Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman has to hold onto.

Selena St George has seen better days. She was once an award winning writer, but now it looks like she may lose her job and she can’t seem able to get through the day without a drink. To make matters worse, her mother, Dolores Claiborne, has just been arrested for murder. The strange thing is that it’s not the first time Dolores Claiborne has been accused of killing someone. Selena is forced to return home. However, it’s not for a happy family reunion because these two women have dark secrets that they both are trying to forget...

Dolores Claiborne is one of those films that men just don’t get (which is ironic since the novel and the screenplay were both written by men). I can understand why men get somewhat agitated when watching Dolores as in this story they are definitely the villains. At their best, they are just guilty of adultery, but at their worst, they are violent child molesters. In fact, you almost get the impression that John C. Reilly’s nice guy, Police Constable character was just thrown in to appease  male viewers and remind women that not all men are violent lechers.  But if you can get over what is arguably some blatant guy-bashing, you’ll find yourself enjoying this film. It is  wonderfully written, brilliantly acted, and you will not be able  to keep yourself from cheering Dolores on, as she watches her husband fall down that pit.

You can look at this film in two ways--  as a blatant misandry or as a drama about  one woman who will do anything to protect her child.