It Doesn’t Get Much Worse Than ‘Dolores Claiborne’
Some films just seem to go on and on, long after they should have ended. “Dolores Claiborne” is one of those. It never seems to end and is about as much fun as putting up scaffolding. With the exception of the recent “Brady Bunch” disaster, this is the worst film to come along in a long time.
“Dolores Claiborne” is a wretched film that attempts to address such topics as domestic violence, revenge, child molestation, old age and justice. It brings up these topics, but does nothing with them. The film merely shows them without making a judgment or asking the audience to form opinions.
Yes, there is domestic violence; yes, there is child molestation. We already know these problems exist. But the film hardly comments on them at all, only portrays them in full glory.
The story has Dolores Claiborne trying to clear her name in one death, but confessing her hand in another.
On the surface, “Dolores Claiborne” is horrible. Nearly all the scenes in modern-day Little Tall Island, Maine, are filmed in a cold, dim light. Everything is gray and muddy blue; after an hour this gets depressing and tiresome. In contrast, the flashbacks are mostly sunny and clear. Why? Those are anything but happy times, and there’s certainly no irony at work here.
The characters provide no escape from the dreary backgrounds. There seem to be no good guys who are fun to watch or easy to root for. Instead, we’re stuck with an aging, bitter woman with a sarcastic tongue and pessimistic outlook; her cold, mean and uncaring daughter; a cruel and sick detective obsessed with throwing Dolores in jail; a withered old woman; and a drunken wife beater who forces his 13-year-old daughter to perform sexual favors.
Some of these characters also are seen when they are younger, but there usually is no difference in their attitude or mannerisms.
Having a film with no positive characters isn’t always a wasted experience (ever seen “Scarface”?), but here there is nothing to learn.
It’s hard to condemn the actors and actresses in “Dolores Claiborne” for bad performances (except Jennifer Jason Leigh) because they were working from a dreadful script. Nevertheless, everyone is below average. Whether it’s an overlong tearful speech from Kathy Bates or a triumphantly overdone blow up from Leigh, no one stands out. Or even stands.
“Dolores Claiborne” is taken from the novel of the same title by Stephen King. But this is no “Shawshank Redemption.” The screenwriter has changed the plot considerably from King’s, along with the way the story is told. Maybe it would have been better for the film if the outlining of the book had been followed more closely; it had Delores simply telling her story into a tape recorder. This simpler approach, unlike the film’s scattered flashbacks, is more straightforward and does the job fine.
From the first scene, we are deliberately misled by the filmmakers. In addition to this cheap trick, they also shove unpleasant images in our faces without following through and giving them meaning. Depending on how you look at it, they either don’t do their jobs or they do them poorly.
Even with the lack of deeper meaning, “Dolores Claiborne” is an exercise in boredom. A real turkey.
Grade: F
ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo