The Rainmaker

Never mind the quality - feel the length! Over 2 hours, but it didn't feel that long, so it can't be all bad. But was it all necessary? I could have sliced 20 minutes of fluff from it, and maybe filled it back out with the same length of Grisham-esque moot. Apart from the unnecessary (romantic) side-plot the whole thing was a straight line. A dotted line at that - it was choppy, so to speak. It's not a bad film. Even if you think I've been negative I'd encourage people to watch it, as there is something in there for even cynics like me. Danny DeVito provided enough comic relief with his almost mole-like down-to-earth character, for example. I'm a very harsh voter, and I gave it a 5 which for me is _right_ down the middle. Phil

I like going back and watching younger versions of actors who I've grown up with. The movie is okay, I probably liked it more before I watched a bunch of lawyer tv shows. Now it just feels like a rookie episode stretched out. A very good cast but a bit unsatisfactory ending.

One of the best movies Iv'e seen in my life! This movie (based on the novel) will have you begging to see pieces based on JOHN GRISHAMM'S novels like the pelican brief, the client, the firm, and more. The only thing you should know is that all the movies based on his books are involved with the law and death. The Rainmaker also has a great cast. Some of them are John Voight, Claire Daines, Danny Devito, and my personal favorite, Matt Damon. Every one of Grishamm's books that has turned into a movie has got an exceptionally good cast. SO WATCH IT. ESPECIALLY YOU< JOHNNY AND JUSTIN!

Matt Damon stars as the young lawyer, just having passed the bar and now learning what the legal profession is really about. This came out the same year as 'Good Will Hunting.' He takes on a case regarding a young man with leukemia getting his claim rejected 8 times by the insurance company. At the trial it was uncovered that the insurance company was guilty of shady and illegal practices. There is also a domestic abuse case, a very young (17 or 18) Claire Danes plays the young wife. Good movie for what it is, my wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

I was amazed at how good this flick turned out to be, and I believe that's mostly because it's so understated. This is a great example of what Francis Ford Coppola is capable of when he concentrates on using his craft to tell the story rather than convince the world that he's an artist: He gets really fine, realistic performances out of a collection of skilled journeyman performers. Damon stands out in the lead. His ambivalence with his own skill at the more ethically borderline aspects of the law comes through strongly -- while his character is clearly satisfied that his actions are justified, he's not happy he's had to go as far as he does. Damon communicates this ambivalence with a seemingly effortless skill that lets the character speak instead of the movie star.

Coppola's The Rainmaker, based on yet another tedious Grisham novel--all Southern fried and Spanish Mossed--has Matt Damon and Danny DeVito taking on the big nasty insurance company, and pleading with us to socialize medicine before them bad ol' suits kill anyone else. Yeehaw! It's all so cookie-cutter that you're actually surprised by--what?--no one on the insurance company's side kicked a dawg while they were doin' evil to po' folks? Sheesh! I hate insurance companies. I despise Obamacare even more. I absolutely loathe dullard movies that play me for a fool by expecting me to swallow hackneyed medicine without even allowing me to grimace. I should have "cheeked" this bitter pill.

well, this aint nowhere near francis best but it doiesnt reach the dismal depths of jack either. sure its very emotionally manipulative-we are left in no doubt that great benefit are lucifers spawn and rudy's team are angels-nevertheless, there are only a handful of films that can make me cry everytime and the rainmaker is one of them. its a bit of a rip off of the earlier 'Philadelphia' with tom hanks (incidentally another of those films that make me teary eyed) but it stands alone as a decent courtroom drama that i have enjoyed multiple viewings of. better than average performances by most of the cast-jon voight does a great job as head of the evil lawyers- but nothing about this movie screams greatness, so i give it a 7/10.