John Grisham's The Rainmaker (Special Collector's Edition) | 
| Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Actors: Matt Damon, Danny Devito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight, Mary Kay Place
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $12.98
Buy New: $5.60
You Save: $7.38 (57%)
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Rating:  82 reviews
Sales Rank: 4112
Format: Ac-3, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 135 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D122394D
UPC: 097361223940
EAN: 0097361223940
ASIN: B000P5FH3K
Theatrical Release Date: November 21, 1997
Release Date: July 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Movie DVD
Amazon.com essential video
When viewed from a cranky perspective, this by-the-book David vs. Goliath story doesn't offer any surprises, and it's a bit sad to watch director Francis Coppola (who also adapted John Grisham's bestseller) squandering his once-glorious talent on such conventional Hollywood fare. In a more charitable light, however, there's great pleasure to be found in Coppola's intelligent, no-nonsense handling of a plot that's every bit as involving as it is formulaic. Coppola also knows how to bring out the best in a stellar cast, and this is the movie (released in November 1997, just a few weeks before Good Will Hunting) that signaled Matt Damon's arrival as a major-league star. Damon plays Rudy Baylor, a young rookie lawyer in Memphis (location of many Grisham stories) who takes on a powerful insurance company (led by a sharklike lawyer played by Jon Voight) by representing the family of a boy who was denied potentially life-saving treatment for leukemia. Rudy also comes to the rescue of an abused wife (Claire Danes) and learns the tricks of the legal trade from a seasoned paralegal (Danny DeVito), who sees Rudy as his ticket out of the sleazeball practice run by a shady lawyer (Mickey Rourke). There's no mystery about where this plot is going, but Coppola takes us there in high style with a sharp script, and Damon strikes just the right note of naivete and strategic intelligence. When Goliath inevitably falls, this courtroom David wins fair and square. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com
When viewed from a cranky perspective, this by-the-book David vs. Goliath story doesn't offer any surprises, and it's a bit sad to watch director Francis Coppola (who also adapted John Grisham's bestseller) squandering his once-glorious talent on such conventional Hollywood fare. In a more charitable light, however, there's great pleasure to be found in Coppola's intelligent, no-nonsense handling of a plot that's every bit as involving as it is formulaic. Coppola also knows how to bring out the best in a stellar cast, and this is the movie (released in November 1997, just a few weeks before Good Will Hunting) that signaled Matt Damon's arrival as a major-league star. Damon plays Rudy Baylor, a young rookie lawyer in Memphis (location of many Grisham stories) who takes on a powerful insurance company (led by a sharklike lawyer played by Jon Voight) by representing the family of a boy who was denied potentially life-saving treatment for leukemia. Rudy also comes to the rescue of an abused wife (Claire Danes) and learns the tricks of the legal trade from a seasoned paralegal (Danny DeVito), who sees Rudy as his ticket out of the sleazeball practice run by a shady lawyer (Mickey Rourke). There's no mystery about where this plot is going, but Coppola takes us there in high style with a sharp script, and Damon strikes just the right note of naivete and strategic intelligence. When Goliath inevitably falls, this courtroom David wins fair and square. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 77 more reviews...
Great Storytelling May 24, 2009
Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
I've always really enjoyed this film, even if it is blatantly manipulative in its political correctness preaching. It's just great storytelling, regardless.
The film features a deep cast and one that puts on a great displaying acting, from the lead "good guy" Matt Damon to the lead "bad guy" Jon Voight to all the performers somewhere in the middle, headed by ambulance chaser Danny DeVito.
It's not a believable story at all - a rookie lawyer fresh out of school outsmarting a team of proved veterans with big money backing them - but it makes for a good story. Everyone likes to root for David against Goliath, which is what this turns out to be. Just one example, by the way, of the political correctness in here: the kid lawyer's hopes of a fair trial only become reality after the older, obviously-corrupt white judge suddenly dies and is replaced by Harvard- educated black judge (Danny Glover, of all people). Now, as it's quickly demonstrated in the film, a man of Liberal sensibilities will be bring fairness and justice to this case!
The story is not flattering to lawyers, but it's not all-condemning either. It's pretty balanced in that regard. There's not much profanity, either. Damon does very well in this choice role and once again demonstrates why he was considered one of the best in the crop of today's younger actors back in this mid-to-late `90s period.
