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

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., Regency Enterprises, Alcor Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of the film, the only prior acting experience Brad Renfro had was a school production about D.A.R.E (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education). Renfro was arrested and convicted several times for drugs possession prior to his death in 2008.

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Goofs

When the little brother Ricky is in a coma or is suffering from PTSD he is completely comatose and would not speak or move, so he should have had a feeding tube either in his mouth or in his nose, which he did not have. Ricky would have also had a nasal cannula for oxygen, as all coma patients do.

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Quotes

Reggie: I have been sober for three years.
Mark: Yeah right, that's what all the drunks say, how they're gonna get sober and all. They even say they love you but they don't. And then they come home wasted and beat on you and your mother so bad that you gotta hit 'em in the face with a baseball bat!
Reggie: You're talkin' about your daddy aren't you?
Mark: Yeah, well, I got rid of him. When me and my mom went into court to buy our divorce our lawyer SUCKED as usual, so I went up there and told the judge myself about all ...

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Connections

Referenced in Game Night (2018)

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Soundtracks

Bourbon Street Parade
Written by Paul Barbarin
Performed by Jimmy Maxwell and his Orchestra
Courtesy of Her Records

User Reviews

Very Absorbing, But Could Have Been More!

The Client is a good film with moments of extreme greatness especially for a courtroom thriller such as this. But there are also scenes where they should have been added into the editing room. The film was excellent in the beginning, slows to a crawl in the middle, and picks up in the end. If it stayed like the beginning, this film would have been flawless.

After a 11-year-old kid and his brother witnessed a suicide, the kid hires an attorney to help protect him and his family from threatening mafia members and a stubborn Federal District attorney.

The acting is very good in this film. Susan Sarandon seemed like she was born to play this role. She was just perfect! For a kid who never acted before, Brad Renfro was brilliant as the snobby 11-year-old.

Overall, this is a slightly above-average crime thriller. Sarandon steals the show as her role of the attorney. Joel Schumacher directed a masterpiece compared to the Batman films he would take over after this film. I rate this film 8/10.