A Time to Kill (1996) - Full Reaction

I cried and cheered along with you.

Kit Taylor

Well said

JC762

Not even JUST African-Americans, but anyone who's rights had been trampled on regardless of political persuasion, race, gender, or otherwise. The NAACP would theoretically be outspoken and defend a Hillary Clinton or a Donald Trump in a perfect world, so long as their legal rights were perceived as violated in any given case. Sadly, now the organization is essentially just another arm of the Democratic party. But yes, the movie did a great job pointing out the politicization of that organization.

Brian Jones

If that happened today in real life they probably would have given him something like second degree manslaughter given the heinous nature of his daughter's rape and attempted killing. At least Rufus was willing to knock it down to 20 years instead of the gas chamber so he was willing to show Carl Lee SOME leniency.

I was thinking about that too, I'm glad this film didn't really take one side of the political aisle one way or the other. The NAACP used to really be about fighting for African-Americans but that organization has become so politically corrupt and the writing of this film showcased that while still fighting for a black man's freedom. That was a bold step to take back in 1996.

The Rainmaker is hands down my favorite legal movie of all time.

MattN

The Rainmaker for sure!

Shawn Kildal

After this movie you should watch other John Grisham's courtroom movies like The Pelican Brief, The Client and The Rainmaker

Ido Gordin

She'll never watch either version of TCM. Lost cause. Trust me I've tried. A Freddy or Jason movie, maybe. BIG maybe

William Bryan

That said I badly want to see TCM 1974, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th part 3, 4 and 6 on this channel. TCM 2003 would be great but it's not as important to me.

Dustin Nelson

TCM 2003 is great on it's own, they did such a good job on it it can stand up the 1974 original as a complementary alternative universe. The original has such strong moments it wins out but there is something to be said for the on-camera brutality of TCM 2003. We're basically comparing a 10/10 movie from 1974 to a 9/10 movie from 2003.

Dustin Nelson

Yeah, nah, got to agree to disagree on 2003 TCM.

Jason Chirevas

I always know that this is a good movie. I own it in every medium it was released on. But I just seem to forget just how good it is and for the dozen, at least, times that I've seen it, I never remember how the closing summation by Jake kills me and I sob through the whole thing.

Amy Silknitter

IMO they need to go to prison, killing isn't the answer.

BJ Stephens

Doctor Sleep isn't as scary as The Shining by any means but Cassie's soft spot for children is enough for her to never see that one scene.

William Bryan

See I don't like the original nearly as much and yeah I did see the '74 version years before the 2003 version came out. Leatherface just seemed so much more demented in the remake. Don't get me wrong the '74 is a classic and great but I came out of the theatre on Oct 17, 2003 at around 11pm and just shouted, "Tobe Hooper eat your heart out!!" my two cents. lol

William Bryan

if Carl Lee gets off completely scott free in real life now it opens the door to anarchy.

William Bryan

I grew up in Mississippi and would just like to point out that we did, in fact, have air conditioning.

Lyle Morgan

When you have children under the age of 10 protecting them is priority #1,mine are 7 & 3 I can't afford to be complacent..

Celeste McAllister

Amen!! Helicopter parenting is suffocating children. It’s why they act out and lie so much. I spent all summer outside with my friends and my mom always knew where I was but didn’t need to be by my side every second of the day. So glad I’m an 80’s baby.

brooke atkins

Weird that you’d single out the 2003 TCM and not the original, which is, like, 10 gajillion times scarier and disturbing.

Jason Chirevas

Agree on DOCTOR SLEEP. I think that one scene in particular would override any value Cassie might take from seeing it. Plus, she had a terrible time with THE SHINING anyway, so what would be the point?

Jason Chirevas

JFK is a must on several levels, the investigation/court aspect is just one of them.

Jason Chirevas

JFK is a solid suggestion.

Brian Jones

What humans can do to other humans is way more disturbing than anything any demonic possession movie can ever put out. That's what makes the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre one of the most terrifying movies to come out in the last forty years. At least imo.

William Bryan

Cassie's reaction to the first 10 min of ATTK is exactly why she shouldn't go near Doctor Sleep. Some people have suggested Doctor Sleep and I'm like, hell no.

William Bryan

Two men torturing and raping an innocent little girl is way more disturbing than anything the Saw franchise has ever put out. Maybe it's just me.

William Bryan

Good observation Dustin. Excellent observation. Cassie doesn't like the jump scares, that's why horror terrifies her. Not so much the content. It's the "boo" stuff.

