Delores Claiborne is one heck of a novel! Entire thing told from one person's point of view, with no chapter breaks at all. King has been quoted as saying that he modeled Delores' 'voice' after his own Mother. So, what we have is a story that King's Mom is telling us. Pretty cool! Delores doesn't hold back either. She tells it like it is, can ya dig it? Outstanding novel, one of my favorites. As for the film, I have always been a great fan of both Kathy Bates' performance and Jennifer Jason Leigh's. Both of the actresses did an outstanding job with their roles. Leigh especially gives a very understated performance. Alot of people don't like her turn as the perscription pill popping Selena, but to me she gives a subtlely benign performance- she IS this role. She owns it. She might be over-the-top (as some here have stated in the past) but that's because of her addictions. Bates should have recieved an Oscar for her portrayal as the title character. I don't think King has written a stronger female role before or since. She is the epitome of good ol' Yankee strength. She is one tough broad and takes no crap from anyone (at least anyone outside the family). The film made some changes from the book, but it was done very well. The story had to be 'opened up', to show what Selena's life was like after she left Little Tall Island. It shows that history has a way of repeating itself. In the film, all of the flashback scenes are in vivid color, while the scenes of the 'present' are all washed out in bleary tones. This refects Delores' soul. Something I wouldn't have really noticed if it wasn't pointed out to me in the past. Christopher Plummer is great as the detective who has been after Delores since her husband went missing years ago. He and Bates have some great scenes together, just crackling with tension. Delores gives as good as she gets. Now writing this makes me want to go and watch it again!