this be not one of the more famous ( author ) john grisham base movie and it a bit talky for my normal taste and but it be interest . you can thank chris odonnell and gene hackman for two excellent act performance which help make this so entertaining in spot . odonnell play young attorney adam hall ( shade of matt damon character in another grisham movie and the rainmaker ) . meanwhile and it no surprise that hackman give u another fascinating performance and this time a the attorney brutally racist grandfather and sam cayhall . he be imprison for a murder and odonnell be try to release him from a death sentence . hackman performance elevate from a fair to a good movie . while odonnell be try to do his job and a few revelation occur consider his klansman grandpa . faye dunaway also be in here and have a memorable scene with sam . yes and the critic be right in that this could have be good but they be off base blasting this film . it still an entertaining film and and they forget the value of that .