On R List of Movie Reviews
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The Rainmaker (1997)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
10/03, 3/06, 4/17, 6/22, 3/23
3/06:
I love the plot for John Grisham's novel The Rainmaker, but the film is quite a letdown.
Of all Grisham's book-to-movie adaptations, I have to say this is the best of them all. The running length doesn't bother me, but
the changes do...big time. Yet I'm surprised at how well-cast everybody is; they're exactly whom I imagined from the book.
All in all, if you've read The Rainmaker, then prepare to be disappointed by the film.
4/17:
I decided to watch The Rainmaker after reading the book again.
Among the best of John Grisham's writing career, the story is engrossing, but the movie doesn't hold a candle to it. What I
hate is the weak acting performances and the omission of certain details such as Booker, how the info containing
Section U was discovered, the situation with Miss Birdie, and the rushed relationship between Rudy and Kelly. There are several
parts that aren't clear on screen, so to understand the subtleties, The Rainmaker has to be read.
However long as the book is, I don't think Francis Ford Coppola needed to make any changes because it was basically
filmable to begin with. Matt Damon as Rudy Baylor is perfect. The same goes for Claire Danes as Kelly Riker,
Danny DeVito as Deck Shifflet, Danny Glover as Judge Tyrone Kipler, Johnny Whitworth as Donny Ray, and Mary
Kay Place as Dot Black, among others. Yet for the rest like Jon Voight, the acting isn't up to par.
All in all, The Rainmaker is disappointing compared to the book.
6/22:
I'm trying hard to avoid the comparisons to the book which is why the film has a generous rating of '7' from me.
It's extremely well-cast, especially Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Teresa Wright, and Claire Danes, but I don't see Jon Voight as
Leo F. Drummond at all. The book was basically filmable, and there's no need to change a thing. But Francis Ford Coppola
went ahead and did it anyway. The result is a massive letdown; the feel is just not there. Regardless, it's a decent courtroom
picture.
All in all, the book is perfect while the movie is passable enough.
3/23:
Before seeing the film, I read the book one more time, and my opinion of both is now lower.
If Oscars were given out for casting, then Linda Phillips-Palo would've gotten my vote; it's perfect: Matt Damon for
Rudy Baylor, Danny DeVito for Deck Shifflet, Mary Kay Place for Dot Black, Danny Glover for Tyrone Kipler, and
so on. I thought for a long time that Jon Voight was miscast, but he's perfect.
So, where did the film fall apart? It's the case per se. Francis Ford Coppola has unnecessarily changed it too much. The book
was just fine; yes, it was a one-sided case from the start as Tyrone Kipler had been in Rudy Baylor's corner the entire time.
Oddly, at one point, Delbert showed up with his wife, yet nothing came out of it afterwards. At least, there are many scenes
that are shot perfectly well to mimic parts of the book.
By the way, whatever happened in the trial won't matter because Leo F. Drummond will have the verdict
overturned on appeal. How? Deck Shifflet, who failed the bar exam six times, committed fraud by pretending to be
a lawyer, even if it's only for a minute. That part never occurred in the book.
All in all, The Rainmaker is fine in some ways, but too much of the trial has been altered, souring my mood.