One aspect of making movies from a book that fascinates me is how it is adapted. How does a director, who probably works with a screenwriter and an editor, make decisions on what to keep, what to change, and what to leave out in the plot? Among the characters, does she preserve all the ones in the book? Does she leave out a few? Does she preserve the theme of the book? As we saw in my review of the book “Mildred Pierce,” the drama-themed book was presented on screen as a film noir movie, and a murder was introduced in the screenplay.

Here we look at “Dolores Claiborne,” a novel by Stephen King in unabridged audiobook form, and see how it was rendered as a movie.

Indeed, Stephen King could be the greatest writer of our century. His best works, in my opinion, are the ones that don’t have the supernatural element. There is so much food for thought in this book, one of his very best. How he narrates the tale from Mrs. Claiborne’s perspective and with her diction is beyond my comprehension.

Audiobook: Dolores Claiborne (January 2016)

If you are short on time, or even if you have lots of it, this book is a ‘must-listen’. Frances Sternhagen delivers an unbelievable performance in this book as a foul-mouthed, obnoxious hag, Dolores Claiborne. You must listen to this one, even if you’ve seen the movie, as it is far superior to the latter and diametrically different.

Dolores Claiborne, a mother of three with the mouth of a truck driver, uncouth and ugly, stands accused of murdering Vera Donovan, a rich widow in Maine (Maine is the locale for several of King’s books). Dolores was the caretaker of Vera, an elderly lady on the brink of senility.

The story is told as a transcript of her statement to a constable and stenographer in her hometown, where she is accused of the crime. The book begins as Dolores begins to narrate her tale of woe, sacrifice, and even triumph. Her husband Joe died under mysterious circumstances on a day with a dramatic solar eclipse.

As Frances Sternhagen performs Dolores, we are taken more and more into her complex mind and actually start relating to her and finally liking her. Dolores is then seen as the proverbial ‘diamond in the rough’. Prepare yourself for a masterful conclusion which only King can produce.

Stephen King’s narrative and Frances Sternhagen’s enactment of unforgettable Dolores Claiborne make this audiobook an instant classic. Listen to this one AND see the movie. Click on the image below to buy the book from Barnes and Noble.

Movie: Dolores Claiborne (1995)

This movie, ‘loosely’ based on the book by Stephen King, stars Oscar winners Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Bates won an Oscar for her performance in “Misery,” another flick based on the work of Stephen King. This movie, though understandably nowhere close to the book, is a powerful must-see. The narrative is linear. As the tale begins, a woman falls down a staircase, and her caretaker is seen standing over her with a rolling pin.

Dolores Claiborne (Bates) used to be the caretaker of Vera, a rich woman. Kathy’s husband died under mysterious circumstances years before, on the day of a dramatic solar eclipse.

Then there is her daughter (Lee), a tormented soul who is trying to cope with her feelings, unaware of events past that lay buried in her subconscious. Great performances from Bates, Lee, and David Strathairn, who plays Dolores’ abusive husband, make this movie watchable.

Kathy’s Dolores Claiborne is a more polished, dignified elderly person, unlike her ugly, foul-mouthed alter ego from King’s book. Unlike the mother of three she is in King’s book, she is the mother of an only child, Selena.

Christopher Plummer also delivers a good performance as Mackey, a private detective, a character not in the book. He is keeping his eyes fixed on Dolores as he suspects her of murdering Vera, as it is revealed that Dolores would inherit half a million dollars from Vera’s death (much smaller than the 30 million, according to the book).

My favorite line in the movie, also a favorite of President Bush, is ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ President Bush has a different rendition of this one.

As in most cases, the book is better than the movie. As mentioned, Kathy Bates is a more dignified and calmer version of the Dolores Claiborne in the book or as portrayed by Frances Sternhagen in her rendition of the audiobook. In fact, Dolores Claiborne’s character in the book is closer to the character that Bates played in “Misery” than she did in “Dolores Claiborne.”

The movie would probably have been more compelling had the character and the screenplay stayed closer to the book.