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The Rainmaker (1997)
Starring Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes, and Jon Voight. Cinematography by John Toll. Edited by Barry Malkin and Melissa Kent. Produced by Fred Fuchs, Michael Douglas, and Steven Reuther. Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Fresh out of his second rate legal school, Rudy Baylor (played by Matt Damon) is searching for employment in his chosen profession. Baylor truly feels that lawyers can make a difference in the world and sets out to be the best one he can. Unfortunately jobs aren’t coming as quickly as he would have hoped and he has to settle for a position with the flashy but morally questionable Bruiser Stone (played by Mickey Rourke).
He soon learns that Bruiser’s firm is under legal scrutiny and so he, along with his new “para-lawyer” associate Deck Shifflet (played by Danny DeVito), open up their own office. Work slowly trickles in. After taking on a few minor cases, they are presented with a suit against a powerful insurance company. It seems that they have refused to cover Donny Ray Black’s (played by Johnny Whitworth) leukemia treatments and he is slowly dying as a result. Baylor is quickly overwhelmed by the insurance company’s legal department, leading the film into a rather nicely played “David vs. Goliath” storyline.
Francis Ford Coppola has operated as a hired gun in many of his later projects. In films like Peggy Sue Got Married, Gardens of Stone, and Jack, Coppola had little to do with pre-production process and was brought in to fill an empty role. This is not to say that these films are devoid of his personal touch, but these are certainly not “Francis Ford Coppola” films. Coppola insists, however, that this is not the case with The Rainmaker; an adaptation of John Grisham’s best selling novel. Coppola discovered the book while browsing through an airport bookshop. He was engrossed by the story and immediately saw it’s on-screen potential.
Like most of the film adaptations of Grisham’s work, The Rainmaker was a predictable success. But much of the credit should be given to Coppola. He provided the film with a tight script and beautiful direction. He seems to almost take a back seat in the storytelling as he allows his audience to simply experience the story through the actors.
And fortunately the project ended up being another profitable endeavor for Coppola. After years of financial tragedies and production disasters he was able to prove once again that he is can be a responsible filmmaker who can deliver a respectable product on time and under budget. With every success he inches closer and closer to paying off the debts of his youth and once again providing his fans with a truly personal project.
Budget: $40,000,000
Total US Gross: $45,916,769
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 135 Minutes
US Release Date: 11/21/97
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Golden Globes: Nominated for best supporting actor.
Tagline: They Were Totally Unqualified To Try The Case Of A Lifetime… But Every Underdog Has His Day.
Quote: “What's the difference between a lawyer and a hooker? A hooker'll stop screwing you when you're dead.”
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