The Client

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The Client

PG-13

1994

2h 0m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Fast-paced thriller, based on the John Grisham bestseller, about a boy whose life is endangered after he stumbles across vital information about a politician's murder. His lawyer is the only person offering protection from the unwanted attentions of the Mob and the FBI - but is she capable of saving his life?

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Critics Consensus

The Client may not reinvent the tenets of the legal drama, but Joel Schumacher's sturdy directorial hand and a high-caliber cast bring John Grisham's page-turner to life with engrossing suspense.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

08/16/2017

1.5/5

You know, there are more exciting trials on free TV.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

02/09/2006

Slick, solid and saddled throughout with hackneyed motivation and implausible moments, Schumacher's film is both the best adaptation of a John Grisham novel to date, and a surprisingly suspenseful slice of escapist entertainment.

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Janet Maslin

New York Times

05/20/2003

As for Mr. Jones, he's just irresistible. In a smaller but still commanding role that loosely recalls his performance in The Fugitive, his coiled-cobra gaze and that smart, steely delivery remain in perfect form

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Jaylan Salah

InSession Film

07/25/2024

A-

A film like that means nothing without its main protagonist and no, that’s not Jones as a sleaze-ball, slick-style, pompous, Bible-quoting US attorney named Reverend Roy Foltrigg. It’s Sarandon as the down-on-her-luck hero of this journey.

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

04/04/2022

The film is hideously colored. The mere look of it sets the mood. It only gets darker as danger increases, and everyone becomes more deliciously beastly. I loved every minute of it.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

04/13/2021

3/4

...kicks off with an impressively riveting opening...

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James L

@Jimmy065 Jan 12

Started off o.k, but then went a bit stupid. Watchable, but not great.

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Sharang L

@Scribe187 Dec 19

Falls short of the book's achievements. Still, a competent legal drama with a very likeable Sarandon performance.

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Mo S.

@9mr_0 Dec 11

فلم حلو وقصه حلوه واخراج رائع

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victor w

Dec 3

Silly. Notching more to say.

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Sebastian L

Sep 12

It's a hard to get your head around what makes this movie the rough ride it is. Coming from Falling Down just the year before The Client is a big step down for Schumacher, despite a cast that should be able to make any directorial ambitions come to life. It is in fact Sarandon's effort that makes me put up with cartoonish mobsters and a script that doesn't know where it's going.

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Johannes S

Sep 9

Great actors paired with an interesting story is always a great match for a crime drama. This movie is exciting to watch, but falls short of other courtroom movies.

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Joel Schumacher

Director

Susan Sarandon

Regina "Reggie" Love

Tommy Lee Jones

"Reverend" Roy Foltrigg

Mary-Louise Parker

Dianne Sway

Anthony LaPaglia

Barry "The Blade" Muldano

Anthony Edwards

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Synopsis

Fast-paced thriller, based on the John Grisham bestseller, about a boy whose life is endangered after he stumbles across vital information about a politician's murder. His lawyer is the only person offering protection from the unwanted attentions of the Mob and the FBI - but is she capable of saving his life?

Director: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Steven Reuther
Screenwriter: John Grisham, Akiva Goldsman, Robert Getchell
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros., Regency Enterprises, Alcor Films
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 20, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 13, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $90.8M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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