Primal Fear (1996)

Director:

Gregory Hoblit

Writers (WGA):

William Diehl (novel)
Steve Shagan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Sooner or later a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real.

Plot:

An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.

Plot Keywords:

Altar Boy | Murder | Bishop | Courtroom | Catholic

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Martin Vail
Laura Linney	...	Janet Venable
John Mahoney	...	Shaughnessy
Alfre Woodard	...	Shoat
Frances McDormand	...	Molly
Edward Norton	...	Aaron
Terry O'Quinn	...	Bud Yancy
Andre Braugher	...	Tommy Goodman
Steven Bauer	...	Joey Pinero
Joe Spano	...	Abel Stenner
Tony Plana	...	Martinez
Stanley Anderson	...	Archbishop Rushman
Maura Tierney	...	Naomi Chance
Jon Seda	...	Alex
Reg Rogers	...	Jack Connerman

Also Known As:

Zwielicht (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Первобытный страх (Russia) [ru]
A Raíz do Medo (Portugal) [pt]
Alaston pelko (Finland) [fi]
As Duas Faces de Um Crime (Brazil) [pt]
Et spørsmål om skyld (Norway) (TV title) [no]
Fovos enstiktou (Greece) [el]
Ilk korku (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Iskonski strah (Serbia) [sr]
La raiz del miedo (Mexico) [es]
Las dos caras de la verdad (Spain) [es]
Legbelsö félelem (Hungary) [hu]
Lek pierwotny (Poland) [pl]
Les dues cares de la veritat (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Pahud Rishoni (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Peur primale (France) [fr]
Schegge di paura (Italy) [it]
Terreur extrême (Canada: French title) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for brief grisly violence, pervasive strong language and a sex scene.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #33986) | Iceland:16 | Canada:A (Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 (bw) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Australia:MA (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Ballroom, Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Both Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the part of Aaron Stempler. Wheaton turned down the role because he didn't want to put off his acting school and when his manager urged him to take the role anyway he told him "It is like Luke Skywalker when Yoda told him not to go and save his friends but to stay on Dagobah and learn to be a Jedi instead. Luke didn't listen to him and that's why he never became true Jedi master." Later Wil Wheaton regretted turning this role down, saying that this was a crucial factor why his career never got to be a successful one.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Vail and Shaughnessy are having dinner in the Asian restaurant, the rib on Shaughnessy's plate disappears between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Marty: On my first day of law school, my professor says two things. First was; "From this day forward, when your mother tells you she loves you - get a second opinion."
Jack Connerman: [chuckles] And?
Marty: "If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you wanna get fucked, go to court."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in American History X (1998)

Soundtrack:

Incidental Source Music

The Smartest Guy In Town

Although Richard Gere has one of his juiciest roles in Primal Fear, the best performance by far is that of Edward Norton who got the film's only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a stunning debut picture. It's the kind of debut that any player would like to make and the trick is to keep up a high standard you've already set for yourself. Which Norton to his credit certainly has in his career.

But as to Gere he plays Martin Vail, a top criminal defense attorney who will let everyone know it if they haven't figured it out. It's a tricky part because a guy this arrogant has to maintain some kind of surface likability or else you'd never believe he'd ever win a case in front of a jury. As for movie viewers they must have a rooting interest for him as well. But Gere's definitely a guy who they make lawyer jokes about.

A young altar boy has murdered the archbishop of Chicago, a mush mouth kid with a Kentucky twang played by Edward Norton. He's part of a choir of street kids that the Chicago archdiocese shows off on many an occasion. It was a particularly brutal murder, multiple stabbings and the carving of a cryptic message in the chest of the deceased.

Gere makes no bones about it, he's wanting this case because of the headlines it will bring him. But when F. Lee Bailey or Johnnie Cochran offers to defend you for nothing, you don't ask questions.

Which brings us to Norton who has you might have gathered is not all he seems. He's a street kid and he's used to getting over on people himself. It's one of the darkest characters ever done on screen, maybe a bit too dark for Academy tastes. That might have been the reason that Cuba Gooding beat out Norton for Best Supporting Actor with his much lighter role in Jerry Maguire.

One in this film you will notice are Laura Linney as the Assistant District Attorney who Gere was once involved with and is getting a lot of pressure to bring in a guilty verdict for understandable political reasons. I also liked Alfre Woodard as the very patient judge at Norton's trial and Frances McDormand as the psychiatrist who examines Norton.

If you think you've figured out what's behind Primal Fear, rest assured you haven't from this description. Let's just say everyone gets good and played here.

Which brings to mind the dedication for this review. Gere's attorney character is likable, but arrogant. Back in the day I knew an attorney who was arrogant without any real reason for the arrogance. He'd love to have been Richard Gere, I'm sure he saw himself that way. So to you Ron D'Angelo this review is dedicated to.