John Grisham's The Rainmaker

Play trailer

2:26

John Grisham's The Rainmaker

PG-13

1997

2h 15m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Struggling new attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) resorts to working for a shady lawyer (Mickey Rourke), where he meets paralegal Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito). When the insurance company of Dot Black (Mary Kay Place) refuses her dying son coverage, Baylor and Shifflet team up to fight the corrupt corporation, taking on its callous lawyer (Jon Voight). Meanwhile, Baylor becomes involved with Kelly Riker (Claire Danes), an abused wife, whose husband complicates matters when he confronts Baylor.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Invigorated by its talented cast and Francis Ford Coppola's strong direction, The Rainmaker is a satisfying legal drama -- and arguably the best of Hollywood's many John Grisham adaptations.

Read Critics Reviews

Martin Hoyle

Financial Times

Jan 20, 2023

The Rainmaker is a formulaic potboiler, decently acted, notably by Mickey Rourke... and Jon Voight.

Go to Full Review

Geoff Brown

The Times (UK)

Jan 20, 2023

The style of direction is relatively impersonal, but Coppola gets the job done, making the most of the Memphis locations and letting humor and compassion flourish; the film's unforced sympathy for the underprivileged is one of its biggest pleasures.

Go to Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Mar 5, 2018

A wonderfully quirky cast under Francis Ford Coppola's direction makes this one of the more enjoyable Grisham movies.

Go to Full Review

Jason Caro

Radio Times

Apr 1, 2025

4/5

Grisham's scenarios often feel contrived and mechanical, but with Coppola forgoing the usual serpentine plotting in favour of emotional depth and well-rounded characters, this is courtroom cinema at its very best.

Go to Full Review

Megan Fisher

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jan 11, 2025

The Rainmaker is a little slow to get started, and the Damon and Claire Danes relationship perhaps didn’t need to turn romantic, but once it gets to the courtroom and surprise witnesses are being called it’s hard not to be enthralled.

Go to Full Review

Betsy Sherman

The Improper Bostonian

Aug 6, 2024

1.5/4

Happily this time people will discover our hometown boy Matt Damon, who gives a superb lead performance in an unfortunately mediocre property.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Paul L

@harlyfife999 Aug 30, 2026

Best of the Grisham adaptations; the story feels relevant still today and solid acting all around makes this very good film.

See more

D P

@RT45936356 Jun 25, 2026

I have nothing against the story or the film quality, but I suppose I can't rate it any higher because it is just my cup of tea. I just have to say it is a film done very well, and that is all.

See more

shane O

@Shanes_DVD_Shack Apr 24, 2026

Engaging watch , DeVito and Damon are excellent in this. It has that 90’s charm . A very good watch

See more

thiago S

@Thiagostone Mar 28, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Laurie E.

@Laurielye Mar 24, 2026

Talented cast, interesting plot, lacks passion. Good, but not as good as the book.

See more

J S

@writersghost Dec 26, 2025

It may be somewhat outdated to assess this film nearly 27 years after its original release, but its shortcomings remain evident. While the narrative from the book may have been great, it scarcely ranks among the stronger adaptations of Grisham’s work and struggles to capture the intensity of true courtroom drama. The film ultimately lacks the seriousness and gravitas that distinguish his more compelling legal stories.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Francis Ford Coppola

Director

Matt Damon

Rudy Baylor

Claire Danes

Kelly Riker

Jon Voight

Leo F. Drummond

Mary Kay Place

Dot Black

Mickey Rourke

Bruiser Stone

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Miss Birdie's Beneficiary

1:54

Now Playing

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Do What You Think is Right

2:06

Now Playing

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Downsizing

2:09

Now Playing

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Cliff Comes Home

2:01

Now Playing

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Guess Who Died Last Night?

0:56

Now Playing

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - Unlicensed

0:57

Now Playing

The Rainmaker: Official Clip - He'll Kill Me

0:37

Now Playing

View more videos

Wind

46%

81%

Wind

Watchlist

A Cool, Dry Place

54%

59%

A Cool, Dry Place

Watchlist

The Spitfire Grill

39%

76%

The Spitfire Grill

Watchlist

The Deep End of the Ocean

42%

58%

The Deep End of the Ocean

Watchlist

Before and After

35%

35%

Before and After

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Danny Glover’s 10 Best Movies

Danny DeVito’s 10 Best Movies

"Chronicles of Narnia" Sequel Confirmed

The Rainmaker: Trailer 1

2:26

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Struggling new attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) resorts to working for a shady lawyer (Mickey Rourke), where he meets paralegal Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito). When the insurance company of Dot Black (Mary Kay Place) refuses her dying son coverage, Baylor and Shifflet team up to fight the corrupt corporation, taking on its callous lawyer (Jon Voight). Meanwhile, Baylor becomes involved with Kelly Riker (Claire Danes), an abused wife, whose husband complicates matters when he confronts Baylor.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Producer: Michael Douglas, Fred Fuchs, Steven Reuther
Screenwriter: Francis Ford Coppola, John Grisham, Michael Herr
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: American Zoetrope
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 20, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $45.9M
Runtime: 2h 15m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings