The Gingerbread Man (1998)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

John Grisham (story)
Clyde Hayes (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

Lawyer Rick Magruder has a one-night-stand affair with caterer Mallory Doss. He becomes hooked on her...

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Law Firm | Law | Paranoia | Barefoot

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Rick Magruder
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mallory Doss
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Clyde Pell
Daryl Hannah	...	Lois Harlan
Tom Berenger	...	Pete Randle
Famke Janssen	...	Leeanne Magruder
Mae Whitman	...	Libby Magruder
Jesse James	...	Jeff Magruder
Robert Duvall	...	Dixon Doss
Clyde Hayes	...	Carl Alden
Troy Beyer	...	Konnie Dugan
Julia Ryder Perce	...	Cassandra (as Julia R. Perce)
Danny Darst	...	Sheriff Hope
Sonny Seiler	...	Phillip Dunson
Walter Hartridge	...	Edmund Hess

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Belgium:KT | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Guyton, Georgia, USA

Company:

Enchanter Entertainment

Trivia:

When released in 1998, this was the only John Grisham film not adapted from one of his novels. Instead, it was from an original screenplay from Grisham himself.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the party early in the movie, Rick and Lois are talking head-to-head on the sofa. Mallory walks behind them and you can hear Lois talking, but we see their heads at opposite ends of the sofa and they aren't talking. The camera immediately cuts back to them sitting close and talking like before.

Quotes:

Lois Harlan: The only exercise you are gettin' is jumpin' to conclusions.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Magnolia (1999)

Good Atmosphere, Weak Script

A lawyer is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse when he becomes involved with a femme fatale in this adaptation of a Grisham novel. Altman creates a suspenseful, Gothic atmosphere but the script is weak. Sporting a Southern drawl, Branagh is convincing as the lawyer, and Davidtz is alluring as the object of his desire. Downey is likable as a private detective. Duvall has a small role, which does not allow him to do much with his weird character. Hannah and Berenger round out the impressive cast. After an interesting setup, the film bogs down and does not really deliver on its initial promise, but Altman is always worth a look.