A Time to Kill (1996)

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers (WGA):

John Grisham (novel)
Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 July 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A lawyer and his assistant fighting to save a father on trial for murder. A time to question what they believe. A time to doubt what they trust. And no time for mistakes.

Plot:

A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.

Plot Keywords:

Mississippi | Trial | African American | Law | Revenge

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Matthew McConaughey	...	Jake Tyler Brigance
Sandra Bullock	...	Ellen Roark
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Carl Lee Hailey
Kevin Spacey	...	D.A. Rufus Buckley
Oliver Platt	...	Harry Rex Vonner
Charles S. Dutton	...	Sheriff Ozzie Walls (as Charles Dutton)
Brenda Fricker	...	Ethel Twitty
Donald Sutherland	...	Lucien Wilbanks
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Freddie Lee Cobb
Patrick McGoohan	...	Judge Omar Noose
Ashley Judd	...	Carla Brigance
Tonea Stewart	...	Gwen Hailey
Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly	...	Tonya Hailey (as RaéVen Larrymore Kelly)
Darrin Mitchell	...	Skip Hailey
LaConte McGrew	...	Slim Hailey
Devin Lloyd	...	Willie Hailey
John Diehl	...	Tim Nunley
Chris Cooper	...	Deputy Dwayne Powell Looney
Nicky Katt	...	Billy Ray Cobb
Doug Hutchison	...	James Louis 'Pete' Willard
Kurtwood Smith	...	Stump Sisson
Tim Parati	...	Winston
Mark W. Johnson	...	Deputy Willie Hastings (as Mark Whitman Johnson)
Beth Grant	...	Cora Mae Cobb
Joe Seneca	...	Reverend Isaiah Street
Anthony Heald	...	Dr. Wilbert Rodeheaver
Thomas Merdis	...	Reverend Ollie Agee
Alexandra Kyle	...	Hannah Brigance
Terry Loughlin	...	Jury Foreman
Andy Stahl	...	Reluctant Male Juror
Joe Bullen	...	Joe Frank Perryman
Lorraine Middleton	...	Blonde Woman Juror
Graham Timbes	...	Male Juror
Jonathan Hadary	...	Norman Reinfield
Benjamin Mouton	...	Klan Bomber
Byron Jennings	...	Brent Musgrove
Patrick Sutton	...	Militant Teenager
Greg Lauren	...	Taylor
Danny Nelson	...	Bud Twitty
Mike Pniewski	...	Deputy Tatum
Elizabeth Omilami	...	Woman Angry at Klan
Lukas Cain	...	Looney's Son
Stacy Rae Toyon	...	Looney's Wife
Wayne Dehart	...	Claude
Helen E. Floyd	...	Waitress at Claude's
David Brian Williams	...	Customer at Claude's
Octavia Spencer	...	Roark's Nurse
Rebecca Koon	...	Dell
James M. Crumley Jr.	...	Guardsman Mackenvale
Jim Ritchie	...	Tom Hardy
Perry Ritchie	...	Sarah Hardy
Mike McLaren	...	Administrator at Whitfield
Tim Monich	...	Reverend Fink (as Timothy F. Monich)
Leonard L. Thomas	...	Man in Lumberyard (as Leonard Thomas)
Brance H. Beamon	...	Noose's Butler
Mildred J. Gilbreath	...	Noose's Housekeeper
Will Crapps	...	Minister
David U. Hodges	...	Bailiff
Maggie Wade Dixon	...	T.V. Anchor
Russell Hambline	...	Old Man Bates
Robert Chapman	...	Young Fisherman
Robert R. Bell Jr.	...	Fisherman
Tommy McCullough	...	Old Fisherman
Ryk St. Vincent	...	Deputy
Bettina Rose	...	Evelyn (Buckley's Secretary)
Linda Calvin Johnson	...	Sugar
Terrance Freeman	...	Court Deputy
Alice Julius-Scott	...	N.A.A.C.P. Woman
Dr. William Truly Jr.	...	N.A.A.C.P. Man #1
Walter L. Hutchins	...	N.A.A.C.P. Man #2
Jerry Hunt	...	John (the Electrical Company Worker)
Howard Ballou	...	Reporter #1 with Hastings
Todd Demers	...	Reporter #1 with Jake
Stephanie Strickland	...	Stephanie (Reporter #1 with Buckley)
Kim Hendrix	...	Kim (Reporter #2 with Buckley)
Rob Jay	...	Reporter #3 with Buckley
Sherri Hilton	...	Reporter #2 with Jake
Steve Coulter	...	Klansman
Jackie Stewart	...	Fire Chief
Rosebud Dixon-Green	...	Woman at Rally
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eva Ford	...	Courtroom Observer / Townsperson (uncredited)
Lorin Moore	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Dr. Willard Tyrell 'W.T.' Bass (the Defense Psychologist) (uncredited)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Joel Schumacher

