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Time To Kill

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A Time to Kill was adapted from the 1989 John Grisham novel of the same name, and is set in rural Canton, Mississippi. The film begins with the brutal rape and beating of a ten-year-old black girl, Tonya Hailey, by two white supremacists. After failing in an attempt to hang the girl, the men then ditch her body in a nearby creek. By some miracle, the girl survives and the two men are later arrested in a bar. Carl Lee Hailey, played by Samuel Jackson, is Tonya’s father and after the men are arrested, he calls Jake Brigance, played by Matthew McConaughey. Jake is a white lawyer who once defended Carl Lee’s brother, he advises Carl Lee that there is a possibility that the men who hurt his daughter may be released and walk free. Upon hearing that Tonya may never get the justice she deserves, Carl Lee …show more content…

The Klan calls Brigance’s home issuing death threats, burns a wooden cross in his yard, and even attempts to bomb his house, hoping that he will become discouraged and give up defending Carl Lee. The district attorney, played by Kevin Spacey, says that he will seek the death penalty for Carl Lee. Brigance attempts to get the case moved in hopes of a more favorable jury pool, but his request for change of venue is denied by the judge. Jake then seeks the help of an old mentor, Lucien Wilbanks, who is also a decorated civil rights lawyer. In his closing argument, Jake gives a detailed account of Tonya’s rape to the jury, he finishes the story and then asks the jurors to “imagine she’s white”. After deliberation, it is revealed that Carl Lee was found innocent. His family and supporters rejoice in the streets, meanwhile, the sheriff arrests the Klan member for his crimes against Jake and his legal team, as well as, a corrupted deputy who had assisted the Klan. In the final scene of the film, Jake brings his wife and daughter to a family cookout and the families celebrate Carl Lee’s freedom

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