Based on the John Grisham novel, A Time To Kill is the story of the legal battle a black man who kills two white men that brutally raped and attempted to murder his young daughter. It's a fascinating, if touchy, set-up, that could have led to a great story.
Unfortunately, Director Joel Schumacher clearly does not have enough faith in the intelligence and thought capacity of the audience to figure out and interpret their own beliefs of this potentially complex film. Rather than walk the fine, narrowly defined line of right and wrong and black and white in this film, he decides to beat us over the head with who the good guys and bad buys are, turning what could have been a fascinating look at race relations and the justice system in America into a drama/action flick of good vs. evil, one that we ultimately know who will win.
It's still a good movie. You grow to care for the characters, and it is an intense film, that is at times griping. I would, however, be interested to see what a different vision of this story could result in.
Unfortunately, Director Joel Schumacher clearly does not have enough faith in the intelligence and thought capacity of the audience to figure out and interpret their own beliefs of this potentially complex film. Rather than walk the fine, narrowly defined line of right and wrong and black and white in this film, he decides to beat us over the head with who the good guys and bad buys are, turning what could have been a fascinating look at race relations and the justice system in America into a drama/action flick of good vs. evil, one that we ultimately know who will win.
It's still a good movie. You grow to care for the characters, and it is an intense film, that is at times griping. I would, however, be interested to see what a different vision of this story could result in.