there be other review here express similar view and but i still feel impelled to add my comment . the film be generally well make from a technical point of view and apart from possibly be too long . the acting be mostly very good and although kevin spacey isn not give much space to explain his character motivation ( apparently ambition rather than racism ) and and sandra bullock only function seem to be a eye candy and which she admittedly manage very well . at a fundamental level the film heart be in the right place in be oppose to racism and and i get the impression that it try to set out to be some kind of definitive treatment of racism and perhaps why so many famous name agree to be in it . however and it seem the writer bite off far more than they could chew ( i haven not read the book and so i do not know how much of that be down to grisham ) . the big problem and a many others have say and be that it end up advocate vigilante justice . aside from the fact that i do not agree with that position and i do not think that such a view actually help the anti racist cause at all it more likely to be apply to acquit white defendant who kill black victim . at the end the prosecutor invite the jury ( and the audience ) to imagine that the raped girl be white but follow that through and imagine the defendant to be a white man who murder black rapist . in the end the message seem to be that it ok to kill someone as long a you hate them enough . it also convenient that the man kill be present a totally evil and his guilt be in no doubt and which remove any of the moral ambiguity likely in a real case . samuel l jackson give an excellent performance and but unfortunately this also undermine the plot he come across a someone with considerable integrity and but it hard to believe that he would be willing to hide behind an insanity plea ( and indeed he doesn not and when push come to shove ) . be presumably suppose to think that it because he face the death penalty and but in fact at one point he offer a plea of manslaughter and although if you blink you might miss it . why not take it and give that he must know his chance of acquittal be slim . or if he want to make a stand in court and why plead insanity . there be less serious flaw too . the medical expert and on whose testimony the case supposedly rest and be joke both be discredit for highly implausible reason and and neither of them offer any real psychiatric diagnosis . the message seem to be that expert witness will say whatever theyre ask to say and and shouldn not be believe . the fact that the injured policeman support jackson be moderately plausible and but still a bit convenient ( and what if he have die . ) i find it hard to believe that the kkk would march down the street in broad daylight . other apparently serious crime ( riot and arson and kidnapping and attempted murder ) go by without any visible attempt to detect or prosecute them . and the scene where the dog come bound back be ludicrous . my final reaction be to be leave feel rather dirty a though i must be a racist because i disagree with the resolution . it may be that the film intend to explore different viewpoint and leave the audience to decide and but if so they seem to have forget it by the time they get to the end . the film do make me think about my view and read what other people think here and add my own opinion and so at some level maybe it succeed but i worry that it may have re inforced highly illiberal view in some people and which i hope be the opposite of what it intend . final thought try watch law and order and it cover issue like this with much more depth in about 38 minute of screen time .