It helps that he portrays an extremely likable character, who not only sticks up for a poor, neglected family against a big, wealthy corporation but rescues a sweet woman (Clarie Danes) from her physically-abusive husband at the same time! Wow, he does it all: SuperLawyer!
Danes is very appealing as the battered wife who winds up being romanced by Damon. That part of the film is not distracting, but a nice break from the legalese of the main story. It helps make the movie even more involving. There is very little "action" in here but not much is needed to keep one's attention since it is so entertaining for the full 2-plus hours.
 The Rainmaker....the Irony of Irony March 30, 2009
O. Rios (Texas)
I rented John Grisham's The Rainmaker and i have to say, i enjoyed the movie.
from the very beginning to the end, it was a very thoughtful, well crafted, well acted out movie with a heck of a story line and full of IRONY.
The very title, The Rainmaker almost implies to play God, to dictate circumstances so to speak.
Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) is a fresh out of law school attorney who sets the tone of his character at the very beginning of the movie when he says that he bartended to go to law school and how unlike other attorneys, he didn't have anything available after finishing law school. No law firms waiting, nothing. He had to look for a job.
Danny DeVito's character is a paralawyer, he finished law school but can't pass the bar exam (6 times failed). He works for a law firm owned by Bruiser Stone (Mickey Rourke) in Memphis, who in turn, hires Rudy to basically be an ambulance chasing attorney.
DeVito finds out that the law firm they work for is about to get raided by the Government, so he and Damon start their own law firm and quickly start working on the case of Donny, a young 20 something year old kid who is dying of leukemia. He was denied a bone marrow transplant 8 times by the insurance company Great Benefit.
Rudy sues on behalf of Donny's mother and the court action between a rookie fresh out of law school lawyer-just passed the bar exam, and his first ever case and Jon Voit, an experienced trial lawyer is very interesting.
It's Big Coporation vs the little man.
Along the way, Rudy has help from Devito, who is constantly digging up new information, presenting case history to back a ruling, and finding the secretary of one of Great Benefit's executives who claim she "resigned" and wasn't fired and who can also help expose the truth.
I say The Rainmaker has a double meaning because even though Rudy had the truth on his side, he did do some fancy lawyer tricks with the help of DeVito's character. So they burn the insurance giant and get a ruling of almost $50 million in damages, but...as the title of the movie goes, Great Benefit in turn files for bankruptcy and in the end, nobody really wins.
Donny is gone, Rudy has no income because of the bankruptcy, DeVito leaves his partnership with Rudy, and in the end, Great Benefit lost, won, and then lost again by losing the suit, winning the bankruptcy case, and then going out of business.
it's a very interesting story nonetheless and as a fan of lawyer movies, it's a must see.
Pleased with prompt service. March 2, 2009
Suzanne Jennings (sacramento, ca)
I was very happy with the fast delivery and excellent condition of the VHS
Rainmaker.
Great movie January 8, 2009
Bill Evanochko (Sudbury On Canada)
This is another of Grisham's great books which translates to a very good movie. It will seem like a b-grade movie at times because of the locations and scenes, but the moral and ethical plot will keep you rivited and wondering what will happen next. One of Damon's best works when he is just a youngster. A modern David and Goliath story with a happy ending
 sappy tear jerker plot fails to convince December 24, 2008
Roberta Green (Cuernavaca, Mexico)
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
A 22 year old man is denied the Cadillac of medical care, a bone transplant, after purchasing the Gremlin of medical insurance from a small company. The movie attempts to arouse sympathy, but provides a jaundiced view of reality. The fact is the patient would still have been eligible for all the medical care the safety net of Medicaid and Medicare provide, plus the basics his low quality insurance would have provided. This includes visiting nurses, pain management, etc. We are supposed to believe an employee of the insurance company wrote a letter to the family calling them, "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID". I worked in the insurance business and anyone who did that would be FIRED. Thus, the plot of this film insulted my intelligence. If the patient had sound basis for a lawsuit an established attorney would have taken the case. Instead he winds up represented by a fresh law school grad. I resent being manipulated to believe our flawed medical and insurance systems are even worse than they really are. You will not enjoy this movie, unless you are very gullible. It is also depressing and fails to offer good background music, scenery, or any comic relief. Even the romantic interest is disgusting presenting a battered woman who is married.
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