A Time to Kill (1996)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:48
Fresh:33
Rotten:15
Average Rating:6.1/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 30 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: This adaptation of John Grisham's bestseller takes place in the small town of Canton, Mississippi, where two White rednecks kidnap, rape and savagely beat a young Black girl. The men are caught,... [More]
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Sandra Bullock
Director: Joel Schumacher
Reviews for A Time to Kill
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
A gritty, intense and engaging courtroom drama. Full Review |
||
 |
Justice may be blind, but rarely have courtroom dramas presumed quite so heavily on cultural myopia as this heinous version of John Grisham's first novel. Full Review |
||
|
|
A likable -- maybe even lovable -- movie. Full Review |
||
|
|
What craven offal! Full Review |
||
|
0.5/4 |
Only a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman could make things worse--and lo and behold, speak of the devil and Old Scratch appears. Full Review |
||
|
|
Although it has its share of implausibilities, A Time To Kill is generally the most satisfying of the John Grisham screen adaptations to date. Full Review |
||
|
|
With Joel Schumacher's tasteful but second-rate-Sidney-Lumet direction and Akiva Goldsman's nuts-and-bolts script, these boys have created a surprisingly stirring indictment of racism. Full Review |
||
|
Click to read the article Full Review |
|||
|
2/5 |
Looks aren't enough. In the lead, McConaughey isn't there.
|
||
|
3/4 |
McConaughey nails with such laconic grace that some critics are comparing him to the young Paul Newman and to Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
No review available.
|
||
|
4/5 |
No review available.
|
||
|
3/4 |
The best Grisham to hit the screen yet. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
No review available.
|
||
|
3/5 |
No review available.
|
||
|
4/5 |
No review available.
|
||
|
2/5 |
Dumbed down debate on the death penalty.
|
||
|
3/5 |
No review available.
|
||
|
|
If the film doesn't add up to a cogent legal argument, neither does it have trouble delivering 2 hours and 20 minutes' worth of sturdy, highly charged drama. Full Review |
||
|
2/4 |
Insight into black/white relations is superficial -- disappointing when you consider that the moral of the story is supposed to be how large a role race plays in the execution of justice. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for A Time to Kill
November 24, 2006:
"Batman & Robin" Writer Gets $4 Million for "Da Vinci" Prequel
Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman is allegedly earning a $4 million dollar paycheck for his adaptation of Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons," which features the... More...
May 23, 2006:
Goldsman Signs On for "Angels & Demons"
Yesterday we shared the news that the "Da Vinci Code" prequel was being discussed, and today comes word that screenwriter Akiva Goldsman will definitely be returning.... More...
April 15, 2005:
Zooey Prepares for "Launch"
The Hollywood Reporter gets with the reporting by informing us of "Failure to Launch," an upcoming romantic comedy from Paramount. The blue-eyed Zooey Deschanel... More...
March 24, 2005:
Critical Consensus: "Miss Congeniality" Armed, But Unfabulous
It’s been a while since Sandra Bullock’s last appearance on the big screen – 2002’s romantic comedy hit, “Two Weeks Notice,” co-starring Hugh Grant. She returns with “Miss... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds