It's the story of a young recent Law School graduate, Rudy Baylor, and his effort to take on a large insurance company in court. Seems said insurance company is signing up insurees, but when it comes time to pay up on their claims, the claims, even though valid, are consistently denied. So our bright young man takes them to court, on behalf of his lower-middle-class client.
The cast is a who's who of 80's movie stars and movie legends - Jon Voight, Danny Devito, Danny Glover, Mary Kay Place, Virginia Madsen, and Mickey Rourke to name a few. Not to mention one of my personal favorites, Oscar-winner Teresa Wright ("Mrs. Miniver"), in her last movie appearance. And the acting in all cases is all-around brilliant.
One of the things I really like about this movie, is that it really seems to "get" the spirit of the Mississippi Delta that I remember. Granted, it takes place in Memphis, but from the strains of soul and gospel organ music, to the old homes and wraparound porches and eccentric characters, it just takes me back to what it felt like to live in the Delta.
Something else I find interesting is that it's directed by none other than Francis Ford Coppola, he of "The Godfather" and "Apocolypse Now" fame. One of the great directors of the '70's, he had fallen on hard financial times, and this picture was one that he took while trying to pay off his debts. But while "The Rainmaker" may not rank up with some of his previous films, I think he totally nails this one. And it's supposedly John Grisham's personal favorite of his books translated to film. Which I guess puts me in good company.
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