Synopsis

Brilliant Florida defense attorney Kevin Lomax has never lost a case, even when he suspects his clients are guilty. After accepting an offer from a powerful New York law firm, Kevin enters a world of wealth, ambition, and moral compromise. As his career flourishes and his marriage deteriorates, disturbing visions suggest that his employer's influence is far more sinister than it appears.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is adapted from Andrew Neiderman's 1990 novel. The project spent years in development, including an earlier version planned with Joel Schumacher and Brad Pitt before the production was reworked.

• Keanu Reeves accepted a reduced salary so the production could meet Al Pacino's asking price. Pacino later donated an equivalent amount to charity after learning about the arrangement.

• The boxing match shown in the film was a real world championship bout held at Madison Square Garden on October 4, 1996. Roy Jones Jr. defeated Bryant Brannon by second-round knockout.

• The joggers pursuing Eddie Barzoon are dressed in white, red, and black, echoing the colors traditionally associated with three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Milton's green clothing represents the fourth horseman, Death.

• The film became involved in a copyright lawsuit over the use of sculptor Frederick Hart's artwork, which appears in connection with the Washington National Cathedral. Warner Bros. later agreed to alter the disputed material for some home-video and television presentations.

• The Devil's Advocate won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. Its theatrical campaign openly identified John Milton as Satan, even though the film delays that revelation for much of its running time.