Writing credits (WGA)
John Grisham		(novel "A Time To Kill")
Akiva Goldsman		(screenplay)

Produced by
William M. Elvin	....	associate producer
John Grisham	....	producer
Hunt Lowry	....	producer
Arnon Milchan	....	producer
Michael G. Nathanson	....	producer (as Michael Nathanson)

Original Music by
Elliot Goldenthal

Cinematography by
Peter Menzies Jr.

Film Editing by
William Steinkamp

Casting by
Mali Finn

Production Design by
Larry Fulton

Art Direction by
Richard Toyon

Set Decoration by
Dorree Cooper

Costume Design by
Ingrid Ferrin

Makeup Department
Marietta Carter-Narcisse	....	key makeup
Ben Nye Jr.	....	makeup supervisor
Janine Rath	....	key hair stylist
Ramsey Scott	....	additional makeup artist
Robert L. Stevenson	....	hair stylist
Pamela S. Westmore	....	makeup artist: Ms. Bullock (as Pamela Westmore)
Gloria Belz	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Linda Boykin-Williams	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Bill Johnson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Edmisten	....	second assistant director
William M. Elvin	....	first assistant director
Angela Barnes Gomes	....	dga trainee (as Angela Barnes)
Eric Oliver	....	second second assistant director
Darrell Woodard	....	additional second assistant director

Art Department
Larry Clark	....	paint foreman
Asahel Cooper	....	set dresser
Francis N. 'Lucky' Costello	....	stand-by painter
Ronald Cox	....	propmaker foreman (as Ron Cox)
Kevin Coyle	....	set dresser
Keith P. Cunningham	....	set designer
Brad Einhorn	....	property master
Thomas Gilbert	....	set dresser
William C. Jones	....	general foreman (as Bill Jones)
Joel McKee	....	assistant property master
David Ronan	....	on-set dresser
Lee Runnels	....	greens foreman
John H. Samson	....	construction coordinator (as John Samson)
Stephen Andrew Schwartz	....	lead man (as Steve Schwartz)
Maya Shimoguchi	....	set designer
Andrew M. Siegel	....	assistant property master (as Andrew Siegel)
James F. Truesdale	....	assistant art director
David Weathers	....	set dresser
Don W. Wegner	....	set dresser (as Don Wegner)
Jeff Cazanov	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Michael A. Wells	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Daniel Williams	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert Bradshaw	....	dialogue editor (as Bob Bradshaw)
Gordon Davidson	....	dialogue editor
Zack Davis	....	adr editor
Joe Divitale	....	sound effects editor (as Joseph DiVitale)
Joe Dorn	....	adr editor
Gordon Ecker	....	sound effects editor
Shawn Egan	....	assistant adr editor
John Michael Fanaris	....	sound effects coordinator
Carl Fischer	....	boom operator
D.G. Fisher	....	cable person
Steven Gerrior	....	assistant sound editor
Petur Hliddal	....	sound mixer
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Adam Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Kern	....	dialogue editor
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley mixer
Lee Lemont	....	foley editor (as Lee Lamont)
Chet Leonard	....	sound playback (as D. Chet Leonard)
John Leveque	....	supervising sound editor
Trillby Kim Lowe	....	dialogue editor (as Kimberly Lowe Voigt)
Steve Mann	....	sound effects editor
Blake Marion	....	sound effects coordinator
Lori Martino	....	adr editor
Gary Mundheim	....	foley editor
Piero Mura	....	foley editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Mark Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Fred Stafford	....	supervising adr editor
Bruce Stambler	....	dialogue editor
Shawn Sykora	....	supervising foley editor
Roland N. Thai	....	sound designer (as Roland Thai)
Donald L. Warner Jr.	....	sound effects editor
Bernard Weiser	....	sound effects editor
Steven D. Williams	....	foley editor

