Dolores Claiborne and solar eclipse
Chris Malicki
in movies, ads etc. Sorry but I don't remember who it was. In any case
I just finished watching the movie Dolores Claiborne and thought it was
very good. I was especially interested to see if the solar eclipse would
be portrayed accurately. A number of inaccuracies were immediately
apparent. The movie stated that a total eclipse was visible in Maine
in 1975 and that it was 6 1/2 !!! minutes long, and that another would
be visible in 1996. On the night before the eclipse, a full moon was
shining above the Maine coastline. On a minor point, the scene darkened
many minutes before totality unlike reality where it happens about a
minute before. During parial phase, a child was looking at the sun
through an unfiltered refractor. And, most unrealistically, during
totality, the main actors were struggling with each other instead of
observing the event - this last point might be realistic because some
people are actually apathetic during totality e.g. 1972 drivers on the
TransCanada Highway during totality, or gravediggers in Cherryville
N.C. oblivious to brocken annularity in May 1984.
On a positive note, however, the movie showed a realistic diamond ring
Bailly's Beads and inner (but not realistic outer) corona. I wonder
what real eclipse was used for the totality. Anybody know?
And, I did enjoy the movie.
Chris Malicki RASC Toronto Centre
Marsha Allen
kmal...@idirect.com (Chris Malicki) wrote:
> A few months ago someone discussed astronomical errors or bloopers
> in movies, ads etc. Sorry but I don't remember who it was. In any case
> I just finished watching the movie Dolores Claiborne and thought it was
> very good. I was especially interested to see if the solar eclipse would
> be portrayed accurately. A number of inaccuracies were immediately
> apparent. The movie stated that a total eclipse was visible in Maine
> in 1975 and that it was 6 1/2 !!! minutes long, and that another would
> be visible in 1996.
.snip..
> And, most unrealistically, during
> totality, the main actors were struggling with each other instead of
> observing the event - this last point might be realistic because some
> people are actually apathetic during totality e.g. 1972 drivers on the
> TransCanada Highway during totality, or gravediggers in Cherryville
> N.C. oblivious to brocken annularity in May 1984.
.snip..
I enjoyed the movie too. Dramatically it was very good, but you are
right about the eclipse date. In Stephen King's book there is a map
of the eclipse in question with a date of July 20, 1963. This one
really did occur over Maine. I suspect that the movie-makers moved the
date for casting reasons, so Selena (the daughter) would only be in her
thirties if the story took place in the present.
As for the main characters struggling
during the eclipse, as the story depicts them, it would have been
very *un*realistic if they had stopped during totality to watch the sky.
Dolores was trying to save her daughter, that was a lot higher priority
to her. This was hardly apathy, it was survival.
IMHO, the movie was good, but the book was better.
Marsha Allen O-
Richard DeLuca
> I just finished watching the movie Dolores Claiborne and thought it was
> very good. I was especially interested to see if the solar eclipse would
> be portrayed accurately. A number of inaccuracies were immediately
> apparent. The movie stated that a total eclipse was visible in Maine
> in 1975 and that it was 6 1/2 !!! minutes long, and that another would
> be visible in 1996. On the night before the eclipse, a full moon was
> shining above the Maine coastline. On a minor point, the scene darkened
> many minutes before totality unlike reality where it happens about a
> minute before. During parial phase, a child was looking at the sun
> through an unfiltered refractor. And, most unrealistically, during
> totality, the main actors were struggling with each other instead of
> observing the event - this last point might be realistic because some
> people are actually apathetic during totality e.g. 1972 drivers on the
> TransCanada Highway during totality, or gravediggers in Cherryville
> N.C. oblivious to brocken annularity in May 1984.
> On a positive note, however, the movie showed a realistic diamond ring
> Bailly's Beads and inner (but not realistic outer) corona. I wonder
> what real eclipse was used for the totality. Anybody know?
> And, I did enjoy the movie.
> Chris Malicki RASC Toronto Centre
Geez, you're GOOD at this stuff. I also saw the movie (several months ago,
in a theatre) and noticed the full moon the night before the total
eclipse. Talked about it endlessly with friends who were with us. I also
thought totality itself looked pretty unrealistic, but then I've seen
three total eclipses. It's a difficult challenge for cinematography, but I
wonder if any movie portrays a truly realistic eclipse.
Rich