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IMDbPro

Primal Fear

  • 19961996
  • RR
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
225K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
545
51
Richard Gere in Primal Fear (1996)
Trailer
Play trailer2:28
6 Videos
63 Photos
CrimeDramaMystery
An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
225K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
545
51
    • Gregory Hoblit
    • William Diehl(novel)
    • Steve Shagan(screenplay)
    • Ann Biderman(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Richard Gere
    • Laura Linney
    • Edward Norton
    • Gregory Hoblit
    • William Diehl(novel)
    • Steve Shagan(screenplay)
    • Ann Biderman(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Richard Gere
    • Laura Linney
    • Edward Norton
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 383User reviews
    • 84Critic reviews
    • 47Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos6

    Primal Fear
    Trailer 2:28
    Watch Primal Fear
    Primal Fear
    Trailer 2:29
    Watch Primal Fear
    Primal Fear
    Clip 0:59
    Watch Primal Fear
    Primal Fear
    Clip 0:46
    Watch Primal Fear
    Primal Fear
    Clip 0:44
    Watch Primal Fear
    Primal Fear
    Clip 0:54
    Watch Primal Fear

    Photos63

    Richard Gere, Maura Tierney, and Andre Braugher in Primal Fear (1996)
    Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, and Terry O'Quinn in Primal Fear (1996)
    On the set of "Primal Fear"
    Drew Barrymore and Courtney Love at an event for Primal Fear (1996)
    Richard Gere and Carey Lowell at an event for Primal Fear (1996)
    Richard Gere and Carey Lowell at an event for Primal Fear (1996)
    Courtney Love at an event for Primal Fear (1996)
    Kyle MacLachlan at an event for Primal Fear (1996)
    Drew Barrymore, Courtney Love, and Eric Erlandson at an event for Primal Fear (1996)
    Richard Gere in Primal Fear (1996)
    Richard Gere in Primal Fear (1996)
    Richard Gere in Primal Fear (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Gere
    Richard Gere
    • Martin Vail
    Laura Linney
    Laura Linney
    • Janet Venable
    Edward Norton
    Edward Norton
    • Aaron…
    John Mahoney
    John Mahoney
    • Shaughnessy
    Alfre Woodard
    Alfre Woodard
    • Shoat
    Frances McDormand
    Frances McDormand
    • Molly
    Terry O'Quinn
    Terry O'Quinn
    • Yancy
    Andre Braugher
    Andre Braugher
    • Goodman
    Steven Bauer
    Steven Bauer
    • Pinero
    Joe Spano
    Joe Spano
    • Stenner
    Tony Plana
    Tony Plana
    • Martinez
    Stanley Anderson
    Stanley Anderson
    • Rushman
    Maura Tierney
    Maura Tierney
    • Naomi
    Jon Seda
    Jon Seda
    • Alex
    Reg Rogers
    Reg Rogers
    • Connerman
    Kenneth Tigar
    Kenneth Tigar
    • Weil
    Brian Reddy
    Brian Reddy
    • Woodside
    Christopher Carroll
    • M.C.
      • Gregory Hoblit
      • William Diehl(novel)
      • Steve Shagan(screenplay)
      • Ann Biderman(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This is Edward Norton's motion picture debut.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 19 mins) It is stated by several characters that a plea cannot be changed mid trial. However, it is entirely possible to change a plea before sentencing.
    • Quotes

      [last lines SPOILER]

      [while in a holding cell in the back of the courthouse]

      Roy: Mr. Vail?

      Martin Vail: Yeah?

      Roy: [stammering] Will you t-tell Miss Venable I'm sorry? Tell her I hope her neck is okay.

      Martin Vail: Yeah... I will.

      [begins walking away, then turns back]

      Martin Vail: Wait... What did you just say? What? You told me just a few minutes ago that you didn't remember. You blacked out. You "lost time" yet again. So, how do you know about her neck?

      Roy: [slow clapping sardonically; sneers] Well... good for you, Marty. I was going to let it go at that. You was looking so happy just now. I was thinking, hmmm God. But to tell you the truth, I'm glad you figured it out, because I have been dying to tell you. I just didn't know who you'd wanna hear it from, you know? Aaron or Roy... or Roy or Aaron. Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. A sort of a client-attorney-privilege type of a secret, you know what I mean? It don't matter who you hear it from. It's the same story.

      [stammering as Aaron]

      Roy: [in a southern accent] I j-j-just... had to kill Linda, Mr. Vail.

      [normal voice as Roy]

      Roy: That cunt just got what she deserved. But... cutting up that son of a bitch Rushman? That was just a fucking work of art.

      Martin Vail: You're good. You are really good.

      Roy: Yeah. I did get caught, though, didn't I?

      Martin Vail: So there never... there never was a Roy?

      Roy: Jesus Christ, Marty. If that's what you think, I am disappointed in you, I don't mind telling you. There never was an Aaron... counselor! Come on, Marty! I thought you had it figured, there at the end. The way you put me on the stand like that? That was fucking brilliant, Marty! And that whole thing like "act-like-a-man"? Jesus, I knew exactly what you wanted from me. It was like we were dancing, Marty!

      Martin Vail: Guard!

      Roy: [as Vail walks away] Oh come on, don't be like that, Marty. We did it, man. We fucking did it! We're a great team, you and me. You think I could've done this without you? You're just feeling a little angry here, because you started to care about old Aaron, I can understand that, but... you know, love hurts, Marty. What can I say? Hey, I'm just kidding, bud! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! What else was I supposed to do? Hey, you're gonna thank me down the road, because this is gonna toughen you right up, Martin Vail! You hear me? That's a promise!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Sgt. Bilko/Jack and Sarah/A Family Thing/Carried Away/From the Journals of Jean Seberg (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Introitus: Cibavit Eos
      by William Byrd

      Performed by The Voices of Christ Church Cathedral Choir

      Conducted by Stephen Darlington

      Courtesy of Nimbus Records

    User reviews383

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    The birth of a star and the resurrection of another
    It's not often that viewers get a chance to watch a star being born - that a talented unknown actor's performance that is so spectacular it leads to the A-list in one role is rare: Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Brad Pitt in Thelma & Louise to name a recent few. But Edward Norton's turn as the "defendant/victim" in Primal Fear is one of those "Wow" moments that leaves the audience salivating for his next performance. In this feature debut, Norton outdistances his role, as does Richard Gere, in a resurrection no less impressive than Norton's star-making turn. Heretofore, Gere has specialized in assorted intelligent professional cad roles. Here, he gets a chance to inhabit one that not only wears his dubious character on his sleeve, but wears it, drives it, drinks it... revels in it. Yeah, sure somewhere there's a heart of gold, but like his client, the layers on top serve him better, and the heart of gold is tarnished. Gere is at his peak, comfortably, cheerfully inhabiting the role.

    Laura Linney deserves extra credit for often being the ice-queen foil which propels the two male characters' development; her own character is rather one- dimensional, but she herself squeezes as much dazzle as she can from it. Even though everyone else obviously falls for whatever Gere's Vail purrs into their ears, it's merely enough time for Linney's Janet to get a drag on her ubiquitous cigarette; another step in what will (hopefully) someday be film's love affair with her. Wasted, sadly, are fine character actors like John Mahoney, Steven Bauer, Maura Tierney & Andre Braugher who could have lit up the screen had they not been handed scripts with generic character stereotypes.

    See it to watch the ascension of Norton and Gere.
    helpful•197
    26
    • advixen
    • May 8, 2004

    FAQ5

    • What is "Primal Fear" about?
    • Is "Primal Fear" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 3, 1996 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Rysher Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 9 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital

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