Special Effects by
Dominik Dugandzic	....	special effects
Steve Galich	....	special effects coordinator
Howard Allen Richardson	....	special effects
Ray Svedin	....	special effects
Steve Wolf	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Andrew Adamson	....	visual effects supervisor
Don Lee	....	digital compositor
Liz Radley	....	video and computer graphics supervisor (as Elizabeth Radley)
Earl Wiggins	....	Aerial Rigging Coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
Lance Gilbert	....	stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
David Barrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Matt Byrne	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Christian J. Fletcher	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Christian J. Fletcher	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hollis Hill	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carlton Holder	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lee Waddell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Anderson	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Chuck Brown	....	dolly grip (as Charles Brown)
Chris Centrella	....	key grip
Randy Feemster	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Douglas S. Holgate	....	aerial first assistant camera (as Doug Holgate)
Dean M. King	....	best boy grip (as Dean King)
Jeff Kluttz	....	rigging key grip
Dennis J. Lootens	....	rigging gaffer (as Dennis 'DJ' Lootens)
Christine M. Loss	....	still photographer (as Christine Loss)
Bill McConnell Jr.	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
William McConnell	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Bill McConnell)
Richard Mosier	....	first assistant camera
Kevin Murphy	....	gaffer
Jacqueline J. Nivens	....	second assistant camera
Robert Presley	....	Steadicam operator
Robert Presley	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Suzanne Trucks	....	camera loader
Martin Weight	....	video assist operator
Kenneth Estes	....	video playback operator (uncredited)
Rex Anson Rhorer	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Eric Wycoff	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Shirley Fulton Crumley	....	extras casting (as Shirley Cramley)
Jo Doster	....	local casting
Emily Schweber	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fran Allgood	....	costumer
Celeste Cleveland	....	costumer
Rudolph Garcia	....	costumer
Tom Numbers	....	key costumer: men
Christine Orth	....	costumer
Peggy Penamon	....	costumer
Joel Voorhies	....	wardrobe assistant: Ms. Bullock
Diana Wilson	....	costumer
Pamela Wise	....	costume supervisor (as Pam Wise)
Wendy M. Craig	....	set costumer (uncredited)
Zandra Harding	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Bob Putynkowski	....	color timer
Robert W. Steinkamp	....	assistant editor (as Robert Steinkamp)
Debra L. Tennant	....	first assistant editor
Michael T. Wilson	....	additional editor
Joëlle Taar	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Michael Connell	....	music editor
Robert Elhai	....	orchestrator
Matthias Gohl	....	score producer
Elliot Goldenthal	....	orchestrator
Deniz Hughes	....	additional orchestrator
Joel Iwataki	....	score mixer
Joel Iwataki	....	score recordist
Richard Martinez	....	electronic score producer
Denise Murray	....	assistant music editor
Jonathan Sheffer	....	conductor
John Moses	....	musician: clarinetist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gary Duncan	....	transportation co-captain
Lee Garibaldi	....	transportation captain
Ken Nevin	....	transportation co-captain (as Ray Nevin)
Tommy Tancharoen	....	transportation coordinator
David Carlton White	....	SPFX Driver/40'
William Hogue	....	driver (uncredited)
Mike Robinson	....	driver: art department (uncredited)
Hank Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation (uncredited)
Robert Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Jennifer Addington	....	staff assistant
James Alesna	....	staff assistant
James B. Allen	....	first aid
Julianna Arenson	....	production accountant
Lacey Lee Ashley	....	staff assistant
Shauna Beal	....	assistant: Mr. Milchan
Porter Berry	....	staff assistant
Kathleen 'Bo' Bobak	....	staff assistant
Ernest Burnett	....	assistant: Mr. Natanson
Rene Crowe	....	production secretary
James M. Crumley Jr.	....	staff assistant (as Jamie Crumley)
Paul D'Angelo	....	staff assistant
Bonnie Daniels	....	production controller
Dabney Day	....	staff assistant
Andra Eggleston	....	assistant: Mr. Jackson
Scott Elias	....	location manager
Janette Evans	....	assistant production accountant
Deven Fredericks	....	production secretary
Susan Giordano	....	assistant production accountant
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer: main titles
Stephanie Gordon	....	staff assistant
August Goulet	....	staff assistant
Susan Hartmann	....	staff assistant
Aaron Kahn	....	staff assistant
Heidi Leigh	....	assistant: Ms. Bullock
Michael Lindenbaum	....	staff assistant
Anna Mewbourne	....	assistant location manager
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach (as Timothy F. Monich)
Belita Moreno	....	acting coach
Nancy Mott	....	craft service
Boone Narr	....	animal trainer
Theresa Phillips	....	staff assistant
Rita Racana	....	assistant: Mr. Nathanson
Rozzana Ramos	....	assistant: Mr. Milchan
Michael Randolph	....	craft service
Matt Rawls	....	staff assistant
Sharron Reynolds	....	script supervisor (as Sharron Reynolds-Enriques)
Eli Richbourg	....	assistant: Mr. Schumacher
Mary Lou Robertson	....	staff assistant
Andy Rogers	....	staff assistant
Regina Romain	....	staff assistant
Bettina Rose	....	executive assistant: Mr. Schumacher
Mark Sayles	....	assistant production accountant
Margaret L. Schlaifer	....	studio teacher (as Margaret Schlaifer)
Marc Siegel	....	staff assistant
Michael Singer	....	unit publicist
Octavia Spencer	....	staff assistant
Stephanie Stears	....	staff assistant
Ashley Taylor	....	location assistant
Tate Taylor	....	staff assistant
Derek Wade	....	production associate (as Derek Martin Wade)
S. Denise Wax	....	staff assistant
Mark N. Woods	....	remote head technician
Yvonne Yaconelli	....	production office supervisor
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	helicopter pilot (as Bobby Zajonc)
John Alfred	....	first assistant accountant (uncredited)
Neill Calabro	....	utility stand-in: Kevin Spacey (uncredited)
Jeff Coopwood	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)
Elloise Dover	....	assistant: Mr. Dutton (uncredited)
A. Welch Lambeth	....	key production assistant (uncredited)
Jerry Lousteau	....	animal wrangler (uncredited)
Andrea Metzen	....	staff assistant (uncredited)
Danny Vinson	....	utility stand-in (uncredited)
S. Denise Wax	....	accounting staff assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Regency Enterprises
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (1996) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1996) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1996) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1996) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1996) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1996) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1999) (USA) (TV)
• Argentina Video Home (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2001) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Hammerhead Productions (visual effects) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• 112th Military Police Batallion  special thanks
• Atlantic Cine Equipment  remote heads
• Atlantic Records  soundtrack published by (as Atlantic Classics)
• City of Canton  special thanks
• Department of The Army  special thanks
• International Paper  special thanks
• Jackson International Airport  special thanks
• Mississippi National Guard  special thanks
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Sound and Communications Inc.  P.A. systems
• SoundStorm  sound editing
• State of Mississippi  special thanks
• The Fire Department of Madison, Ridgeland and Canton  special thanks
• The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority  special thanks
• The Mississippi Fire Office  special thanks
• The National Guard Bureau  special thanks
• Tony's Food Service  catering
• U.S. Department of Defense  special thanks

Also Known As:

Die Jury (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Juryn (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Tempo de Matar (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Tiempo de matar (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Время убивать (Russia) [ru]
Öldürme zamani (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
A Time to Kill (Denmark) [da]
Czas zabijania (Poland) [pl]
Ha ölni kell (Hungary) [hu]
Il momento di uccidere (Italy) [it]
Le droit de tuer? (France) [fr]
Non coupable (Canada: French title) [fr]
On aika tappaa (Finland) [fi]
Tiempo de matar (A Time to Kill) (Spain) [es]
Tiempo para matar (Venezuela) [es]
Un temps pour tuer (Canada: French title) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some graphic language.

Runtime:

149 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (bw) | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Canton, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Regency Enterprises

Trivia:

Like John Grisham's novel, the movie proved to be very controversial and was widely accused of condoning murder.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ellen Roark and Jake Brigance are in the restaurant after the KKK attack drinking shots and eating crawfish (mud bugs), Ellen licks her hand twice before drinking her shot. The first time the camera is behind her, the second time it's in front of her.

Quotes:

Harry Rex Vonner: Lucien, I thought you were dead.
Lucien Wilbanks: I'm trying.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

Soundtrack:

Take My Hand Precious Lord

I was surprised this movie was this good after reading the book.

I was very much drawn into the book, and thought that it would be hard to get the same feeling out in a movie.

At the beginning I thought I was right. From the beginning I was thinking "they left out a whole mess of details." I was irritated that they did not develop the characters better like in the book.

But by the 3rd quarter of the movie this was the last thought in my mind. And by the end I understood that the screenwriter had very skillfully budgeted his (limited) screen time for the most important parts of the movie, where it is well spent.

I think the acting of the principals was very good, and I found especially for Sandra Bullock as Ellen Roark - who was the most believable character. Although the rest of the acting was very good, I felt she was the most believable.

Which raises the main weakness of the movie, as good as it was, having read the book, I could not help being reminded that most of the characters were in fact, actors in a movie. Except for Ms. Bullock, there was a bit of woodeness to the "folk" in this small southern town. Also the plot is a bit contrived (but true to the novel). Most important is that (for me) it worked. I was moved. Its a very good movie.