William Bryan

I've seen this movie a number of times.. very well done but if I'm going to be honest.. I skip probably the first fifteen minutes or so if I do watch it. Once was enough for the beginning.

Andrew Rose

Cassie, if you’re into investigative, courtroom stuff, “JFK” is a must! And possibly the greatest cast ever assembled… Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci, Sissy Specek, Kevin Bacon, John Candy, Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau, Donald Sutherland and a ton of other character actors you’d probably recognize.

Jeff Milcheck

I think she means horror as in jump scares and frightening imagery like monsters and demons.

granny_goodness

For someone who's not into horror you sure cover a lot of stuff with more brutal content than most horror films have in them

Dustin Nelson

@Jason: Eh, you could do a lot worse too.

Stick Figure Studios

Because the over-proctective helicopter parent hadn't really taken hold at that time.

Mike Lemon

That was painful to watch,my initial thoughts were why is this little girl walking home alone in such a socially unhinged place as rural Mississippi at that period in time? I look at my baby I know I would have shot them for such a cowardly act as raping a defenseless child! Carl will probably have to face civil court..

Celeste McAllister

If you like court room crime stuff. True detective S1 is the best mini series for your taste

TinCan Cosmanaut

I doubt very seriously Carl Lee would get off scott free here in 2022 doing that with all the public shootings going on. I know we were rooting for Samuel L. during the movie, but still I think his character should have faced some sort of punishment regardless. That was my first thought when I initially saw this movie way back when in the theater. Especially restitution to the police officer who had his leg amputated. Plus, probably in today's times it would have been recorded and replayed for the jury to see. That really would have been game over.

Shawn Kildal

Great reaction as always Cassie. The one thing this film did remarkably well, past the obvious positive messages about race, which it thankfully juggled without strangling it's own structure or narrative, was to be fair politically and represent all sides. Especially regarding the DA, ACLU, and Judge. It showed them for the political animals that they are in most cases. Even more so recently than at the time. If the film were made now, and it were honest, it would also have to include the obvious blowback that the prosecution, judge, and likely even the community would see as well. Sadly, and more frequently than not these days, a case that would be this high profile tends to become a political football that's more about scoring PC points than actually finding any genuine justice. A subject that's kind of broached here, but is far more relevant in the current political climate. This film came out at a time when our country was actually healing. Unfortunately, over the last 15 years or so, division has become such a cottage industry of money and power that that the powers that be seem to be going out of their way to keep society separated. One would hope we will eventually see the errors of our ways.

Brian Jones

YES! Primal fear is amazing!!!!

Jayson Phillips

If you have the time on your schedule, I also highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend The Trial of the Chicago Seven, it deals with many of the same issues that this movie does and is incredibly engaging.

M&M

It’s certainly a better first-date movie than PRIMAL FEAR. Christ…

Jason Chirevas

@Jason: The first movie my wife and I saw together in the theater on a date was RATATOUILLE. I feel pretty good about that one.

Stick Figure Studios

Love PRIMAL FEAR. Very atmospheric courtroom drama. Norton certainly made an auspicious debut with his slambang performance, but I think that Gere actually has the harder role and does some of his best work.

Stick Figure Studios

Agree on the Norton aspect of PRIMAL FEAR; the rest is pretty tedious. There’s a subplot involving Steven Bauer’s character that goes absolutely nowhere. Saying that, PRIMAL FEAR was what I saw on my first date with my wife. Awwww. But also kind of weird, in retrospect…

Jason Chirevas

Another great courtroom drama: Primal Fear. Absolutely riveting and introduced the movie going public to Edward Norton.

Just Plain Bob

Tombstone and The Boondock Saints would 2 on the list.

TommyJ.

One of the things this movie does so well is depict the way that high profile, polarizing cases bring out the special interests groups, whether those groups are black, white, liberal, conservative or whatever. It seems inevitable that, when a case garners enough attention, many people will choose a side and stick with that side regardless of the evidence. What they ignore is that justice can't be achieved for groups, only individuals. Each case is unique and should be judged on its own merits. They ignore that in favor of defending their "side." But true justice can only be achieved by judging each case independently.

Just Plain Bob

"Dad movie" needs it's own category

Allen Bond

Another great courtroom drama starring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones is Rules of Engagement from 2000.

David Crabtree

There wasn't much subtlety in this movie.

