FAQ

Little Tall Island (Maine) resident Dolores Claiborne St George (Kathy Bates) comes under suspicion when her wealthy employer Vera Donovan (Judy Parfitt), for whom Dolores has worked as a maid for 20 years, is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. Together with estranged daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh]), a big-shot New York City reporter, they explore their troubled relationship and the death of Dolores' husband Joe (David Strathairn) almost 20 years before. Meanwhile, Detective John Mackey (Christopher Plummer) is determined to find Dolores guilty of murder.

Dolores Claiborne is a 1992 novel by American horror writer Stephen King. The novel was adapted for the screen by American screenwriter Tony Gilroy.

Actually, there were two solar eclipses in 1975, but they were only partials, one occuring on 11 May and another on 3 November, neither of which were viewable from Maine. In the novel, however, the eclipse takes place in 1963 when, indeed, there was a total solar eclipse that occurred on 20 July and was visible in Maine. King even includes in his novel a map of the eclipse's path. The movie-makers obviously moved the date so that Selena would be younger if the story took place in present time.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, obstructing the view of the sun.

As promised, Dolores attends the coroner's inquest but belligerently answers their questions until Selena walks in the door during "Is it true you made those threats [against Vera]?" "Of course, it's true," Selena intervenes. "She told you herself on Saturday." Selena then goes on to argue that all of Mackay's evidence is merely circumstantial. In the end, Mackay is forced to back down, and Selena and Dolores leave the inquest arm-in-arm. In the final scene, Selena catches the ferry back to the mainland. In parting, she admits to her mother that she now realizes Dolores did what she did in order to keep Selena safe. As the ferry leaves the harbor, Dolores blows Selena a kiss.

There are some major changes, mostly for filming reasons. First and foremost, the book is told as a one woman narrative by Dolores laying her confession on a cop and a stenographer. Secondly, grown Selena is not a part of the book but was added to give Dolores a person to play against. Third, dogged detective John Mackay is a substitute for coroner Dr. McAuliffe who questions Dolores during her inquest. A few minor changes include the fact, in the novel, that Dolores had three children and that Vera killed herself because of a fear of 'dust bunnies'. Still, most viewers who have also read the novel agree that the film maintains the feeling of King's novel.