Unlike most legal dramas which focus on high-powered attorneys and legal procedure, The Rainmaker has a much more grim and gritty feel. Bruiser is unapologetically sleazy with his legal practices, and Rudy is involved in covering up the murder of an abusive husband. Even the movie’s court scenes are far from predictable, with a judge’s sudden mid-trial heart attack being a pivotal plot point.
Part of what makes The Rainmaker such a noteworthy movie is the incredible talent assembled to make it. The cast includes Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight, Dean Stockwell, Virginia Madsen, Mickey Rourke, Roy Scheider, and Danny Glover. It was also written and directed by legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, best known as the director of The Godfather.