Mike Lemon

That was Patrick McGoohan, probably best known as the star of the 1960s spy series THE PRISONER, and the killer in about half a dozen episodes of COLUMBO (McGoohan was very good friends with Peter Falk who kept asking him to come back and kill more people).

Patrick Flanagan

It has actually moved backwards- in 2001 (as far back as the first poll results I found goes) about 65 percent of people (U.S.) said "race relations" were on the good side of the scale- and that held through 2013, 2021 the number was about 35 percent. For "greatly worried about race relations"- 2001 was 28 percent, dropping to 23 in 2002 and hovering between that and high teens through 2014 (13 percent in 2010), 2021 was 48 percent with a slight drop to 41 in 2022. Do you think a black person has the same chance as a white person to get a job they are qualified for- 1997 (about the time of this movie) 75 percent 'yes', in 2021 it was 55 percent. poll- https://news.gallup.com/poll/1687/Race-Relations.aspx

Mike Lemon

Doug Hutchinson is good at playing characters you love to hate.

Brian McGovern

"He's innocent! He's innocent!" Well no, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. That doesn't mean you get to go to a barbeque, it means you spend the next several decades in a mental hospital. Oh also, you can bet the State will appeal. A pretty ridiculous movie all around.

Carol_White

Rewatching this, I had a hard time recognizing the Judge. It finally came to me that was also the warden in Escape From Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood. Also, I'm a big fan of Oliver Platt. He's tremendously underrated. Cassie, you should also remember him from the West Wing as President Bartlet's White House lawyer.

Shawn Kildal

For a moment there, I thought you were taking the piss, then I realised Keifer was not the bad guy in that was he?

Brian McGovern

I forgot that the Judge's last name was Noose. A little on the nose.

Stick Figure Studios

Two nonessential, but hopefully fun, notes about A TIME TO KILL… -During Buckley’s examination of Deputy Looney, Kevin Spacey mistakingly calls him “Detective Looney” at one point, and it apparently got by everyone. -Future Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer appears fleetingly as a nurse in the hospital scenes. She’s the nurse saying, “Ellen, we won, we won,” at the end.

Jason Chirevas

I should add that this was the first thing I ever saw Matthew McConaughey in and I was very impressed with his performance.

Stick Figure Studios

I'd love to see your reactions to something like The Firm, kinda court/lawyer adjacent, but more along the thriller vein. That or the Pelican Brief.

BJ Stephens

My take away from this movie was that, despite all the legal precedents, in the end this jury trial wasn't about the law. It was what the 12 people in the jury box felt was right. It grabbed ahold of my heartstrings and didn't let go. And the ending...perfect: Ellen is up on her feet and smiling after the verdict. 😁 Freddie Lee Cobb and his cronies go down, along with that turncoat deputy.😆 Buckley acknowledges Jake as a good lawyer and honored adversary with a handshake and a "Congratulations, counselor." 🤝Carl Lee sees his daughter and just runs up and hugs her tight. 🫂 And then their families get together and the kids play. 🙂🥲

Zane From Canada

It's crazy how relevant this film feels today. We have barely moved an inch over 30 years.

Jason Dolan

Another great courtroom drama is Runaway Jury: https://popcornrequests.com/title/tt0313542 (currently ranked 623rd, so... :P ) And for another "difficult but important to watch" movie, American History X: https://popcornrequests.com/title/tt0120586 (228th)

Planner

Agreed 💯

David Freese

Wonderful film and I loved your reaction. The tears are still running down my cheeks. Not much left say. Thank you, Cassie.

Patrick Reynolds

PRESUMED INNOCENT is a terrific film.

Stick Figure Studios

If your looking for a great courtroom drama you should watch Presumed Innocent. Its got your favorite Harrison Ford in it.

James1035

Yea that is a heck of a rough opening. I've rewatched this movie plenty because I love courtroom dramas, but usually skip that scene. I think John Grisham adaptations might be right up your alley, The Client especially. Not looking forward to the start of this, but very much looking forward to the rest of it. Hope you're having a great vacation back up here in Canada.

