1997 marked the establishment ofMatt Damonas a household name. His greatest accomplishment of that year, of course, is the belovedGood Will Hunting, which he co-wrote withBen Affleckand co-starred in with Affleck andRobin Williams, catapulting him to immediate success. However, less than a month prior, he got the chanceto be the leading man inThe Rainmaker, anadaptation ofJohn Grisham’s 1995 novel of the same name, written and directed byThe GodfathermastermindFrancis Ford Coppola. In the context of Damon’s career, the legal drama largely exists in the shadow of the titanic roles that came after, fromThe DepartedtoOcean’s Eleven,The Martian, and beyond. Starting on July 1, though, viewers will have a chance to revisit the acclaimed film on Paramount+.
The Rainmakerpairs Damon up withDanny DeVitoin one of theIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiastar’s rare dramatic roles. Damon plays Rudy Baylor, an inexperienced young attorney who takes on a case involving a powerful and corrupt insurance company that refuses coverage to a couple’s dying son. Although he’s never argued a case before, he gets some much-needed assistance from paralegal Deck Shifflet (DeVito), who has failed the Bar six times, yet proves to be an invaluable partner in finding ways to go after Great Benefit in court and take on its experienced lawyers led byJon Voight’s Leo F. Drummond. In betweenthe legal dramais a romance that blossoms between Rudy and Kelly Riker (Claire Danes) as he tries to help her out of an abusive marriage that quickly turns dangerous.
Damon and DeVito take the lead, but Coppola’s take on Grisham’s story also has a strong supporting cast around them. Among the other cast members involved areMary Kay Place,Mickey Rourke,Danny Glover,Roy Scheider,Virginia Madsen, and Academy Award winnerTeresa Wrightin her final film role. Despite some glowing reviews and a Certified Fresh 82%Rotten Tomatoesscore, it underwhelmed at the box office with only $45.9 million earned globally.
‘The Rainmaker’ Is About to Find New Life as a Television Series
The Rainmakerbegins streaming on July 1, while the series adaptation will premiere on USA on August 15.
The Rainmaker
