An attorney, an activist, a politician, and the undisputed master of legal thrillers, John Grisham has authored several capers that were marketable enough to be made into movies. After Stephen King, he's probably the most popular writer to have his novels adapted into a wide variety of films. John Grisham movies can, however, be a little hit or miss, with some being considered masterpieces by fans of legal thrillers and others often being lost to time despite world-class directors and stories proven to be successful.
Many of the best, and worst, films made from John Grisham novels are luckily available on lots of the most popular streaming services, so fans of his work can decide for themselves which are truly worth ing and which deserve to be forgotten. Whether well-respected or largely-forgotten however, John Grisham movies have a tendency to feature stellar casts, so the experience of watching one is never dull. There are a relative few, though, that fail to really live up to the complexity of the characters and moral discussions that have made Grisham's work so beloved.
The Worst John Grisham Movies
The Chamber (1996)
- Available on Starz
A fresh-out-of-law-school attorney (Chris O'Donnell) who tries to his grandfather (Gene Hackman), a death row convict, released in this little-ed John Grisham movie. The film failed to leave a mark on audiences despite the pedigree of its cast and critics like Roger Ebert found problematic elements within the story to be overwhelming. According to Film Stories, John Grisham himself was very disappointed in the film, saying that Gene Hackman's performance was the only positive thing about it.
The Gingerbread Man (1998)
The Gingerbread Man is not a bad film overall, but it just didn't break any new ground in of Grisham movies even though the film was based on an unpublished John Grisham manuscript. The story is about a lawyer (Kenneth Branagh) who helps his lover (Embeth Davidtz) put her father (Robert Duvall) behind bars, but then the father breaks out of prison and all hell breaks loose with him.
It's undeniably interesting to see how John Grisham places a somewhat typical lawyer character at the heart of most of his thrillers but adds a new touch every time, though it's rarely brought up in discussions about adaptations of the author's work mostly because it's far less memorable than most other examples and the same is true of the work of its famous director, Robert Altman. The movie's lack of streaming options in the present day also doesn't help this aspect.
Christmas With The Kranks (2004)
- Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video
John Grisham has authored non-fiction books and children's literature apart from his usual crime novels. A lesser-known entry in his bibliography is the Christmas comedy novel Skipping Christmas but when the festive story received its cinematic adaptation, it ended up being a resounding flop with critics, fast becoming a minor cult classic in the holiday genre. The movie follows an aging couple (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) who decide to not spend any money on Christmas one year so that they can go on a luxury cruise.
The film was written by Home Alone director Chris Columbus who, along with The Santa Clause actor Tim Allen, brought a lot of Christmas movie pedigree to the table, but it's the scattershot and over-the-top physical comedy that make Christmas with the Kranks stand out as a so-bad-it's-good holiday film and a so-strange-it's-bad John Grisham movie.
The Best John Grisham Movies
The Client (1994)
- Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video
The Client quickly became overshadowed by many other Grisham adaptations in the mid to late 90s but remains one of the best. The focus in this thriller is a young boy (Brad Renfro) who discovers crucial information regarding a prominent disappearance and a lot of corrupt forces come after him and he must seek help from a strong-willed lawyer (Susan Sarandon). Though other John Grisham movies would become more famous, the film still made its mark with an Oscar nomination for Best Actress given to Sarandon. Though she didn't win, she would win the award the following year for a somewhat similar role in the legal drama Dead Man Walking.
The Rainmaker (1997)
- Available on HBO Max
Francis Ford Coppola has a knack for literary adaptations, as is evident from The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker's Dracula. His take on a John Grisham movie stars Matt Damon and Danny DeVito as an unlikely duo of lawyers fighting an insurance company and the two actors are perfectly cast. Jon Voight also was praised for playing one of the antagonizing insurance bigwigs and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best ing Actor for his performance. Coppola's tight script based on Grisham's sixth novel focuses on the little details of all the people involved, making it one of the most fully-realized John Grisham movies.
Runaway Jury (2003)
- Available on Hulu, fuboTV, Philo, Plex, and Paramount+
In this star-studded John Grisham movie, Vicksburg Firearms gets sued, but the jury is up for sale and can be manipulated, and it becomes a deadly race between several parties to gain the upper hand. The fast-paced thriller has several unpredictable twists and turns to make for a thoroughly entertaining watch, even if it doesn't stand out as one of the most memorable John Grisham movies. Nevertheless, the cast of Runaway Jury is an impressive ensemble, including John Cusack, Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman, and they really make the material sizzle.
The Pelican Brief (1993)
- Available on fuboTV and Philo
A law student (Julia Roberts) who writes a college dissertation about the potential reasons behind an assassin killing two Supreme Court judges and a reporter for the Washington Herald (Denzel Washington) realizes how true her conspiracy theory might be in this blockbuster John Grisham movie. The screenwriting and direction of conspiracy movie icon Alan J. Pakula ensured that The Pelican Brief has remained a very engaging and pertinent political thriller as well as one of the best John Grisham movie.
A Time To Kill (1996)
- Available on fuboTV
A Time To Kill, a dark legal tale of revenge, was John Grisham's first published novel. Obviously, Grisham's debut had to be adapted to the big screen and The Client director Joel Schumacher returned for this thriller, which stars Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, and Samuel L Jackson. The central plot follows lawyers representing a man who killed two men after they brutally attacked his young daughter. A Time To Kill still stands out from other John Grisham movies thanks to the ionate performances, resulting in some memorable speeches from all those involved. Matthew McConaughey is great in the lead role and has been attached to a developing sequel TV show.
A Painted House (2003)
- Available on Plex
A Painted House was one of Grisham's most unconventional works. The story is an of a family of cotton farmers in 1952 inspired by Grisham's own childhood in Arkansas and was adapted into a heartwarming Hallmark TV movie starring Scott Glenn and a very young Logan Lerman, who serves as the film's narrator. The Emmy-nominated film deserves praise for its earnestness and accurate depiction of its time period. It makes for a relatively feel-good experience that drifts away from the intense and often morally troubling stories of other John Grisham movies and should be considered a must-see for the author's most die-hard fans.
The Firm (1993)
- Available on HBO Max
Not only did The Firm show the potential of John Grisham's stories to be translated to the big screen, but it also gave star Tom Cruise one of his best dramatic roles ever. The multi-layered story starts off with Cruise's Mitch McDeree ing a law firm with dark secrets. It's not only Cruise but the character actors in the ing cast who shine with stars Holly Hunter, Gene Hackman, and Ed Harris rounding out the ensemble. The Firm still stands out among John Grisham movies to this day for its dark tone from director Sydney Pollack and even spawned a television series in 2012.
