John Grisham novels are difficult to rate as movies. On one hand Grisham's work translates to well to pop culture that his books are almost cinematic. On the other, the "book-is-never-as-good-as-the-movie"-ism applies. Some of Grisham's books have been quite good"The Firm" was a terrifically exciting movie (Tom Cruise was letter-perfect for the role of Mitch McDeere), and "The Rainmaker" (which gave Matt Damon his start) certainly surprised me with a touching story of an underdog who upsets the system. Some have been mediocre to bad"The Pelican Brief" and "The Chamber" fit the latter category, "The Client" the former. "A Time to Kill", in my opinion, is the best of them all because the author gives his audience a tough choice to make about what justice is. Pack in some sterling acting performances and this is one pretty darn good movie.The plot? After his young daughter is viciously raped and assaulted by rednecks (no, John Rocker doesn't have a cameo), Samuel L. Jackson guns down the two assailents on their way to court. He is subsequently put on trial by the local DA, and defended by an idealistic white attorney. Jackson's trial becomes a swirling tempest for local hatreds to be aired.
Director Joel Schumacher certainly surprised me with good work, despite being the man who made "Batman & Robin". It helps to assemble some serious acting talentSamuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey (the DA) are both recognized actors (Spacey having won an Oscar for "The Usual Suspects", and Jackson is *long* overdue for getting one himself), so the big surprise was Matthew McConaughey's sterling performance as the idealistic, passionate attorney who defends Jackson. McConaughey is a terrific actorlaid back, easy-going but with just enough passion and intensity. This movie put him on the map and it is easy to see why he is a talent in demand. Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd have roles here but don't make much of an impression. Donald Sutherland and Keifer both have parts toothe former as Matthew McConaughey's mentor (a role he's quite good in, incidentally) and the latter as a local redneck.
Finally, a word about the plot: the best movies give us a sticky problem that can't be resolved easily. The tricky choice in "Crimson Tide" is a beautiful example of a decision that could go either way and gives the audience something to debate about afterwards. Here we're given a tricky choice vengeance or justice? Do we acquit Samuel L. Jackson because in our hearts he did what we all would do in his place? Or do we punish him for taking the law into his own hands? It's a rough choice to make, and the movie refuses to give us an easy answer.
Well done.
This film is entirely unsettling because it makes us realize that events like this still happen in small towns throughout America, especially in the South. The themes of racism, of overcoming racism, of justifiable homicide, of justice outside the law are so superbly represented in this film that it seems impossible to me that this movie wasn't nominated for many Academy Awards. But alas, the past is the past. Chock full of great performances (especially Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kevin Spacey) and masterful direction by Joel Schumacher, A Time to Kill is one heck of a movie. A true classic.Okay, here's the deal: I love this movie. "A Time to Kill" is one of those flicks that I can watch over and over, so when I found it marked down on DVD at a local store, I bought it. I've long since spent more than the purchase price on renting it in VHS.
Matthew McConaughey is incredibly hot, and almost a decent actor. Samuel L. Jackson is fabulous, as usual (ohmigod). Sandra Bullock, I love Sandra Bullock (got a girl-crush on her a mile wide), and I love, love, love Oliver Platt in this movie. There's a moment when Sandra Bullock's character is frustrated at not being able to find the information she needs, and she says to Platt's character (a cheerfully shameless divorce lawyer named Harry Rex), "I've asked myself, 'What would Lucien do?' and 'What would Jake do?' and "What would my *father* do?' but I just can't figure it out."
And Platt's character says, "Well, there's your problem right there. You need to ask yourself, 'What would Harry Rex do?'"
"Okay, what would Harry Rex do?"
"Cheat. Cheat like crazy."
God, I love him.
And it's great having the movie on DVD. It makes it easy to fast-forward through the horrific scenes of the little girl being attacked at the beginnng of the film. There's no reason for anybody to have to sit through that more than once. ::shudder::
But there's a problem with this DVD. A big problem, that I think people should know about before they buy it. I wish I had known. I probably would have bought it anyway, but I'm still frustrated.
The movie is continued on the back of the disk. It's a two-sided DVD, and the first half of the movie is on the first side, and the second half is on the reverse.
Yes, you have to get up halfway through the movie, go over to the DVD player, and turn the disk over, just like this was 1975 and you were still playing records on vinyl LPs.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out what in the everloving HELL they were thinking about, doing this. The movie isn't that long. There's not that much in the way of extra features on the disk. I feel like sending them an email, letting them know what I think about it, but there have probably been plenty of people who have already done that. I'll spend the time warning other potential buyers, instead.
Caveat emptor.
Read Best Reviews of A Time to Kill (2009) Here
What would it take to duplicate the cast of this film? Made only eight years ago I'd think today you'd break the bank putting together:Matthew McConaughey
Sandra Bullock
Samuel L. Jackson
Kevin Spacey
Oliver Platt
Charles Dutton
Donald Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Patrick McGoohan
Ashley Judd
Chris Cooper
The story is in some ways rather straightforward. Samuel Jackson's 10 year old daughter is raped and tortured by two rednecks in the opening minutes. Mercifully, the girl lives through the event and the two rednecks are arrested. Thinking that in Mississippi they're going to be acquitted "like them boys raped that girl last year" Samuel's Carl Lee Haley asks Matthew's Southern Lawyer Jake Brigance if he'd "help him out if he got into some trouble", then takes an M-16 and shoots the rednecks on the way to a court hearing, destroying Deputy Chris Cooper's leg in the process.
