John Grisham's The Rainmaker
A movie review by Michael J. Legeros
Copyright 1997 by Michael J. Legeros
(Paramount)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by John Grisham
Cast Matt Damon, Claire Danes, Danny DeVito, Jon Voight,
Danny Glover, Mary Kay Place, Virginia Madsen, Mickey
Roarke, Roy Scheider, Andrew Shue, Dean Stockwell
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 140 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh, NC
(15NOV97)
==
Frankly, the *last* thing that I wanted to see on a Saturday night was yet another John Grisham flick, about yet another young law dude (Matt Damon) tackling his first big case. (This is, what, the *third* such story in a row, after THE CHAMBER and A TIME TO KILL?) Imagine my surprise to find adaptation #6 possessing a strong, often broadly played comedic streak. Sure, the outcome is predictable, duh, but the road to get there is refreshingly lighter-hearted. Francis Ford Coppola, who wrote and directed, serves up ample humor at every turn, from those de- liriously tacky Memphis locales to the occasional bit of outright slap- stick. (The scene-stealer, here, is DeVito. In a smaller role, Mickey Rourke is oily fun. And don't miss Dean Stockwell's delightful hacking- cough cameo.) The courtroom scenes have the requisite surprises, but not nearly enough dramatic punch. The tone is breezy, almost whimsical; the pacing is methodical, though we could use a bit more urgency toward the end. Trickier is the subplot involving Claire Danes as an abused young wife (and potential love interest), but the filmmakers pull it off. (That is, except for Elmer Bernstein's score, that too often in- trudes upon the couple's quiet time.) And, as the main character real- izes by the end of the movie, there's no small irony in a story about an ambulance-chasing, money-grubbing law firm going after a claims-denying, money-grubbing insurance agency.
Grade: B+
-- Mike Legeros - Movie Hell http://www.nonvirtual.com/hell/
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