77 - "A Time To Kill" (1996)

     Many of the works of author John Grisham have made their way to the big screen but none more effectively than the one based on his first novel, A Time To Kill. When a young black girl is attacked and raped by two drunk rednecks, the girls father Carl Lee Hailey kills the attackers in cold blood as they are being led into the courthouse for their hearings. He believes the guys will get let off without any retribution so he takes the law into his own hands. Hailey is portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson who in my opinion gives his finest performance in this film. Hailey hires southern lawyer Jake Brigance to defend him even though he knows the odds are stacked against him. Even though a lot of people understand and agree with what Carl Lee did, there are those who feel he went over the line when he killed the boys. This action revives the KKK in the area and they are out to make Carl Lee pay for his actions. Brigance must somehow do his job of defending Carl Lee even though he, his family and his friends become targets of the KKK as well. Brigance is played by Matthew McConaughey who frustrates me as an actor sometimes. He shows so much talent at times, as he does in this role, but too often he takes on brain dead roles which do not show off the acting credentials he possesses but does not demonstrate near enough. His resume should be better than what it is. Regardless, he is wonderful in this film and his closing speech in court is top notch. A Time To Kill does not get the recognition it deserves as a story and if you have not had the privilege of seeing it I highly encourage you to as it is a movie that causes us to think a little bit and that does not occur near enough in movies these days.