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      John Grisham's The Rainmaker

      PG-13 Released Nov 21, 1997 2 hr. 15 min. Drama TRAILER for The Rainmaker: Trailer 1 List
      82% 57 Reviews Tomatometer 78% 25,000+ Ratings Audience Score Struggling new attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) resorts to working for a shady lawyer (Mickey Rourke), where he meets paralegal Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito). When the insurance company of Dot Black (Mary Kay Place) refuses her dying son coverage, Baylor and Shifflet team up to fight the corrupt corporation, taking on its callous lawyer (Jon Voight). Meanwhile, Baylor becomes involved with Kelly Riker (Claire Danes), an abused wife, whose husband complicates matters when he confronts Baylor. Read More Read Less

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      John Grisham's The Rainmaker

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      Critics Consensus

      Invigorated by its talented cast and Francis Ford Coppola's strong direction, The Rainmaker is a satisfying legal drama -- and arguably the best of Hollywood's many John Grisham adaptations.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Mike P (Spoilers) Or " The Drizzle-dropper". Slick, commercial and somewhat phony courtroom melodrama tries to push a "David and Goliath" narrative; (when this multimillion dollar blockbuster production, with it's Murderers Row of A-Listers, and developed from John Grishman's mega-bestseller, is ANYTHING but a struggling Underdog!) The movie has young idealistic Memphis attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) taking on an Insurance Malpractice case for Donnie Ray Black; a man who was denied coverage from his carrier The Great Benefit Life Insurance Company; and who grew gravely ill and soon developed cancer likely as a result of this...Rudy has ofcourse never argued a case before a judge yet; and yet still, ofcourse, he crushes the evil insurance company with one swift blow. (Beginners luck! So Convenient!). This movie was loved by both critics and the public; but it just seems like a big con job to me; like some ambulance chasing shyster lawyer arguing about "The Twinkie Defense" and "Diminished Capacity" to some captive jury somewhere... Overall: 👎 Not Recommended Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/03/24 Full Review Joel H As far as John Grisham film adaptations go, The Rainmaker is pretty good. I don't think it's as thrilling as The Client or The Firm, but it manages to tell a captivating story and offers a few surprises along the way. Matt Damon does a convincing job as the naïve lawyer, and I really like Danny Glover in his role as the judge. However, I feel like Danny DeVito was underutilized. There were a few odd editing choices, too, when I thought we were going to get more from a scene and then it jumped away. And the ending isn't as satisfying as I had hoped. Still, The Rainmaker is a solid courtroom drama. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review David W Fans of John Grisham or legal dramas in general will enjoy this story. Francis Ford Coppola's film features a stellar cast that includes Matt Damon in the lead, Danny DeVito as a supporting actor, Jon Voight who does a wonderful job as the rival attorney, in addition to a then-unknown Claire Danes who plays a budding love interest. The amazing cast alone is a reason I would watch this again. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/24 Full Review Alejandro E F. Ford Coppola must have had a good excuse to direct a legal drama, based on a novel by John Grisham. The result is not close enough to his masterpieces but the performances above all make the 135 minutes satisfying. And that's what matters. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/03/23 Full Review Aldo G Here's a picture that I can't help but stop to see when channel surfing. Is it Francis Ford Coppola's steady direction? Could it be Matt Damon and the rest of the cast's performances, filled with dignity and authenticity? John Grisham's story? All of the above? Perhaps. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/19/23 Full Review guglielmo d This one could persuade you to get a law degree and take on the big companies. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      John Grisham's The Rainmaker

      The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Miss Birdie's Beneficiary The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Miss Birdie's Beneficiary 1:54 The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Do What You Think is Right The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Do What You Think is Right 2:06 The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Downsizing The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Downsizing 2:09 The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Cliff Comes Home The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Cliff Comes Home 2:01 The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Guess Who Died Last Night? The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Guess Who Died Last Night? 0:56 The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Unlicensed The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Unlicensed 0:57 The Rainmaker: Official Clip - He'll Kill Me The Rainmaker: Official Clip - He'll Kill Me 0:37 View more videos

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      Critics Reviews

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      Martin Hoyle Financial Times The Rainmaker is a formulaic potboiler, decently acted, notably by Mickey Rourke... and Jon Voight. Jan 20, 2023 Full Review Geoff Brown Times (UK) The style of direction is relatively impersonal, but Coppola gets the job done, making the most of the Memphis locations and letting humor and compassion flourish; the film's unforced sympathy for the underprivileged is one of its biggest pleasures. Jan 20, 2023 Full Review David Ansen Newsweek A wonderfully quirky cast under Francis Ford Coppola's direction makes this one of the more enjoyable Grisham movies. Mar 5, 2018 Full Review Michael Dwyer Irish Times This effort shows no sign of a halt to the decline of Coppola, a film-maker who, in the 1970s, was producing towering achievements such as the first two Godfather movies and The Conversation. Jan 24, 2023 Full Review Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) The great director Francis Ford Coppola takes a John Grisham novel and shows us and directors of other Grisham adaptations how things should be done. Rated: B Jan 10, 2023 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Coppola turns this sow’s ear into more of a functional handbag with gaudily attractive decorations. Rated: B- Sep 1, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Struggling new attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) resorts to working for a shady lawyer (Mickey Rourke), where he meets paralegal Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito). When the insurance company of Dot Black (Mary Kay Place) refuses her dying son coverage, Baylor and Shifflet team up to fight the corrupt corporation, taking on its callous lawyer (Jon Voight). Meanwhile, Baylor becomes involved with Kelly Riker (Claire Danes), an abused wife, whose husband complicates matters when he confronts Baylor.
      Director
      Francis Ford Coppola
      Screenwriter
      Francis Ford Coppola, John Grisham, Michael Herr
      Distributor
      Paramount Pictures
      Production Co
      American Zoetrope
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Nov 21, 1997, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Aug 20, 2008
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $45.9M
      Sound Mix
      Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
      Aspect Ratio
      35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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