The Client (1994)

A young boy who witnessed the suicide of a mafia lawyer hires an attorney to protect him when the District Attorney tries to use him to take down a mob family.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers:

John Grisham (novel), Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)

Stars:

Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Renfro

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Susan Sarandon	...	Reggie Love
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Roy Foltrigg
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Dianne Sway
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Barry Muldano
J.T. Walsh	...	McThune
Anthony Edwards	...	Clint Von Hooser
Brad Renfro	...	Mark Sway
Will Patton	...	Sgt. Hardy
Bradley Whitford	...	Thomas Fink
Anthony Heald	...	Trumann
Kim Coates	...	Paul Gronke
Kimberly Scott	...	Doreen
David Speck	...	Ricky Sway
William H. Macy	...	Dr. Greenway
Ossie Davis	...	Harry Roosevelt

Storyline

Mark Sway is an 11 year old boy who lives with his mother and brother in a trailer. One day he and his brother are hanging out when a car pulls over beside them. The driver then sticks a hose in his exhaust and puts the other end into the car. Mark pulls it out. But the man sees him and grabs him and takes inside the car. The man talks to Mark then later shoots himself. The shock sends Mark's brother into a catatonic state. .And one of his clients is a member of a mob family who is suspected of killing a Senator who was trying to take down his family. But because the Senator's body is missing, they can't prosecute him. Reggie thinks Foltrigg thinks the lawyer told Mark where the body is which is why he wants to speak to him. Mark goes to meet Roy and when he threatens him, Mark steps out then Reggie comes in with a recording of his conversation with Mark telling him that made several violations. In the meantime, the mobster is told by the head of the family to take care of Mark. So he...

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Plot Keywords:

boy | district attorney | reference to led zeppelin | lawyer client relationship | female lawyer | 

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Taglines:

A District Attorney Out For A Conviction. A New Lawyer Out Of Her League. A Young Boy Who Knew Too Much.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a child in jeopardy and brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones; and one Oscar nominee: William H. Macy.

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Goofs

Reggie's hand (not) on her hip when talking to Mark.

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Quotes

Clint Von Hooser: [Reggie borrows money from Clint so she can take Mark Sway to New Orleans] There goes my rent money. Now where am I gonna stay?
Reggie: You can stay here and take care of Momma Love. She likes you better than me, anyway.
Clint Von Hooser: Well, that ain't hard to do.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #36.173 (2020)

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Soundtracks

Heartbreak Hotel
Written by Mae Boren Axton (as Mae Anton), Tommy Durden and Elvis Presley
Produced and Performed by Steve Tyrell

User Reviews

Good performances here; some plot holes

Somehow the plot holes didn't seem so glaring in Grisham's novel. Anyway, this is one of Susan Sarandon's many excellent performances. And Tommy Lee Jones gleefully chews the scenery here. You might think he is overacting, but he is really playing a character that comes across that way. Brad Renfro was an excellent find for this part. I haven't seen him in anything else, though. I imagine his Southern accent will hurt in getting other roles. Current TV stars Bradley Whitford and Anthony Edwards were non-entities in this film. It's a good film, not great. Grade B-

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Client

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,174,262, 24 July 1994

Gross USA:

$92,115,211

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$117,615,211

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., New Regency Productions, Alcor Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1