The Client is a 1994 American legal thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, and Brad Renfro. It is based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. The film was released in the United States on July 20, 1994.
Plot
Mark Sway and his little brother, Ricky, are smoking cigarettes in the woods near their home when they encounter Mob lawyer Jerome Clifford. Clifford tells Mark that he is about to kill himself to avoid being murdered by Barry "The Blade" Muldanno, the nephew of notorious mob kingpin Johnny Sulari. Ricky goes into severe shock after witnessing the suicide and is hospitalized. Authorities - and the Mob - realize that Clifford may have told Mark where a Louisiana senator that was murdered by Muldanno is buried.
Mark meets Regina "Reggie" Love, a lawyer and recovering alcoholic, who agrees to represent him. They quickly run afoul of "Reverend" Roy Foltrigg, a celebrated and vain US Attorney who is using the case as a springboard for his political ambitions. In the meantime, it is revealed that Sulari never authorized Muldanno to kill the senator and wants Muldanno to uncover how much the boys know. Muldanno is also ordered to move the body, but currently he is unable to because it is buried in Clifford's boathouse, and police are still on the property investigating his suicide.
Foltrigg continues to use legal means to get Mark to reveal where the body is hidden, while Sulari orders Muldanno to kill the children and Reggie. He also orders the body to be moved once the investigation at Clifford's home is concluded.
Mark and Reggie go to New Orleans to confirm that the body is on Clifford's property. Reggie intends to use this information to broker a deal with Foltrigg to get Ricky specialized medical care and place the family in the witness protection program. Reggie and Mark arrive at Clifford's house the same night as Muldanno and his accomplices. They are digging up the body, but a melee follows when Mark and Reggie are discovered. Muldanno and the others flee after Reggie trips the neighbours' alarm.
Foltrigg agrees to Reggie's demands in exchange for information about the body's location. Before the Sway family leaves to restart their lives under new identities, Mark and Reggie share a heartfelt goodbye. Although not explicitly stated, Sulari has had enough of Muldanno and intends to have his nephew killed. With the body recovered, Foltrigg is a lock-in for the media headlines he craves, and mentions that he intends to run for governor.
Cast
- Susan Sarandon as Regina "Reggie" Love
- Tommy Lee Jones as "Reverend" Roy Foltrigg
- Brad Renfro as Mark Sway
- Mary-Louise Parker as Dianne Sway
- David Speck as Ricky Sway
- Anthony LaPaglia as Barry "The Blade" Muldanno
- J. T. Walsh as Jason McThune
- Anthony Heald as Larry Trumann
- Bradley Whitford as Thomas Fink
- Anthony Edwards as Clint Von Hooser
- Micole Mercurio as Momma Love
- Ossie Davis as Judge Harry Roosevelt
- William Sanderson as Wally Boxx
- Will Patton as Sergeant Hardy
- Dan Castellaneta as Slick Moeller
- Ron Dean as Uncle Johnny Sulari
- Kim Coates as Paul Gronke
- William H. Macy as Dr. Greenway
- Kimberly Scott as Doreen
- Walter Olkewicz as Jerome "Romey" Clifford
Reception
Box office
The film was a financial success, earning $92,115,211 at the North American domestic box office and an additional $25,500,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of $117,615,211.
Critical response
The film received generally positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes retrospectively collected reviews from 35 critics to give the film a score of 80%, with an average score of 6.1 out of 10.
Roger Ebert gave the film a score of 2.5 out of 4. To date, reviewers on the Internet Movie Database have given the film a 6.7 out of 10.
The New York Times calls The Client a movie "with a fast, no-nonsense pace and three winning performances, is the movie that most clearly echoes the simple, vigorous Grisham style," but non-profit group Common Sense Media warns "that threats of violence and death, often directed against an 11-year-old boy, are constant here."
Awards
For her work in the film, Sarandon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Adaptations
The film spawned a TV series of the same name, starring JoBeth Williams and John Heard. The show lasted one season (1995â€"1996).
See also
- Trial movies
References
External links
- The Client at the Internet Movie Database
- The Client at AllMovie