Erik Daniel

And here we are. I've been interested to see your reaction to A TIME TO KILL for a long time. As I've said elsewhere, this was a significant film in my development as a cinephile as it helped me figure out what kind of a movie-viewer/critic I wanted to be. When I saw it in the theater as an adolescent, I had quite a conflicted response to it. Parts of it I absolutely loved while other aspects were problematic for me. On the one hand, I found it a very intelligent, emotional and effectively told story with fine performances and cinematography. From just a pure filmmaking perspective, I had no complaints. It's one of Joel Schumacher's best movies. On the other hand, while it tries to be another powerful courtroom drama in the vein of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD or A FEW GOOD MEN, though it may have the moral fervor of both it lacks the moral clarity of either. Ultimately this is a film about someone who commits premeditated murder (something that is both an illegal and immoral; something that is destructive to the fabric of our society and which ought to be punished by the law) and gets off scott-free... and the movie wants us to celebrate that. It wants us to see his taking the lives of two men -- who themselves never got their day in court -- and returning to his family without suffering any consequences for this crime as some kind of triumph of justice rather than the further miscarriage of justice that it actually is. To accomplish this, the movie does not play fair: it stacks the deck in favor of the characters fighting for the murderer's acquittal to play on the audiences' sympathies and paints the opposition in the most unflattering light possible. Lots of movies, of course, engage in this kind of one-sided manipulation, but very few are as bold-faced and, as I said above, good at it as this one is. Much of this flagrant moral transgression originates in Grisham's book which was his first published novel and for which, I read somewhere once (though I don't remember where), he later apologized for writing what is essentially an advocating of vigilantism. Though the film was rightly praised at the time for its many excellent qualities, some critics expressed reluctance at the film's apparent moral message (Ebert, in his mostly positive review, articulated issues with the film much resembling my own) and in France, many critics were horrified at the film's "destructive," "nauseating" and almost "fascist" script accusing it of "justifying the indefensible" (I find that often Europeans can see America more objectively than even Americans can). A question mark was added to the end of the title ("Le Droit de tuer ?"/"The Right to Kill ?). Eventually I had to conclude that it's a movie that is very well-made and which I really did enjoy, but is ultimately fundamentally immoral. Coming to that realization helped solidify in my own mind that as movies themselves are not always simple, uncomplicated things, I could have complex, nuanced reactions to them. I could admire one on a technical/artistic level while still finding it repugnant on a moral/ideological level. A TIME TO KILL helped me very much in that regard and for that I am, in a sense, grateful to it. Very much looking forward to this reaction.

Stick Figure Studios

Could be worse...at least Cassie didn't say " John Grisham, the author all GRAMPAS read."

Anthony Perez

I only noticed that on this watching. I guess paperwork really does make the world go 'round, even for the nutters.

Mike Lemon

Great reaction. For another courtroom/investigation film, I think you would thoroughly enjoy Amistad. It's a Steven Spielberg directed film. It's based on a true story. And it also stars Matthew McConaughey.

Aaron Mann

I always felt a bit of amusement at the idea of applications to join the KKK. Didn't realize they were so big on paperwork.

Brent Petty

I love you felt the Mockingbird vibe to this, Arron Sorkin's broadway version has just started its road tour, I saw it in NY and highly encourage you to go to it when it is near to you. This was definitely one of your best reactions, those are the ones where I spend as much time watching you react as watching the movie! Thanks and hope you and your family are well.

Keith Jones

Yeah, no it isn’t “tough to say”. Your uncle and the domestic terrorist cell he LED during some of their most sickeningly violent, murderous, terroristic reigns of terror in the history of the United States not only wouldn’t have “compassion”, they would be right there trying to rape, murder/lynch, and terrorize every single black citizen of that community if they even had a thought of testifying or aiding a black man who killed a a White person. Thays before they likely would have taken him drom that jail and lynched him publicly like they notoriously did countless times for anyone black citizen accused of any crime against a white person. My god you can’t be serious. I would say try reading anything at all abo it the never-ending examples of what I just described but you actually think your uncle, a grand dragon in the most violent domestic terrorist org in our history and during its most violent reign...was one of the good grand dragons with empathy. Hahahaha. I’ve seen it all.

Matt Skeens

100% sir!

Cole Jennett

I don't think you recognized him because he looked so different. One of the two boys that were killed by Samuel l Jackson was the really mean prison guard in The Green Mile. Oh and Mr Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is the real life son of Lucien wilbanks (Donald Sutherland).

