The Rainmaker
A fresh law graduate fights to secure a life-saving settlement for a dying child, taking on a ruthless insurance giant whose resources threaten to crush his idealism and career.
“They were totally unqualified to try the case of a lifetime... but every underdog has his day.”
Synopsis
Rudy Baylor, a recent law school graduate struggling to find employment, takes on a major insurance company that has denied a claim for a terminally ill boy. Partnering with a tenacious, unlicensed paralegal, he becomes embroiled in a high-stakes legal confrontation that challenges his moral principles, bravery, and commitment to justice.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 238+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Barry MalkinShot by John TollScored by Elmer BernsteinDesigned by Howard CummingsSound by Mark Berger Nm0074281Costumes by Aggie Guerard RodgersStunts by Jack Gill
Box Office
1997 · Box office
⚖️ Fell short of break-even — grossed 1.1× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$45.9M
Opening weekend: $10.6M — 23% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $16.3M — 35% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 2,317 theaters
Also known as
- Der Regenmacherde
- John Grisham's The Rainmakeren
- L'Idéalistefr
- L'uomo della pioggiait
- (Bulgarian)Ударът
Release dates around the world2 countries · showhide
- United StatesNov 18, 1997
- CanadaNov 21, 1997
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Cast & Crew
238 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Matt Damon
as Rudy Baylor
Danny Devito
as Deck Shifflet
Claire Danes
as Kelly Riker
Jon Voight
as Leo F. Drummond
Mary Kay Place
as Dot Black
Dean Stockwell
as Judge Harvey Hale
Teresa Wright
as Miss Birdie
Virginia Madsen
as Jackie Lemancyzk
Mickey Rourke
as Bruiser Stone
Andrew Shue
as Cliff Riker
Red West
as Buddy Black
Johnny Whitworth
as Donny Ray Black
Supporting cast
52Wayne Emmons
as Prince Thomas
Adrian Roberts
as Butch
Roy Scheider
as Wilfred Keeley
Randy Travis
as Billy Porter
Michael Girardin
as Everett Lufkin
Randall King
as Jack Underhall
Justin Ashforth
as F. Franklin Donaldson
Michael Keys Hall
as B. Bobby Shaw
James Cunningham
as J. Michael Floquet
Frank Clem
as Mr. Van Landel
Alan Woolf
as Kermit Aldy
Sonny Shroyer
as Delbert Birdsong
Pamela Tice Chapman
as Vera Birdsong
Trula M Marcus
as Jewelry Saleswoman
Tony Dingman
as Bruiser's Driver
Daniel O Callaghan
as Carl
Tom Kagy
as Homicide Detective
John Yancey
as Homicide Detective
Verda Davenport
as Jailer
Christopher Gray
as Jury Foreman
Johnetta Shearer
as Courtroom Clerk
Tammy Wendel
as Court Reporter
Nate Bynum
as Mr. McKenzie
John Gray
as Hospital Volunteer
Sherry Sanford
as Nurse
Billy Ray Reynolds
as Murder Scene Bystander
Mary Lester
as Murder Scene Bystander
Deborah Frazier I
as St. Peter's Receptionist
Vernon Newman
as Great Benefit Salesman
Lynn Carthane
as Newscaster
Rodney Peck
as Rehab Center Desk Clerk
Bill Lunn
as Bill Lunn
Terrance Stewart
as Boy with Broken Arm
Bridget Brunner
as Bruiser's Receptionist
Mike Cody
as Tinley Britt Lawyer
Donald Polden
as Legal Commentator
Eloise Dukes
as Court Clerk
Katherine Morrow
as Deposition Court Reporter
Alex Harvey
as Bar Exam Proctor
Melissa Hurst
as Waitress at Bar
Anasa Briggs Graves
as Bailiff
Ronnie Dee Blaire
as Bailiff
Alexis Brigham
as Mrs. Wilfred Keeley
Richard Cross
as Juror #11
Robyn Day
as Courtroom Attendant
Kevin Farris
as Law Student
Danny Glover
as Judge Tyrone Kipler
Cece Moore
as Girl on Beach
Zach Navarro
as Prison Pedestrian
Corey Parker
as Benny Ritchie - Law Student
Claire Robinson
as Girl in Bar
Marshall Taylor
as Mr. Riker
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
5Other crew
176Debra Coleman
additional makeup artist: San Francisco
Jenny King Turko
additional makeup artist: San Francisco (as Jenny King)
Clare C Freeman
adr editor (as Clare Freeman)
Bob Baron
adr mixer
Barbara Harris
adr voice casting
Rob Bonz
apprentice editor
Joe Biggins
art department coordinator: San Francisco
Bob Shaw
as Robert Shaw
Gus Carpenter
assistant editor: Lightworks
Tim Sternberg
assistant editor: Lightworks
Megan B Agosto
assistant film editor (as Megan Agosto)
Catherine Childers
assistant hair stylist: San Francisco
Parents Guide
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