A TIME TO KILL (1996) - Movie Review

Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Oliver Platt, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd, Chris Cooper, Charles S. Dutton, Brenda Fricker, Kiefer Sutherland
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Writer: Akiva Goldsman
Runtime: 104 min
Rated: Rated R for violence and some graphic language
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Synopsis:

Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) is a heartbroken black father who avenges his daughter's brutal rape by shooting the bigoted men responsible for the crime as they are on their way to trial. He turns to Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey), an untested lawyer, to defend him. Brigance struggles to believe that he can get Hailey acquitted in this small, segregated Southern town, given Hailey's race and the deliberate nature of his crimes, but Carl has unshakable faith in him.

Review:

I've never read a John Grisham novel, but I have watched pretty much all of the movies based on his works. Among all of them, I have to say "A Time to Kill" is the best, and possibly the most popular, as well. It even got the Broadway treatment. With a budget of around $40 million ($80 million in 2024), it grossed $108 million in North America, which today adjusted for inflation is nearly $200 million. Not bad for a legal thriller.

No matter what your opinions on Grisham's writing may be, I get the feeling he has no pretenses of being a great novelist, but he does seem to have enough talent to deliver solid entertainment. At least that's what I'm getting while watching Grisham adaptation. They're greatly entertaining and free of any false pretenses. Same with "A Time to Kill". Add to the mix a director like Joel Schumacher who can effortlessly combine blockbuster filmmaking and thought-provoking themes, and you get a tense, gripping thriller that is efficient both in and out of the courtroom. Schumacher was no stranger to Grisham's writing, having previously adapted "The Client" in 1993, which earned Susan Sarandon an Oscar nomination.

As expected from any self-respecting legal drama, "A Time to Kill" features a lot of verbal jousting between characters. We get witty banter, duels of ideology, and the requisite legal jargon, all delivered to perfection by the all-star cast. Despite the large ensemble, almost every actor gets to have at least one big scene, and nobody disappoints. That's a rare feat in movies with so many characters. Then there's Samuel L. Jackson's often-quoted line "Yes, they deserved to die. I hope they burn in hell." which has since become an iconic scene.

Jackson's role is a powerful one, but it only earned him a Golden Globe nomination. I feel like he deserved a little more recognition that year, but perhaps awards voters couldn't get past the idea that this movie is just simple populist entertainment. Same goes for Matthew McConaughey as defense lawyer Jake Brigance, who delivers an incredible performance in his first ever lead role. While he failed to get any awards recognition, other than an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, it did wonders for McConaughey's career, which eventually led him to winning an Oscar eight years later for "Dallas Buyers Club".

As Carl Lee Hailey's trial begins, the small town of Canton, Mississippi turns into a battlefield as racial tensions explode in the streets once the KKK becomes involved. The Klan even goes so far as to target those defending Hailey, and their families, effectively raising the stakes to life or death. While inside the courthouse the atmosphere is more civil, the same tensions are revealed as it becomes clear that Hailey will have a hard time receiving a fair trial. Then there's the deeper question of whether or not Hailey deserves or not to be punished for taking justice into his own hands, and is there really a difference between execution by the state and "an eye for an eye" justice ? Pretty darn complex for a popcorn flick. Akiva Goldsman has a reputation of being an awful screenwriter, but he does have some good scripts in his resume, and this is one of them.

The movie gets deep into some difficult topics and invites viewers to ponder them while also providing stellar entertainment. For a two and a half hours movie it goes by like a breeze. It's not of the same caliber as "To Kill a Mockingbird", but it's perfectly balanced entertainment with enough for your brain to stay alive all the way through to the end credits.

SCORE: 8.5/10