not quite as good as Bates, Plummer, and Parfitt. That is just my opinion, though.

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

I give Dolores a very slight edge over Misery. It took me a moment to think about that one because they are both really good stories. Kathy is brilliant in Misery. And has an Oscar to prove it. But, in Dolores, we not only have the brilliance of Kathy's performance but also everyone else in the cast. This is truly one of the most superbly acted movies I have ever seen.
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