art & design
Get Your Grisham On
John Grisham, dominator of airport newsstands and bestseller lists throughout the Nineties, is suddenly popular again. His first hit, The Firm, is airing on NBC every week as a dramatic television series — but that’s just the beginning. Four new novels are set to become movies over the next 3 years. In the wake of these adaptations, consider re-watching some of the best films ever made from Grisham books. You’ll feel like you’re living the Nineties all over again.
The Firm
Cruise starred, Sydney Pollack directed and Holly Hunter was nominated for an Academy Award, a rare achievement when it comes to Grisham adaptations.
The Pelican Brief
In 1993, Julia Roberts was America’s Sweetheart and Denzel Washington was coming into his own as a leading man. Despite being directed at a younger audience (hence the PG-13 rating), The Pelican Brief is a fun ride.
The Client
Arguably the best book Grisham’s ever written, The Client was remindful of the popular film Witness from the 80’s and starred a young, incredibly talented Brad Renfro. But let’s not forget Tommy Lee Jones or Susan Sarandon, who garnered an Oscar nomination (and won a BAFTA) for her performance.
A Time to Kill
Not only is A Time to Kill a great, racially charged story, it has one of the best up-and-coming casts of any film from the Nineties. Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson lead the bill, but there’s also Kevin Spacey, Oliver Platt and both Donald and son Keifer Sutherland supporting the strong, emotional story.
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker signaled the end of Grisham’s run of bestsellers and box office smashes as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s career directing studio films. A young Matt Damon and always entertaining Danny DeVito star, while Jon Voight scored a Golden Globe nomination for his powerful performance.
Be sure to catch the John Grisham classic The Client on Ovation Wednesday, Januray 25th at 8 and 10:30pm EST.
Sam Feeder is a poet/writer/photographer who works primarily in Los Angeles and Austin. Feeder is a careful observer and tries to experience as many different aspects of life as possible, ranging from travels all over the world to discovering that hole-in-the-wall restaurant or bar no one knows about.
Image: The Client
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