Movie Type: Psychological Thriller, Courtroom Drama
Themes: Witnessing a Crime, Fighting the System, Lawyers
Main Cast: Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, Anthony Edwards, Brad Renfro
Release Year: 1994
Country: US
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A sterling cast headed by Oscar-nominated Susan Sarandon makes this slick thriller one of the better adaptations of a John Grisham bestseller. Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) witnesses the suicide of a Mafia lawyer, who confesses that the Mob was behind the murder of a U.S. senator. Mark's brother is traumatized into a coma by the incident; gangster Barry Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia) is soon on Mark's trail, and in desperation, he arrives at the office of recovering alcoholic lawyer Reggie Love (Sarandon). With the Mob after them, and a ruthless federal attorney (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to force Mark to reveal what he knows, Love battles to guarantee the safety of her client and his family. The relationship between Reggie Love and Mark Sway is the center of the film, adding considerable character development to plot's routine elements. Director Joel Schumacher helmed another Grisham adaptation, A Time To Kill, in 1996. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
Review
The Client, against all logic, combined a number of dubious plot elements into a fairly entertaining thriller. The mid-'90s ushered in a glut of John Grisham adaptations that were at best guiltily entertaining (The Pelican Brief) and at worst deathly dull (The Chamber). The Client falls firmly into the former category, thanks in large part to a great cast and the straightforward direction of Joel Schumacher. When not trying too hard (Falling Down) or barely trying at all (Batman & Robin), Schumacher can keep a story moving along nicely. He's in fine form here, leading a cast in which even the minor roles are filled out by terrific actors. Similarly, the best Grisham-inspired films seem to be those with the least ambition. Without the capital punishment hand-wringing of The Chamber or the superficial racial politics of A Time to Kill (also directed by Schumacher), The Client counts as a minor but decided success. Susan Sarandon even manages to carve out a highly memorable role, playing a character whose difficult past informs her every choice. It may be more than the film needs, but it's a welcome contribution nonetheless. ~ Keith Phipps, All Movie Guide
Ossie Davis - Harry Roosevelt; David Speck - Ricky Sway; J.T. Walsh - McThune; Will Patton - Sgt. Hardy; Bradley Whitford - Thomas Fink; Anthony Heald - Trumann; Kim Coates - Paul Gronke; William H. Macy - Dr. Greenway; Micole Mercurio - Mama Love; Kimberly Scott - Doreen; William Sanderson - Wally Boxx; Walter Olkewicz - Romey Clifford; Amy Hathaway - Karen; Jo Harvey Allen - Claudette; Ron Dean - Johnny Sulari; William Richert - Harry Bono; Dan Castellaneta - Slick Moeller; Alex Coleman - Newscaster; John Diehl - Jack Nance; John Fink - Lieutenant; Rebecca Jernigan - Emergency Nurse; George Klein - Announcer; Macon McCalman - Ballatine; Mary McCusker - Pretty Girl; Bettina Rose - Woman at Desire; Will Zahrn - Gill Beale; Mali Finn; Tom Kagy - Wheelchair Patient; Andy Stahl - Agent Scherff; Anthony C. Hall - Pizza Man; Tommy Cresswell - FBI Agent
Credit
P. Michael Johnston - Art Director, Guy Ferland - Associate Producer, Mali Finn - Casting, Mary McLaglen - Co-producer, Ingrid Ferrin - Costume Designer, Yudi Bennett - First Assistant Director, Joel Schumacher - Director, Robert Brown - Editor, Howard Shore - Composer (Music Score), Petur Hliddal - Musical Direction/Supervision, David Forrest - Makeup, Bruno Rubeo - Production Designer, Robert Wagner - Cinematographer, Tony Pierce-Roberts - Cinematographer, Arnon Milchan - Producer, Steven E. Reuther - Producer, Anne McCulley - Set Designer, Kevin Cross - Set Designer, Marco Rubeo - Set Designer, Larry Fioritto - Special Effects, John Grisham - Screen Story, Robert Getchell - Screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman - Screenwriter, John Grisham - Book Author
