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The Chamber (1996)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
7/17
7/17:
Most John Grisham movies tend to work out, and they've been entertaining although his books are better.
During the 90's, it seemed Hollywood was churning out one or two annually. Then, The Chamber got released
that precipitated a serious decline in quality. Soon after
The Gingerbread Man came out, that was the end of it with
the exception of Runaway Jury which showed up in 2003. There hasn't been another John Grisham picture since then.
The Chamber is unique for getting made before John Grisham could finish the book, having initially sold the film rights.
As a result, it grossed $22.5 million against a budget of $50 million. The author called the whole thing a "disaster" and a
"train wreck from the beginning."
The biggest trouble is the believability factor as the hate feels fake. It's just Gene Hackman pretending to be a wigger
who happens to hate Jews and black people. Faye Dunaway trying to lay it on thick is a sad and pathetic sight. In short, her
status as a great actress is clearly kaput. Chris O'Donnell, whose hair appears dyed with a black shoe polish, is
out of his league. To label him an actor is a huge stretch. His shelf life already ended not long after
Batman Returns.
For the most part, The Chamber is Dead Man Walking redux with some taste of Rudy Baylor. Even two actors
from the latter are brought back for their second rodeo: Raymond Barry and Robert Prosky. Worse is the switching of sides:
Faye Dunaway from the outlaw in Bonnie and Clyde to the shamed daughter
of a bigoted murderer, Gene Hackman from the
ball-breaking FBI agent of Mississippi Burning to the fourth generation KKK member, and Raymond Barry from the
victim's father of Dead Man Walking to the white supremacist.
Bo Jackson is distracting because it's Bo freaking Jackson. Obviously, he's being used to score points. By taking
advantage of his adorable eyes, the message of the film is: "If Bo says it's okay, then it's okay." Nope, I'm not going to buy
it. Bo's third career wouldn't last long because he couldn't act.
All in all, in order for a movie to work, I have to care about the characters, but it didn't happen in The Chamber.