The Rainmaker (John Grisham)
Encyclopedia
The Rainmaker is a 1995
novel by John Grisham
. It differs from most of his other novels in that it is written almost completely in the simple present tense.
. He secures a position with a Memphis
law firm, which he then loses when the firm is bought up by another, larger firm. As one of the few members of his class without a job lined up, Rudy is forced to apply for part-time and poorly-paid law positions. Desperate for a job, he reluctantly allows "Prince" Thomas, the crooked owner of a sleazy bar where he has been working part-time, to introduce him to J. Lyman "Bruiser" Stone, a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser, who makes him an associate. To earn his fee, Rudy is required to hunt for potential clients at the local hospital, where he must pick up injury cases and sign them on. He is introduced to Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former insurance assessor who received a law degree but is not a member of the bar because he has failed to pass the Bar examination
six times.
Rudy signs two clients. One is his new elderly landlady, who needs a revised will drawn. The other is a poor family, Dot and Buddy Black, whom he met through a class visit to a community center. Their insurance bad faith
case could be worth several million dollars in damages. With Stone's firm about to be raided by the police and the FBI, he and Deck set up their own practice and file suit on behalf of the Blacks, whose son Donny Ray is terminally ill with leukemia
but almost certainly could have been saved with a bone marrow
transplant for which his identical twin brother is a perfect match. The procedure should have been covered and paid for by their insurance company, Great Benefit Life Insurance, which instead denied the claim.
Rudy, having just passed the bar exam, has never argued a case before a judge
and jury
- but he now finds himself up against experienced and ruthless lawyers from a large firm, headed by Leo F. Drummond. On his side, Rudy has several supporters and a sympathetic newly-appointed judge to sustain his commitment. While preparing the case in the local hospital, he meets and later falls in love with Kelly Riker, a young battered wife
recovering from her latest injuries.
Donny Ray soon dies, just before the case is due to be heard. The case goes to trial and Rudy uncovers a scheme Great Benefit ran throughout 1991 to deny every insurance claim submitted, regardless of validity; Great Benefit was playing the odds that the insured would not consult an attorney. A former employee of Great Benefit testifies that the scheme generated an extra $40 million in revenue for the company. The trial ends with a plaintiff's verdict of $50.2 million.
Great Benefit quickly declares itself bankrupt
, thus allowing it to avoid paying the verdict. This starts a chain of further lawsuits as well as further financial catastrophes for the company, and they go out of business. Ultimately, there is no payout for the grieving parents and no fee for Rudy, although Dot Black was never concerned with the settlement money, for her helping to put the company out of business is an even greater victory. In fact, she testified that if awarded any money from Great Benefit, she would donate it to the American Leukemia Society
.
During the Black trial, when Kelly is beaten by husband again, Rudy helps her file for divorce. While he and Kelly retrieve items from her home, Cliff arrives and threatens to kill Rudy, attacking him with a baseball bat. Rudy wrestles the bat away from Cliff and cracks his skull with it. Kelly intervenes and orders him to leave. Cliff dies from the injuries, and Kelly allows herself to be charged with manslaughter
to protect Rudy. Kelly spends a day in jail before Rudy gets the charges dropped, but Cliff's vengeful family have made several death threats against them both. Rudy and Kelly leave the state, heading for someplace where Rudy - who has become disillusioned with the law - can let his license expire and then become a teacher, and Kelly can attend college.
directed by Francis Ford Coppola
and starring Matt Damon
, Danny DeVito
, Claire Danes
, Jon Voight
and Danny Glover
.
1995 in literature
The year 1995 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea is opened by Jimmy Carter....
novel by John Grisham
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
. It differs from most of his other novels in that it is written almost completely in the simple present tense.
Plot summary
Rudy Baylor is about to graduate from Memphis State Law SchoolCecil C. Humphreys School of Law
The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and is the only law school in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has been associated with the University of Memphis since the law school's formation in 1962. The school was named in honor of...
. He secures a position with a Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
law firm, which he then loses when the firm is bought up by another, larger firm. As one of the few members of his class without a job lined up, Rudy is forced to apply for part-time and poorly-paid law positions. Desperate for a job, he reluctantly allows "Prince" Thomas, the crooked owner of a sleazy bar where he has been working part-time, to introduce him to J. Lyman "Bruiser" Stone, a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser, who makes him an associate. To earn his fee, Rudy is required to hunt for potential clients at the local hospital, where he must pick up injury cases and sign them on. He is introduced to Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former insurance assessor who received a law degree but is not a member of the bar because he has failed to pass the Bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
six times.
Rudy signs two clients. One is his new elderly landlady, who needs a revised will drawn. The other is a poor family, Dot and Buddy Black, whom he met through a class visit to a community center. Their insurance bad faith
Insurance bad faith
Insurance bad faith is a legal term of art that describes a tort claim that an insured person may have against an insurance company for its bad acts. Under the law of most jurisdictions in the United States, insurance companies owe a duty of good faith and fair dealing to the persons they insure...
case could be worth several million dollars in damages. With Stone's firm about to be raided by the police and the FBI, he and Deck set up their own practice and file suit on behalf of the Blacks, whose son Donny Ray is terminally ill with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
but almost certainly could have been saved with a bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
transplant for which his identical twin brother is a perfect match. The procedure should have been covered and paid for by their insurance company, Great Benefit Life Insurance, which instead denied the claim.
Rudy, having just passed the bar exam, has never argued a case before a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
- but he now finds himself up against experienced and ruthless lawyers from a large firm, headed by Leo F. Drummond. On his side, Rudy has several supporters and a sympathetic newly-appointed judge to sustain his commitment. While preparing the case in the local hospital, he meets and later falls in love with Kelly Riker, a young battered wife
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
recovering from her latest injuries.
Donny Ray soon dies, just before the case is due to be heard. The case goes to trial and Rudy uncovers a scheme Great Benefit ran throughout 1991 to deny every insurance claim submitted, regardless of validity; Great Benefit was playing the odds that the insured would not consult an attorney. A former employee of Great Benefit testifies that the scheme generated an extra $40 million in revenue for the company. The trial ends with a plaintiff's verdict of $50.2 million.
Great Benefit quickly declares itself bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, thus allowing it to avoid paying the verdict. This starts a chain of further lawsuits as well as further financial catastrophes for the company, and they go out of business. Ultimately, there is no payout for the grieving parents and no fee for Rudy, although Dot Black was never concerned with the settlement money, for her helping to put the company out of business is an even greater victory. In fact, she testified that if awarded any money from Great Benefit, she would donate it to the American Leukemia Society
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , founded in 1949, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of...
.
During the Black trial, when Kelly is beaten by husband again, Rudy helps her file for divorce. While he and Kelly retrieve items from her home, Cliff arrives and threatens to kill Rudy, attacking him with a baseball bat. Rudy wrestles the bat away from Cliff and cracks his skull with it. Kelly intervenes and orders him to leave. Cliff dies from the injuries, and Kelly allows herself to be charged with manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
to protect Rudy. Kelly spends a day in jail before Rudy gets the charges dropped, but Cliff's vengeful family have made several death threats against them both. Rudy and Kelly leave the state, heading for someplace where Rudy - who has become disillusioned with the law - can let his license expire and then become a teacher, and Kelly can attend college.
Film adaptation
In 1997, The Rainmaker was adapted into a filmThe Rainmaker (1997 film)
The Rainmaker is a 1997 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon. Coppola wrote the script, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by John Grisham....
directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
and starring Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
, Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....
and Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
.