John Grisham's 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	...	Miss Birdie
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 pay out 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 | courtroom drama | underdog | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stephen Dorff was in the fray for the lead role.

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Goofs

During Rudy's first conversation with Miss Birdie, the amount of writing on his legal pad varies between shots.

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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

Referenced in The Joe Rogan Experience: Edward Norton (2019)

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Soundtracks

Woman You Must Be Crazy
Written by T-Bone Walker
Performed by Big Joe Turner
Courtesy of Fantasy, Inc.

User Reviews

Johnny Whitworth And The Test Of Time

It was something else, seeing The Rainmaker again, 20 years later. The plot, the cast, the look of it, it all has that Coppola touch and that

has to be with truth, the way he, Francis Ford Coppola sees it. Beautiful, powerful and moving but the most powerful element after 20 years turns out to be Johnny Whitworth. What a gorgeous, soulful performance. It took me by surprise, I remember the character from my first viewing but this time his is the character who affected me the most. Imagine in a cast that includes Teresa Wright! Yes, Teresa Wright, Dean Stockwell as well as Matt Damon, Mary Kay Place, Jon Voight, Danny De Vito, Mickey Rourke, Claire Danes. Time does extraordinary things. It reveals the center of the center of the truth.

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

Gross USA:

$45,916,769

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,916,769

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constellation Entertainment, Douglas/Reuther Productions, American Zoetrope

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1