The Rainmaker (1997)

"Study up." (Deck Shiftland)
"Jury tampering:  I love it." (Deck Shiftland)

John Grisham has a serious talent.  He can write a decent book.  And his books can be turned into decent movies.  I sometimes get the feeling that his books and those of other authors are actually written with the intention of that they would become movies.  The purist in me would rather that the two mediums of print and film be staunchly separate, but storytelling has always been a mixed media so my saber rattling is all for not.

I learned something new about The Rainmaker on this go around.  The Rainmaker was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  I have tremendous respect for Mr. Coppola for his directing work in The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II.   He has a really very smooth and elegant approach to how and why each shot is angled and framed.  In The Rainmaker, I though that the angle of the camera in both wide and close shots to be basically perfect.

Ratings:

Dean Stockwell:  Brilliant cameo

Jaws fans:  See it (Roy Schneider)

Damon Vs. Voight fight night ppv subscribers: See it

Always Sunny Fans:  See it

Shysters:  Skip it

On a scale from contempt of court to a court of contempt, I give The Rainmaker 3.0 out of 5 stars.