A Time to Kill is a Southern Gothic legal drama directed by Joel Schumacher and adapted from John Grisham's 1989 novel of the same name. The film features cast members such as Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Kevin Spacey, with supporting performances by Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland. It also marks the film debut of Octavia Spencer.
Released by Warner Bros. on July 24, 1996, A Time to Kill received mixed critical reviews but performed strongly at the box office, earning around $152 million worldwide. It was the second John Grisham adaptation directed by Joel Schumacher, following The Client (1994), and was also the final film appearance of actor Joe Seneca.
Genesis:
Author John Grisham was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to A Time to Kill, but ultimately agreed to a record-setting deal worth $6 million. As part of the agreement, he retained approval over the film's casting decisions. Grisham rejected director Joel Schumacher's preference for Woody Harrelson in the lead role, noting that the character had been modeled after himself. Val Kilmer was also considered for the part during the early casting process. Actress Sandra Bullock reportedly earned $6 million for around five weeks of work on the film.
Years after the film's release, Samuel L. Jackson criticized the editing process, stating that several of his character's most emotionally powerful scenes were cut. He argued that the changes diminished his performance and may have cost him an Academy Award nomination.
Box Office:
A Time to Kill debuted at the top of the domestic box office, remaining the number-one film for its first two weeks in theaters, and ultimately earned more than $108 million in the United States.
Roger Ebert awarded the film three out of four stars, praising its compelling performances and calling it the strongest film adaptation of a John Grisham novel to that point. Other critics were less enthusiastic. Anthony Puccinelli of the Chicago Reader dismissed the film as "worthless," arguing that its themes ultimately endorsed vigilantism. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone believed the film tried to cover too much material, although he singled out Samuel L. Jackson's performance for praise. Gene Siskel criticized the courtroom drama as overly melodramatic, contrived, and derivative of superior films.
Author John Grisham expressed satisfaction with the adaptation, particularly praising the casting of Matthew McConaughey. While he acknowledged that it was not a great film, he considered it a successful and worthwhile adaptation of his novel.
source: wikipedia
Released by Warner Bros. on July 24, 1996, A Time to Kill received mixed critical reviews but performed strongly at the box office, earning around $152 million worldwide. It was the second John Grisham adaptation directed by Joel Schumacher, following The Client (1994), and was also the final film appearance of actor Joe Seneca.
Genesis:
Author John Grisham was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to A Time to Kill, but ultimately agreed to a record-setting deal worth $6 million. As part of the agreement, he retained approval over the film's casting decisions. Grisham rejected director Joel Schumacher's preference for Woody Harrelson in the lead role, noting that the character had been modeled after himself. Val Kilmer was also considered for the part during the early casting process. Actress Sandra Bullock reportedly earned $6 million for around five weeks of work on the film.
Years after the film's release, Samuel L. Jackson criticized the editing process, stating that several of his character's most emotionally powerful scenes were cut. He argued that the changes diminished his performance and may have cost him an Academy Award nomination.
Box Office:
A Time to Kill debuted at the top of the domestic box office, remaining the number-one film for its first two weeks in theaters, and ultimately earned more than $108 million in the United States.
Roger Ebert awarded the film three out of four stars, praising its compelling performances and calling it the strongest film adaptation of a John Grisham novel to that point. Other critics were less enthusiastic. Anthony Puccinelli of the Chicago Reader dismissed the film as "worthless," arguing that its themes ultimately endorsed vigilantism. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone believed the film tried to cover too much material, although he singled out Samuel L. Jackson's performance for praise. Gene Siskel criticized the courtroom drama as overly melodramatic, contrived, and derivative of superior films.
Author John Grisham expressed satisfaction with the adaptation, particularly praising the casting of Matthew McConaughey. While he acknowledged that it was not a great film, he considered it a successful and worthwhile adaptation of his novel.
source: wikipedia
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