Real Lawyer Reacts to The Rainmaker (Francis Ford Coppola’s Legal Masterpiece)

"Sworn in by a fool and vouched for by a scoundrel. I'm a lawyer at last."

I remember watching The Rainmaker as a kid and thinking it was a great movie. Then in preparing for this review, I checked the director and it’s friggin’ Francis Ford Coppola.

It’s also based on a great John Grisham book. This movie is so good, John Grisham says it’s the best John Grisham movie.

Summary from imdb: Rudy Baylor is a young attorney out to make a difference in the justice system. He is also the only hope of an elderly couple after their corrupt insurance company refuses to payout a claim that could save their child's life. In this judicial drama, Baylor rails against corporate lawyers, corrupt judges, and abusive husbands, all with the help of a fellow lawyer who hasn't even passed his bar exam. He is facing long odds in the courtroom - and this is only his first case.

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★More series on LegalEagle★

I get asked a lot about whether being a practicing attorney is like being a lawyer on TV. I love watching legal movies and courtroom dramas. It's one of the reasons I decided to become a lawyer. But sometimes they make me want to pull my hair out because they are ridiculous.

Today I'm taking a break from representing clients and teaching law students how to kick ass in law school to take on lawyers in the movies and on TV. While all legal movies and shows take dramatic license to make things more interesting (nobody wants to see hundreds of hours of brief writing), many of them have a grain of truth.

This is part of a continuing series of "Lawyer Reaction" videos. Got a legal movie or TV show you'd like me to critique? Let me know in the comments!

All clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015).

Typical legal disclaimer from a lawyer (occupational hazard): This is not legal advice, nor can I give you legal advice. Sorry! Everything here is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Nothing here should be construed to form an attorney client relationship. Also, some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. But if you click, it really helps me make more of these videos!

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[GalinDray]

"and the Baliff tackled them"

As the prophecy foretold

[WombatReb]

The scene where Jon Voight agrees to "stand" for Matt Damon and allowed him to be sworn in the practice was not written by John Grisham or Francis Coppola. This is a total departure from the book and the script. I played one of the defense attorneys in the film (I'm the bald lawyer). When we rehearsed the scene as originally written, I told Coppola that Voight's character, nor any good ole boy Memphis attorney, would object to young Rudy Baylor arguing the motion. I told him the character would relish sparring with the green lawyer and would probably actually agree to stand for him and let him take the oath in this court appearance. Then I relayed to him my actual courtroom admission to the bar. After I had filed my paperwork, I was having a conversation with a judge about the admission process. He told me to schedule a hearing and have an attorney testify as to my character and ability. A lawyer in the courtroom overheard the judge and stood and said "I'll stand for him. You can give him the oath right here." Coppola loved the story and we changed the scene using the quotes from my "sponsor." I did not get SAG credit for the script revision, but I really appreciate Real Lawyer's compliment. BTW, the idea of Devito calling Mickey Rourke's character for an answer to getting the stolen documents in evidence was also my idea. Working on this film was an awesome four week experience with great actors and a remarkable director.

[joeythejanitor]

Lawyer: **takes one step 20ft away from the Judge**

Bailiff: “I’m bout to end this man’s whole career.”

[MommyOfMutants]

The pause after the “fold like a cheap suit” line would’ve been a great spot for an Indochino mention 😂

[shawncouch]

I had a law firm for my disability case and they would've gotten 1/4 of my backpay when I won, but like a month before my court date with a judge they dropped me as a client. I went to court without them, plead my case and won. They screwed themselves out of 3k and I bought myself a used car with "their" money.

[dooomalex]

I just wanna drop in to say how much respect I have for the way this channel has been evolving, it is impressive to see. Keep being awesome!

[JamesThatcher]

POINT OF CLARIFICATION: 15:36 - while the witness cannot re-read, you could have the court reporter restate what was copied (for clarity of course)...

[andrewt]

I love your call out regarding frivolous copyright claims. Well done sir.

[MannyXVIII]

14:16 I think it was the right route to take. Getting opposing counsel thrown out would only mean the big firm would hire a new group of attorneys that you have to deal with.
Making the current enemy as weak is possible is better than reshuffling the deck and draw another five.

[andrewjohnson]

Yes, I imagine that during a scheduling dispute telling the judge “well you honor, all these other attorneys are only here to intimidate the prosecution” kind of damages your position.

[DSzaks]

Its also great that Rudy asked permission to approach the witness prior to adjusting the mike. Otherwise he would probably have been tackled by the Bailiff.

[TheEternalHyperborean]

OBJECTION! I've never seen you actually sustain or overrule an objection.

[pookysgirl]

"The Rainmaker" contains one of my favorite lines of all time: "Jury tampering, I love it!"

[pappoe_rare]

Objection: Rudy has no proof that Drummond is the one behind the bugs.
Taking it to the judge will at best get a mistrial.

[fatesrequiem]

Copyright holder spams copyright claims....accidentally hits lawyer’s YouTube channel. “You done goofed.”

[Jsuarez]

Finally! Glad you reviewed The Rainmaker. Only wish you would have shown when Matt Damon first approached the witness and the judge stopped him and told him he needed to first ask to approach the witness. Which showed how green he was.

[ARWG]

It's weird how happy it makes me when I see you enjoy how accurate a film portrays real crap.

[miisuo]

So when are we getting a Dredd reaction? He's a judge, I think.

[harborwolf]

Not surprised that a combination of Grisham and Coppola produced this masterpiece.

Easily his most underrated film.

[markharger]

As much as you say it, “And then the Baliff tackled them” should be a T-shirt.