The rest of the movie seems pretty straight-forward, almost predictably so. Jake is tasked with defending a black man in Mississippi of murders which were committed in full sight of many people, including Jake himself and several law officers. Kiefer Sutherland, as the brother of one of the rednecks, enlists the assistance of the Klan to make sure that Carl "gets it" and to make sure that anyone attempting to help Carl is also intimidated (killed.... houses burned.... etc....) In this movie the Klan is a living, breathing entity with apparently much leeway to conduct its nefarious business.
Donald Sutherland is the alcoholic lawyer mentor of Jake disbarred for some police violence during some political activism. Kevin Spacey is the ambitious District Attorney with a nomination for Governor in his back pocket. Charles Dutton is the black sheriff who doesn't hesitate to stand toe to toe with the Klan the scenes where Klan members are in any way subdued are due to this strong character. Ashley Judd is Jake's pretty Mississippi Sorority-Belle wife who initially thinks that Jake accepts Carl Lee's case to "prove what a big-time lawyer" he is. When the Klan tries bombing Jake's house Ashley packs up their daughter and heads to the grandparent's house. On the first day of the case a hotshot law student comes wheeling into town, played by Sandra Bullock, wanting to make her name stamping out the death penalty.
The story is told in a linear fashion, but the performances make this compelling stuff. The NAACP come to town to provide for Carl's defense, and the scene where Carl tells them "thanks but no thanks" brings a new closeness to Carl and Jake. The movie provides for some riveting moments from Jackson as Carl and McConaughey as Jake. I've read that Mr. McConaughey delivered the summation scene in a single take. It is an astonishing piece of acting. There are several shots of extras crying, and I can't help but wonder if this wasn't an honest response to his performance.
There is a scene before the last trial scene where Carl tells Jake that he has hung onto him as his lawyer because "you one of the bad guys, Jake. I needs the jury to see me like you see me". If there is a weakness in the way that the story is told, it's that the whole movie is told the way the all-white jury would see it. The other black characters are brief and one-dimensional. Carl Lee's wife is in several scenes looking concerned but with almost no dialogue. Since her daughter is raped and tortured and her husband is on trial, shouldn't we care as much about what SHE thinks as Jake's wife? We spend a fair amount of time watching what the Klan is doing. Shouldn't we be at least as interested in what the black community is doing?
Jake sets out to "prove a black man can get a fair trial in Mississippi". But can he prove that vigilante justice is ok even if everyone in the community knows that in race-hate-crimes in the world of this film black people can't expect fair treatment?
The movie reverberates with echoes of "To Kill a Mockingbird". Or at least it wants to. For a film of this type I can't think of a more admirable goal.
Want A Time to Kill (2009) Discount?
Modern-day Mississippi, where segregation has ended, the Klan is dead, and blacks and whites are looked upon as equals . . . or are they? Under the brilliant direction of Joel Schumacher and based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham, A TIME TO KILL digs hard and deep into some of the most sensitive and controversial issues of our time.After his 10-year-old daughter is raped and beaten by two local rednecks, Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) guns down the guilty men on their way to court. Matthew McConaughey comes to the rescue as the white, Southern attorney who defends him. With the help of a young, ambitious, brilliant law student (played by Sandra Bullock, who surprisingly received top billing for her small, but memorable role), a close friend and colleague (the always comical and entertaining Oliver Platt), and his disbarred mentor and teacher (the classic Donald Sutherland), McConaughey stirs up a lot of hatred and puts everything on the line to defend a black man. The film addresses racism, the Klan, vigilante justice and all the issues we commonly associate with "the south."
Another perfect role for McConaughey. He charms and captivates the audience as well as the jury. He's not too tough to look at for 3+ hours, too! Samuel L. Jackson . . . what can I say . . . one of the greatest actors in our time, he seems to effortlessly convert himself to any role he takes on. Sandra Bullock shines on screen, as always, with her lovable and down-to-earth personality. I don't see Oliver Platt enough, but when I do, I'm always pleased with his "fun" performance.
In this 1996 film, other supporting actors are also perfectly cast. In an earlier role, Ashley Judd plays McConaughey's wife. Keifer Sutherland plays a local redneck, brother to one of the rapists and Kevin Spacey is the local DA who prosecutes Carl Lee. You may also recognize two stars of TV's BOSTON PUBLIC, Nicky Katt and Anthony Heald. Excellent southern accents by all (Platt, Spacey, both Sutherlands). However, McConaughey's own Texan accent needed no alteration here.
Not having read the book, I'm not making a movie/book comparison here. Just a truly great movie with superb actors by the fist-full. A must-see film that easily earns 5-stars.
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