Synopsis

In rural Mississippi, lawyer Jake Brigance agrees to defend Carl Lee Hailey, a Black father who kills the two white men responsible for brutally attacking his young daughter. As the trial exposes the region's racial divisions, Brigance faces an aggressive prosecutor, threats from the Ku Klux Klan, and the challenge of persuading an all-white jury to look beyond prejudice.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts John Grisham's 1989 novel, with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Grisham also served as one of the producers.

• Much of the production took place in and around Canton, Mississippi. The town's Madison County Courthouse and former county jail appear prominently, while a soundstage was constructed in Canton's industrial park for additional scenes.

• The courthouse remains associated with the film through the Canton Movie Museum, which occupies a building used to represent the protagonist's law office. The museum also preserves props and set pieces from the production.

• A crypt built for a cemetery sequence was filmed at Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson rather than at the real Yazoo City location associated with the legend. The movie-made crypt was later put on display in Canton.

• Released in the United States on July 24, 1996, the film became a substantial commercial success, earning more than $152 million worldwide despite receiving mixed critical reviews.

• With a running time of approximately 149 minutes, the film is an unusually extended courtroom drama, allowing its trial scenes and racial tensions to occupy most of the second half.

• The production marked Joe Seneca's final film appearance.