A Time to Kill
1996, Drama/Mystery and thriller, 2h 30m
55 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
Overlong and superficial, A Time to Kill nonetheless succeeds on the strength of its skillful craftsmanship and top-notch performances. Read critic reviews
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A Time to Kill Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Ellen Roark
Carl Lee Hailey
Jake Tyler Brigance
D.A. Rufus Buckley
Ethel Twitty
Harry Rex Vonner
News & Interviews for A Time to Kill
Critic Reviews for A Time to Kill
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (18)
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(Grisham) films are... grossly over-inflated examples of that old genre which hardly ever need change, the courtroom drama. A Time To Kill is no different, except that its verdict would be laughed out of any court anywhere in the civilised world.
November 29, 2017 | Full Review… -
Quote not available.
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C | Full Review… -
A likable -- maybe even lovable -- movie.
June 14, 2009 | Full Review… -
Although it has its share of implausibilities, A Time To Kill is generally the most satisfying of the John Grisham screen adaptations to date.
October 8, 2008 | Full Review… -
Justice may be blind, but rarely have courtroom dramas presumed quite so heavily on cultural myopia as this heinous version of John Grisham's first novel.
February 9, 2006 | Full Review… -
If the film doesn't add up to a cogent legal argument, neither does it have trouble delivering 2 hours and 20 minutes' worth of sturdy, highly charged drama.
May 20, 2003
Audience Reviews for A Time to Kill
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Dec 31, 2011Great film but the ending speech is heavy handedBrendan N Super Reviewer
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Dec 02, 2011The first 20 minutes of Face/Off is the most haunting memory of cinema for me since the end of Se7en. The rest of it is interesting but not as intense. The cast is great, story caught my attention, but the side plots are so uninteresting. Overall, a great movie, with horrible side stories they made really boring.Bradley W Super Reviewer
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Sep 14, 2011A film filled with good actors and performances, "A Time to Kill" touches on racial and socially controversial topics and was quite controversial when released. Overall I think the film is a gripping and suspenseful film that is emotionally resonant and moving, if you so much as have a loving heart that is. The plight of Carl Lee Hailey, played well by Samuel L. Jackson, is one anyone can acknowledge, especially those with children. Even Matthew McConaughey, whom I think is one of the worst actors, turns in a solid performance as the struggling lawyer defending Hailey. The film also has roles filled by Sandra Bullock, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey and a slew of other character actors who all lend to the story in a positive way. Overall, controversy aside, this is a true drama with great and believable performances from all those involved and one that gets under your skin and makes you think. It also helps that the film has plenty of characters and the script is solid which keeps the film entertaining for it's rather lengthy running time. This is one not to pass up and in my opinion is undervalued!Chris B Super Reviewer
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Apr 04, 2011The first 20 minutes of Face/Off is the most haunting memory of cinema for me since the end of Se7en. The rest of it is interesting but not as intense. The cast is great, story caught my attention, but the side plots are so uninteresting. Overall, a great movie, with horrible side stories they made really boring.Jim C Super Reviewer
A Time to Kill Quotes
| Jake Brigance: | Now Imagine She's White. |
| Carl Lee Hailey: | Yes They Deserved To Die And I Hope They Burn In Hell! |
| Jake Brigance: | I want to tell you a story. I'm going to ask you all to close your eyes while I tell you the story. I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to yourselves. Go ahead. Close your eyes, please. This is a story about a little girl walking home from the grocery store one sunny afternoon. I want you to picture this little girl. Suddenly a truck races up. Two men jump out and grab her. They drag her into a nearby field and they tie her up and they rip her clothes from her body. Now they climb on. First one, then the other, raping her, shattering everything innocent and pure with a vicious thrust in a fog of drunken breath and sweat. And when they're done, after they've killed her tiny womb, murdered any chance for her to have children, to have life beyond her own, they decide to use her for target practice. They start throwing full beer cans at her. They throw them so hard that it tears the flesh all the way to her bones. Then they urinate on her. Now comes the hanging. They have a rope. They tie a noose. Imagine the noose going tight around her neck and with a sudden blinding jerk she's pulled into the air and her feet and legs go kicking. They don't find the ground. The hanging branch isn't strong enough. It snaps and she falls back to the earth. So they pick her up, throw her in the back of the truck and drive out to Foggy Creek Bridge. Pitch her over the edge. And she drops some thirty feet down to the creek bottom below. Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. Now imagine she's white! |
| Carl Lee Hailey: | Yes they deserve to die and I hope they burn in hell!! |
| Carl Lee Hailey: | Yes they deserve to die and I hope they burn in Hell! |
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