The Gingerbread Man (1998)

A lawyer uses his power to help his lover put her father behind bars, but when he escapes, they are all in danger.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

John Grisham (story), Clyde Hayes (screenplay) (as Al Hayes)

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Embeth Davidtz, Robert Downey Jr.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kenneth Branagh	...	Rick Magruder
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mallory Doss
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Clyde Pell
Daryl Hannah	...	Lois Harlan
Robert Duvall	...	Dixon Doss
Tom Berenger	...	Pete Randle
Famke Janssen	...	Leeanne Magruder
Clyde Hayes	...	Carl Alden
Mae Whitman	...	Libby Magruder
Jesse James	...	Jeff Magruder
Troy Byer	...	Konnie Dugan (as Troy Beyer)
Julia Ryder Perce	...	Cassandra (as Julia R. Perce)
Danny Darst	...	Sheriff Hope
Sonny Seiler	...	Phillip Dunson
Walter Hartridge	...	Edmund Hess

Storyline

Lawyer Rick Magruder has a one-night-stand affair with caterer Mallory Doss. He becomes hooked on her, and when he learns her nut-case father Dixon is threatening her, he puts the weight of his law firm behind Mallory, has Dixon arrested and subpoenas her ex-husband Pete to testify against Dixon in court. Dixon is sent to an asylum, but escapes from there and the lives of many people are in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

killing a pet | one night stand | lawyer | law firm | law | 

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Genres:

Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality, violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gingerbread Man

Filming Locations:

Guyton, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$118,278, 25 January 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,534,569, 21 June 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enchanter Entertainment,Island Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When released, this was the only John Grisham film not adapted from one of his novels. Instead, it was from an original screenplay from Grisham.

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Goofs

At the party early in the movie, Rick and Lois are talking head-to-head on the sofa. Mallory walks behind them and you can hear Lois talking, but we see their heads at opposite ends of the sofa and they aren't talking. The camera immediately cuts back to them sitting close and talking like before.

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Quotes

Lois Harlan: The only exercise you are gettin' is jumpin' to conclusions.

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Connections

Featured in The Directors: The Films of Robert Altman (2001)

User Reviews

A Savannah GA lawyer misjudges a situation, and a girl, and finds himself in deep trouble.

I expected more of Kenneth Branagh. It is a decent movie, on the low side of watchable. I prefer my suspense movies not to be predictable from the outset, which this was! We saw it for two reasons--Branagh and John Grisham. My final opinion was that Grisham wanted to try his hand at writing a screenplay, and he had the clout to get it produced. I hope his next screenplay will benefit from his first errors, as his subsequent novels have gotten better as his experience as an author grows.