Dolores Claiborne, one of Stephen King’s best movie adaptations, will start streaming on Max in September. The film directed by Taylor Hackford (The Devil’s Advocate,Ray,An Officer and a Gentleman) is a 1995 crime thrillerbased on Stephen King’s1992 novel of the same name and adapted for the big screen by Tony Gilroy.
This very underrated'90s drama thriller follows Dolores Claiborne, a servant who sees herself in the middle of a murder investigation when the old lady she takes care of dies in mysterious circumstances. Dolores' daughter, Selena, comes back to the remote island she grew up on in order to support her mother during a detective’s quest to put Dolores behind bars. It doesn’t take long for the past to come back and haunt them, as Dolores' husband, Joe, also died, and his wife had always been the prime suspect.
Asreported by The Wrap, the film is part of Max’s expansion of its catalog of modern classics, which will also add films likeBadlands(1973),JFK(1991),Marathon Man(1976), andThe Conversation(1974), among many others. Currently,Dolores Claiborneis only available to rent or buy on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV+.
Dolores Claibornestars Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, Judy Parfitt, John C. Reilly, and David Strathairn, among others. The film was a hit with audiences, and it grossed more than $45 million from a budget of $13 million. It wasn’t heavily promoted as a Stephen King horror film with good reason, and the movie was acclaimed by critics, who still regard it as one of thebest King adaptations. Its Tomatometer score sits on 85%, and has an audience approval rate of 82%.
Dolores Claiborne: One of Stephen King’s Best “Sober” Films
Even if his catalog of literary works andfilm adaptationsis very broad in terms of genres and subgenres, King is known for infusing even his most grounded stories with some unworldly elements. However,Dolores Claibornesits alongside the likes ofThe Shawshank Redemptionin being an exception to the rule, and presenting a story about human nature that never goes outside the boundaries of a grounded film.
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In some ways, the story of Dolores Claiborne is one about real-life horrors, as it depicts some extremely horrific situations and events.Dolores Claiborneis a multilayered crime thriller with the horror of trauma at its core, and the initial execution of the premise is much scarier than what’s visible inKing’s other horror stories. From Dolores' ordeal through her abusive marriage, which will make you squirm and cover your eyes, to the horror of society’s horrendous consideration towards women. Dolores' breakout (in both the book and the film) is beautifully depicted in the film.
Kathy Bates was no stranger to the world of Stephen King when she took on the titular role inDolores Claiborne, having won an Oscar for playing the obsessive Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s adaptation ofMiseryin 1990. However, for Bates herself, the role of Dolores is not just her favorite of the two roles, but of her entire career.