Michael Lynch

It’s Keyser Soze!!! 😱 Hey Cassie, Kiefer’s dad, Donald Sutherland played Lucien, the older lawyer who Jake got the law firm from. If you look at him, you can see just how much Kiefer resembles his dad. Another great courtroom movie based on a John Grisham book is The Rainmaker with Matt Damon. Philadelphia is another incredible courtroom movie with Tom Hanks. He won an Oscar for the role. They definitely need to go on the list. Jake’s wife is Ashley Judd. The daughter and sister of Wynonna and Naomi Judd who were a country singing duo. The Judds. Unfortunately, Naomi recently passed away. Ashley has been in a lot of movies. The rapist who was not driving the truck was the cruel prison guard, Percy, from The Green Mile 🍿

Tara

I was very concerned how you were going to react to this film, Cassie. But you really handled it well and it was so satisfying watching you empathize with the different characters and different and hard issues of this film. And it was also so wonderful to see you wishing for the male and female leads of the movie not to be in a romantic relationship! You kept on saying “Don't do it, don't do it!” LOL. This was such a rewarding film to watch, not knowing how it could possibly end in a way that would be satisfying and not destroy the lives of all the characters you cared about. One of your top tier reactions.

MikeLL

That line played on every trailer. In the trailer they called the movie “Riveting”, and I think it’s the best use of the word for a movie I could think of.

Cole Jennett

Thank you for watching it. I can definitely say I’m one of the ones who pushed for third place, I still have unreturned favours to repay😬 I think you got exactly what I had hoped you would out of it. It’s one of the few movies that I have voted for that I feel you needed to see, as opposed to movies I think you would love. It’s gonna stick with you, and that’s all I could hope for😊

Cole Jennett

The worst part is now Cassie can NEVER watch MISSISSIPPI BURNING. What have we done…?

Jason Chirevas

Matthew McConaughey starring as "Jake Brigarson".

James MacDonald

Did Cassie just call me old because I read all of John Grisham's books???😞😞😞

The Real NC Picker

In terms of the movie only watched recently as knew there was a reaction coming up. Overall pretty meh. Some of the plotlines felt preposterous, too many great actors underused and it felt like it was 30 minutes longer than it needed to be. In terms of movies with a similar feel, for me, Mississippi Burning would have been a much better choice (powerhouse performance from Gene Hackman). Also hoping that someday we get a reaction to McConaughey's iconic breakthrough role in Dazed and Confused.

William Russell

If you love the "courtroom stuff", again, I am highly recommending Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995). A true story that should terrify everyone (not in the scary way, in the 'how?' way).

Mike Lemon

oh DO NOT even get me started, especially in this day in age when black on white crime is rarely publicized but white on black is always deemed a "hate crime"

William Bryan

Finally, I can say how much I hate that racist, cliched, lazy ending. "Now imagine she's white"- what a load of garbage. It's like the writer expects people to believe- in a time when a black man was "America's dad"- that every white person in that town, except the handful of "good ones", was so racist that despite having kids themselves, they would all go, "der, I never thought of it that way..." What absolute tripe. Such a good movie, but I hate that one line so much.

Mike Lemon

Keifer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock actually played a romantic couple 3 years earlier in the movie The Vanishing

Shawn Kildal

I’ll second this but add that’s a much less flashy, bombastic movie than ATTK. Just something to be aware of.

Jason Chirevas

You saw Jake’s wife in Heat. She played Val Kilmer’s wife.

Shehab Dawoud

I don't think I have seen this since it first came out at the movies. I think the only thing I remember is Sam L Jackson yelling in court " YES THEY DESERVED TO DIE AND I HOPE THEY ROT IN HELL" I also seem to remember Keifer playing one of the bad guys.

Brian McGovern

Thank you for doing this reaction. There were great preformances all around. If someone can make you hate them in a role, it meant they did a great job lol. I remember reading the book when I was younger. There are things that stay with you and that one did. This was the movie that really shot Matthew M into the film industry even if he had done earlier roles. This is the role I think of when I think of him ( ohh and if you recognize the Judge. He played Longshanks in Braveheart. Patrick McGoohan)

GamerGal8684

Another movie with a very satisfying ending and a great dramatic take from both McConaughey and Jackson.

Kristopher Wood

Wow, great reaction. (Heart Emoji)

Uncle Phoenix

History of the Klan is something I know a little bit about. My great great uncle was a Grand Dragon in the 1930s. Yeah they're racist for sure but I'd like to think they would have compassion for Jackson's character. Tough to say.

William Bryan

Yes yes yes! I am really excited about this one. I'm going to start it right now. I love about 20 minutes from Matthew. After the movie I'll run over and tell him you said hi.

Michael Lynch

There’s one more in this genre that you need to see. “Ghosts Of Mississippi.”

Jason Mackey

All right all right all right!

Burrito Jimmy

Very much looking forward to this one. Thanks, Cassie.

Jason Chirevas