John Grisham Books and Flicks

Welcome, John Grisham fans everywhere!

Have you ever read a Grisham book, then watched the movie, and went "Huh???" Why did they change it so much???

Then, afterward, did you say "Ya know what? That movie was actually BETTER than the book! Or, perhaps you said "That stinks! They should have stayed with the book plot!"

Well, that's what this site is all about. I'll start with posting my opinion about whether a film was better or worse than the movie, then you either holler "rat own!" or you tell me why I'm full of baloney.

The rules are simple: this is a family-safe site. Please keep your comments pg-rated. Any violations will be promptly edited or removed, depending on what kind of mood I'm in.

After all, Grisham is a non-age-specific type of author. Odds are your twelve-year-old daughter has read him, as well as your sweet grandmother. Use language that won't offend either one, please.

Also, please note that spoilers are rampant here! If you have not yet read a book or seen a movie, do both before reading their entries here!

So have fun, and chime in with your thoughts!

Posted by Ron Enderland at 10:52 AM | Permalink

Released in 1993, The Client was yet another great Grisham read. It detailed the account of Mark Sway, an eleven-year-old unlucky enough to stumble onto the drunken suicide of a mob lawyer. Darn it to heck, the soon-to-be-ex-lawyer even tells the kid about a murdered senator and where he was entombed.

As far as secrets go, such mob-caused ones are best left unkown.

But Mark knows, and it's just a matter of time before crooked cops get word to the mob that the kid was in the car with the lawyer. Thus begins the hunt.

The scared-you-know-whatless Mark stumbles into the office of Reggie Love, lawyer with issues of her own.

Continue reading "The Client" »

Posted by Ron Enderland at 10:38 PM | Permalink

Let's get things started with what I consider a no-brainer: The Firm.

This book, released in February 1991, covers the tale of Mitch McDeere and his wooing by a prestigious Memphis firm. Soon after joining up, he sees things that look suspicious. Things escalate until he's involved in blatantly illegal practices with mob clients. Eventually, he ends up fighting for his life as The Firm attempts to deal with him like they do with other problem employees: by killing him.

The differences:

Continue reading "The Firm" »

Posted by Ron Enderland at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Okay, now for a book/movie decision that is as easy to call as The Firm.

Runaway Jury, written in 1996, is about a huge tobacco trial in Biloxi. A woman is suing on behalf of her late husband. The tobacco companies keep a "fund" for such lawsuits, and they hire Rankin Fitch (now is that a great name for a bad guy, or what!) to select a jury that will quickly deliver an acquittal. What Fitch doesn't count on is a jury member (Nicholas Easter) with his own plans to sway the jury. He boldly offers the jury for sale to both sides in the trial, but in fact he has already made up his mind how the trial will turn out. The rest of the story is a study of mind control by both sides, with Easter and his lovely accomplice winning out.

What's Different:

Continue reading "Runaway Jury" »

Posted by Ron Enderland at 05:01 PM | Permalink