John Grisham is a legendary author, known for his many best-selling legal thrillers. While he's still very popular today, his arguable peak was in the '90s, when his books were flying off the shelves and film adaptations of his works were being released almost every year. While there hasn't been a Grisham film since 2004, plenty of these classics are still pretty good; but that begs the question - which of them are the best?
Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes has used their ranking system, colloquially dubbed the "Tomatometer," to assign every John Grisham film a rating from 0 to 100 percent - here's what they think.
Christmas With The Kranks (2004) - 5%
Grisham's comedy novel Skipping Christmas - about a family that decides to eschew holiday traditions - received mixed reviews, but the film adaptation, 2004's Christmas With The Kranks, was universally panned. Many critics said the film was unfunny, boring, and lacked genuine sentiment. As a result of this, the film bombed big-time at the box office, which spelled out the end for Grisham films as a whole.
Currently, Christmas With The Kranks has a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Chamber (1996) - 12%
1996's The Chamber is a crime thriller about a lawyer trying to save his grandfather from death row. Unfortunately, even Grisham himself wasn't happy with the end result, calling it "a train wreck from the beginning." Reviewers concurred, criticizing the film's plot, characters, and tone.
Currently, The Chamber has just 12% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Pelican Brief (1993) - 53%
A legal thriller starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, 1993's The Pelican Brief follows Darby (Roberts), a law student who writes a brief blaming the deaths of two Supreme Court justices on an oil tycoon. While she doesn't believe in it at first, after she's almost murdered she figures out her brief was accurate and her dangerous foes are attempting to stifle the truth.
While critics praised the film's acting, directing, and pace, many said it was inferior to other thrillers of its time. Currently, The Pelican Brief holds a decent rating of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Gingerbread Man (1997) - 58%
1998's The Gingerbread Man is a thriller about Rick Magruder, a lawyer who has to fight to survive while on the run from his girlfriend's dangerous father, who is enraged at Magruder for having him sent to a mental institution.
Production problems led to delays in the film's release and a significant tonal change, but the film still performed fairly well, with the majority of praise from critics stemming from its directing and acting. Currently, The Gingerbread Man holds a solid 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Time To Kill (1996) - 67%
1996's A Time To Kill is a legal thriller following Jake Brigance, a lawyer who tries to get his well-known client - a man named Carl Lee Hailey who killed his daughter's abductors - proven innocent.
Thanks to Oscar-worthy performances from Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kevin Spacey, the film was a critical and box office success. It currently holds a none-too-bad 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Runaway Jury (2003) - 73%
2003's Runaway Jury follows a high-stakes legal battle where either side can win - as long as they pay Marlee, a jury member who is confident she can get the other 11 to deliver whatever verdict she wants.
The film was praised by critics for its acting, directing, and suspense, and although it was a box office disappointment, it currently holds a solid 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Firm (1993) - 75%
Starring Tom Cruise as a man who discovers the picturesque firm he works for is hiding a killer secret, 1993's The Firm was the first of many Grisham film adaptations.
The film's acting and atmosphere were widely praised by critics, and it currently holds a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A television follow-up of the same name was released in 2012.
The Client (1994) - 78%
A tense legal thriller about an eleven-year-old boy who, through a chance encounter, becomes the only person who can lead the police to a buried body, 1994's The Client was a major critical and box office success.
The film was praised for its acting, pacing, and directing; it currently holds a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Rainmaker (1997) - 83%
Arguably the best of the many Grisham film adaptations, 1997's The Rainmaker - directed by Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola - stars Matt Damon and Danny DeVito as a lawyer and paralegal, respectively, who stumble upon the case of a lifetime. Even though they're both grossly inexperienced, they're forced to take down a skilled defense team in order to win their case.
While the film was a box office disappointment, failing to match the ranks of other Grisham adaptations such as The Client, it received near-universal critical acclaim, with praise being directed at its inspired performances, creative directing, and plot ingenuity. Currently, the film has a "fresh" 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.