Review of A Time to Kill (1996) by Sanguinis L — 18 Mar 2009

Imagine sitting in a movie theatre watching the sadistic rape and beating of an innocent 10-year-old African-American girl. Now imagine you're white, sitting in the movie theatre with a 90-percent black audience watching the sadistic rape and beating of an innocent 10-year-old African-American girl. That happened to me. It was not pretty.

Then again, this adaptation of John Grisham's novel isn't supposed to be.

Carl Lee Hailey (Jackson) was pushed to the limit and beyond by the sadistic goons who were all but assured of a slap on the wrist for nearly killing his daughter and took vengence into his own hands in full view of everyone who mattered. Now the question is...how do you defend a man who just committed double-murder and was proud of it? That task falls to fledgeling attorney Jake Brigance (McConaughey), with a little help from his smarmy partner (Platt), a sardonic law student (Bullock) and a mentor-turned-sot (Donald Sutherland). Set against him is a no-nonsense 'hanging judge' (Patrick McGoohan at his Southern-drawling best), a conniving D.A. (Spacey at his smug best) and Keifer Sutherland (drawing from 'Stand By Me' and 'Lost Boys' to be his most evil).

Everyone involved was at their A-game. The tension was palpable, the emotions were up to near breaking and the courtroom drama was on par with anything Perry Mason could have mustered.