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Primal Fear (1996)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
3 April 1996 (USA) moreTagline:
Sooner or later a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real. morePlot:
An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(21 articles)
Ed Norton prefers serious parts (From The Hollywood News. 22 October 2009, 5:53 AM, PDT)
Edward Norton Prepared For 'Leaves Of Grass' Roles 'Alone In A Room'
(From MTV Movie News. 23 September 2009, 3:51 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Not just another court room drama more (171 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Richard Gere | ... | Martin Vail | |
| Laura Linney | ... | Janet Venable | |
| John Mahoney | ... | Shaughnessy | |
| Alfre Woodard | ... | Shoat | |
| Frances McDormand | ... | Molly | |
| Edward Norton | ... | Aaron | |
| Terry O'Quinn | ... | Yancy | |
| Andre Braugher | ... | Goodman | |
| Steven Bauer | ... | Pinero | |
| Joe Spano | ... | Stenner | |
| Tony Plana | ... | Martinez | |
| Stanley Anderson | ... | Rushman | |
| Maura Tierney | ... | Naomi | |
| Jon Seda | ... | Alex | |
| Reg Rogers | ... | Connerman |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for brief grisly violence, pervasive strong language and a sex scene.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
129 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Dolby DigitalCertification:
USA:R (certificate #33986) | Iceland:16 | Canada:A (Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 (bw) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Australia:MA (re-rating)Filming Locations:
Ballroom, Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA moreFun Stuff
Trivia:
Both Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the part of Aaron Stempler. Wheaton turned down the role because he didn't want to put off his acting school and when his manager urged him to take the role anyway he told him "It is like Luke Skywalker when Yoda told him not to go and save his friends but to stay on Dagobah and learn to be a Jedi instead. Luke didn't listen to him and that's why he never became true Jedi master." Later Wil Wheaton regretted turning this role down, saying that this was a crucial factor why his career never got to be a successful one. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Martin's collar when checking himself in the mirror. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Marty: On my first day of law school, my professor says two things. First was; "From this day forward, when your mother tells you she loves you - get a second opinion."
Jack Connerman: [chuckles] And?
Marty: "If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you wanna get fucked, go to court."
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Big Wolf on Campus: The Pleasantville Strangler (#1.6)" (1999) moreSoundtrack:
Pammy Slam moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (171 total)
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I was convinced that "Primal Fear" would be the type of courtroom drama that Hollywood seems to use to pave the streets with. You know what I mean: Someone gets wrongly accused of some mischief, he can't pay a lawyer, but of course there is one who is really interested in the case and he is prepared to defend the poor guy anyway. The defender finds some wholes in the police investigation or in the statement of the other party and knows to prove the innocence of his client and even get a big indemnity. Well, I was wrong, for once this was a courtroom drama that had a bit more to offer than the usual story line and twists. In fact, this was even a very enjoyable movie.
Even though I'm not really a fan of Richard Gere (I'm not a woman, so no I don't like him because the way he looks, I only look at his acting), I have to admit that this time he really did a very good job as the slick, media-friendly, arrogant lawyer Martin Vail. Still, in my opinion the real star in this movie is Edward Norton. He's really excellent as the altar boy who is accused of murdering a Catholic bishop.
For once the story isn't as predictable as usual. At first the case seems rather clear: an altar boy is running away from the home of the bishop, with blood all over his clothes. No doubt about it you think, he did it, case closed, next movie! But than the first interesting twist in the movie appears: Yes, he was at the murder scene, but he can't remember anything about the grisly murder, because at that exact moment he got a blackout. He's convinced that there was a third person in the room. That third person must have killed the bishop, he's innocent. His lawyer tries to prove the third man theory in the court room, but as the process comes nearer to the end, some new evidence will make everything a lot clearer and more interesting...
As I already said, this movie is more than just worth a watch, thanks to the rather innovative story line and characters. For once, this movie didn't annoy me more than I could ever like it. That's already worth a lot, so I give it a well deserved 8/10.