The Rainmaker (1997)

An underdog lawyer takes on a fraudulent insurance company.

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

John Grisham (novel), Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)

Stars:

Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Damon	...	Rudy Baylor
Danny DeVito	...	Deck Shifflet
Claire Danes	...	Kelly Riker
Jon Voight	...	Leo F. Drummond
Mary Kay Place	...	Dot Black
Dean Stockwell	...	Judge Harvey Hale
Teresa Wright	...	Colleen 'Miss Birdie' Birdsong
Virginia Madsen	...	Jackie Lemancyzk
Mickey Rourke	...	Bruiser Stone
Andrew Shue	...	Cliff Riker
Red West	...	Buddy Black
Johnny Whitworth	...	Donny Ray Black
Wayne Emmons	...	Prince Thomas
Adrian Roberts	...	Butch
Roy Scheider	...	Wilfred Keeley

Storyline

Rudy Baylor is a young attorney out to make a difference in the justice system. He is also the only hope of an elderly couple after their corrupt insurance company refuses to payout a claim that could save their child's life. In this judicial drama, Baylor rails against corporate lawyers, corrupt judges, and abusive husbands, all with the help of a fellow lawyer who hasn't even passed his bar exam. He is facing long odds in the courtroom - and this is only his first case.

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Plot Keywords:

lawyer | insurance company | courtroom | underdog | domestic violence | 

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Taglines:

They were totally unqualified to try the case of a lifetime... but every underdog has his day.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a strong beating and elements of domestic abuse

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Grisham's The Rainmaker

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,626,507, 23 November 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$45,856,732, 15 March 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constellation Entertainment, Douglas/Reuther Productions, American Zoetrope

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie that Rudy (Matt Damon) and Kelly (Claire Danes) go to see is The Lover (1992).

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Goofs

The movie is said to take place in Memphis, Tennessee, but several times the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas, NV is seen in the background.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rudy Baylor: My father hated lawyers all his life. He wasn't a great guy, my old man. He drank and beat up my mother; he beat me up too. So you might think I became a lawyer just to piss him off. But you'd be wrong. I wanted to be a lawyer ever since I read about the Civil Rights lawyers in the 50s and 60s, and the amazing uses they found for the law. They did what a lot of people thought was the impossible. They gave lawyers a good name. And so I went to law school. And it did piss my father ...

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Crazy Credits

There is a credit for "Poet in Residence".

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil/The Sweet Hereafter/John Grisham's the Rainmaker/Deep Crimson (1997)

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Soundtracks

Baby Scratch My Back
Written by James Moore
Performed by James Moore (as Slim Harpo)
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Supporting cast steals the show.

This film hits on all cylinders, at least until the ending. I have read the Grisham novel, but it was far enough in the past that it did not spoil the film for me, at least for the most part. Matt Damon was OK here, but the supporting cast stole the show, DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight. Especially good in a small part was Virginia Madsen. And it was very interesting seeing Teresa Wright, the teenage star of Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" as the elderly Miss Birdie. The film's ending seemed like it just ran out of steam, though. Maybe it's just because I had read the book. I recommend this movie anyway. Grade: B