A Time to Kill

**A Time to Kill** is a 1996 American crime drama film directed by Joel Schumacher.

It is based on John Grisham's 1989 novel of the same name and was released on July 24, 1996 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

## Plot

After his 10-year-old daughter, Tonya (Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly) is brutally raped by two white men, Carl Lee Hailey gets revenge by shooting the men to death. Carl is defended by lawyer Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) and his assistant, Ellen (Sandra Bullock) which incites violent retribution & revenge from the Ku Klux Klan.

## Cast

* Matthew McConaughey as Jake Brigance
* Sandra Bullock as Ellen Roark
* Samuel L. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey
* Kevin Spacey as Rufus Buckley
* Oliver Platt as Harry Rex Vonner
* Charles S. Dutton as Sheriff Ozzie Walls
* Brenda Fricker as Ethel Twitty
* Donald Sutherland as Lucien Wilbanks
* Kiefer Sutherland as Freddie Lee Cobb
* Patrick McGoohan as Judge Omar Noose
* Ashley Judd as Carla Brigance
* Tonea Stewart as Gwen Hailey
* Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly as Tonya Hailey
* John Diehl as Tim Nunley
* Chris Cooper as Deputy Sheriff Dwayne Looney
* Nicky Katt as Billy Ray Cobb
* Doug Hutchison as James Louis "Pete" Willard
* Kurtwood Smith as Stump Sisson
* Anthony Heald as Dr. Wilbert Rodeheaver
* M. Emmet Walsh as Dr. Willard Tyrell Bass

## Production

Filming for "A Time to Kill" took place from September 10, 1995 to December of 1995 in London, Ontario, Canada and Canton, Mississippi.

Other filming locations included Tampa, Florida and Jackson International Airport in Jackson, Mississippi.

Director Joel Schumacher originally offered the lead role to Val Kilmer during the production of "Batman Forever", but Kilmer declined it.

Matthew McConaughey was originally cast in the role of Freddie Lee Cobbs, but after rating the script, he preferred the role of Jake Brigance. He went to director Joel Schumacher, who granted McConaughey a private screentest.

Woody Harrelson wanted to play the role of Jake Brigance, but John Grisham objected to his casting. Kevin Costner was considered for the role as well, but he wanted complete control of the project and when Grisham objected to that, Costner eventually passed on it.

Other actors who were considered for the lead role included Alec Baldwin, Brad Pitt, Bill Paxton, Ralph Fiennes and Aidan Quinn.

Reportedly, Donald Sutherland wanted the character of Lucien Wilbanks to be more of a radical drunkard, but Joel Schumacher wanted a mostly serious drama and said that it would be too much comic relief.

## Box Office

"A Time to Kill" reached #1 at the box office during its first two weeks, grossing $14,823,159 during its opening weekend and grossed $108,766,007 worldwide.

## Critical Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, "A Time to Kill" has an approval rating of 67% based on 55 reviews with an average rating of 6.16\10. The consensus reads: *"Overlong and superficial, A Time to Kill nonetheless succeeds on the strength of its skillful craftsmanship and top-notch performances".*

The film has a score of 54 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 21 reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave it a grade of "A" on a scale of A+ to F.

Roger Ebert gave "A Time to Kill" 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."*

Edward Guthmann from the San Francisco Chronicle said that the film *"has a strong feel for this kind of glossy pop entertainment and a way of integrating social issues without sacrificing narrative drive."*

Marjorie Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle wrote: *"To its credit, A Time to Kill allows the debate to snake through the entire movie, engagingly pitting characters and speeches against each other, creating a dramatic forum for ethical debate uncommon in most commercial American films."*

However, the film was not without its detractors.

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] cram[med] in too much,"* adding: *"This distracts from the heart of the picture, which is in the bond between Carl Lee (the brilliant [Samuel L.] Jackson is quietly devastating) and Jake, a husband and father who knows he, too, would have shot anyone who raped his little girl."*

Gene Siskel remarked that "A Time to Kill" was "a*n overwrought, contrived courtroom thriller"*, *"cornball"* and concluded: *"This story has been recycled out of countless better movies."*

John 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."*