In Canton, Mississippi, 10-year-old Tonya Hailey is viciously brutalized by two white racist rednecks -- James Louis "Pete" Willard and Billy Ray Cobb. Almost immediately after Tonya is found and rushed to a hospital, Pete and Billy Ray are found at a roadside bar, where they had been bragging about what they did to Tonya. Tonya's understandably distraught and enraged father, Carl Lee Hailey, remembers a case from a year ago, when four white men raped an African-American girl in a nearby town, and got acquitted. Carl is determined to not let that happen in this case. While deputy Dwayne Powell Looney is escorting Pete and Billy Ray up a flight of stairs to a court room, Carl emerges from the building's basement with an assault rifle, and he kills Pete and Billy Ray for what they did to Tonya. Carl is later arrested at his house by African-American sheriff Ozzie Walls, and Carl is scheduled to be placed on trial...
A Time to Kill is a 1996 film adaptation of John Grisham's 1989 legal thriller novel of the same name. Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashley Judd, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey and Patrick McGoohan. Upon its theatrical release, A Time to Kill was regarded as a commercial success, taking nearly $110 million at the box office. It stars:
- Sandra Bullock as Ellen Roark, a law student working free for the defense
- Samuel L. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey, defendant
- Matthew McConaughey as Jake Brigance, defense attorney for Carl Lee Hailey
- Kevin Spacey as Rufus Buckley, prosecuting attorney
- Brenda Fricker as Ethel Twitty, secretary to Brigance
- Oliver Platt as Harry Rex Vonner, attorney assisting defense
- Charles S. Dutton as Ozzie Walls, Canton Sheriff
- Ashley Judd as Carla Brigance, Jake's wife
- Patrick McGoohan as Judge Omar Noose, presiding judge
- Kiefer Sutherland as Freddie Lee Cobb, Bill Ray's racist brother
- Donald Sutherland as Lucien Wilbanks, a disbarred lawyer and Jake's mentor
- John Diehl as Tim Nunley, a Klansman, later informant (Mickey Mouse)
- Doug Hutchison as James Louis "Pete" Willard, rapist
- Nicky Katt as Billy Ray Cobb, a rapist
- Chris Cooper as Dwayne Looney, the deputy accidentally shot by Hailey
- Anthony Heald as Dr. Wilbert Rodeheaver, state psychiatrist
- Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly as Tonya Hailey, Carl Lee's daughter, rape victim
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, earning a 69% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 48 reviews, and a score of 54 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 21 reviews. James Berardinelli gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "involving, energetic, and occasionally thought-provoking". Roger Ebert also gave the film three stars out of four, saying: "I was absorbed by A Time to Kill, and found the performances strong and convincing," and added that "this is the best of the film versions of Grisham novels, I think, and it has been directed with skill by Joel Schumacher."
The film was not without its detractors, however. Anthony Puccinelli gave the film one star, calling it "worthless" and remarking: "A Time to Kill argues for vigilantism but disguises its message by making the vigilante black, allowing viewers to think their blood lust and thirst for revenge is actually empathy for the oppressed." Peter Travers felt that "they (Schumacher and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman) crammed in too much," adding, "This distracts from the heart of the picture, which is in the bond between Carl Lee and Jake, a husband and father who knows he, too, would have shot anyone who raped his little girl."
Grisham enjoyed the film, remarking: "When all was said and done I was happy with it, happy we were able to find a kid like Matthew McConaughey. It wasn't a great movie, but it was a good one."
I recommens this movie to all those from the age of 12 onwards, as I believe that those below 12 are too young and should not be exposed to the rascism that was common in the past and some cases still happen today, as people still call black people names like "nigger", "Blackie", etc. I feel that this movie can raise the awarness of my fellow pupils and help them understand that every human in this world is equal, regardless of race language or religion.
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