Word: coppolas
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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This time it is once acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola who has been swept up in the heavy-handed moralistic mess that is John Grisham's The Rainmaker. And he's inexplicably proud of it too. He puts the author's name in front of the title as if to warn us before the movie even begins: "This is a Grisham movie! Watch Coppola go mainstream!" Indeed, he keeps his promise: for Godfather fans, John Grisham's The Rainmaker is painful to watch...
...total absence of conflict or plausibility in the story is a concern that Coppola doesn't seem worried by. Indeed, he has done something unforgivable with Rainmaker. He has made John Grisham--the king of popcorn thrillers--lethally boring. There is no shameless entertainment here, no chance to be swept up in random plot twists or instant thrills. Instead, what we get is two hours of disjointed storytelling--without a touch of drama...
...Coppola's screenplay changes little of the book's simplistic plot. Matt Damon, following in the footsteps of Matthew McConaughey, is Rudy Baylor, a recent law-school grad with a soft spot for people in need. With the help of his diminutive mentor (Danny DeVito), Rudy evolves into an ethics-driven Superman--a lawyer with a heart, out to save the world from evil. First, there is his bold attack on a gargantuan insurance company that has a method of denying claims until policyholders give up. Rudy is astounded by the corruption of such a company that refuses...
There are a few redeeming qualities for Coppola's effort. Because of the absence of an engaging plot, the actors are forced to carry the entire burden. Danny DeVito, for the first time in ages, gives a remarkably understated performance as Rudy's counselor. His subtle enthusiasm and energy makes his character the most likeable in the film. In fact, whenever he is absent from the screen (far too often), the other performances (and the film) begin to sag. Claire Danes gives a strong performance as a battered wife, transcending the underwritten role by adding shades of complexity...
There are also occasional flashes of brilliance that hint at Coppola's past genius. What the movie lacks in drama, it often makes up for in comedy. Coppola can't help but accentuate what is absurd about these characters even as he tries to inject them with true emotions. At times, it almost becomes clear what Rainmaker could be--a genre-busting comedy that plays off cliches...