The Top 10 John Grisham Screen Adaptations
Tom Borman, Lawfuel contributing editor
The 90s films still set the bar, but USA Network’s new Rainmaker series shows there’s life in Grisham’s case files yet. That doesn’t surprise me with Grisham’s trademark tight plotting and David vs. Goliath themes that deal with major issues from environmental scandal to corporate corruption.
Here’s the top 10, ranked from #10 to #1, with quick why-it-ranks notes and cast/crew for each.
The Rainmaker (TV, 2025) — USA Network / Peacock
Cast/Crew: Milo Callaghan; John Slattery; Lana Parrilla; P.J. Byrne. Developed by Michael Seitzman & Jason Richman.
Why it ranks: It’s the newest Grisham adaptation and USA’s first scripted comeback in years. Early reviews call it a competent but “soapy” legal drama—watchable, just not yet top-tier.
The Firm (TV, 2012) — NBC
Cast/Crew: Josh Lucas; Juliette Lewis; Molly Parker; creator Lukas Reiter.
Why it ranks: A sequel-series curiosity that turned Grisham’s paranoid slow burn into a case-of-the-week—NPR puts it near the bottom for “sputtering and slow.”
The Innocent Man (Docuseries, 2018) — Netflix
Cast/Crew: Directed by Clay Tweel; Grisham appears/EP.
Why it ranks: Not a courtroom thriller, but a serious, widely cited true-crime doc tied to Grisham’s only non-fiction book; solid critical reception and ongoing relevance to wrongful-conviction debates.
Image: Netflix title card still.
A Painted House (TV film, 2003) — CBS / Hallmark Hall of Fame
Cast/Crew: Dir. Alfonso Arau; Scott Glenn; Robert Sean Leonard; early Logan Lerman.
Why it ranks: A faithful, well-acted slice of Americana that shows Grisham travels beyond torts and subpoenas; consistently cited as a tasteful, literary-leaning adaptation.
Runaway Jury (2003) — 20th Century Fox
Cast/Crew: Dir. Gary Fleder; John Cusack; Rachel Weisz; Gene Hackman; Dustin Hoffman.
Why it ranks: A slick jury-tampering chess match; critics enjoy the Hackman/Hoffman face-off even if the underdog moral arc isn’t as strong as the podium finishers.
Image: Courtroom still with Hackman/Hoffman.
The Client (1994) — Warner Bros.
Cast/Crew: Dir. Joel Schumacher; Susan Sarandon (Oscar-nominated); Tommy Lee Jones; Brad Renfro.
Why it ranks: A sturdy thriller with a moving Sarandon–Renfro dynamic; regularly lands mid-table in recent round-ups.
A Time to Kill (1996) — Warner Bros.
Cast/Crew: Dir. Joel Schumacher; Matthew McConaughey; Samuel L. Jackson; Sandra Bullock; Kevin Spacey; Kiefer Sutherland.
Why it ranks: A courtroom barn-burner that launched McConaughey as a leading man; gripping, if imperfect in its racial politics—consistently placed just off the top three.
Image: Courtroom wide shot.
The Firm (1993) — Paramount
Cast/Crew: Dir. Sydney Pollack; Tom Cruise; Gene Hackman; Holly Hunter (Oscar-nominated).
Why it ranks: The movie that lit the 90s legal-thriller fuse; paranoid, star-packed, and relentlessly paced—BFI calls it the most satisfying on-ramp.
The Rainmaker (1997) — Paramount
Cast/Crew: Dir. Francis Ford Coppola; Matt Damon; Danny DeVito; Jon Voight; Claire Danes.
Why it ranks: The purest expression of Grisham’s “scrappy lawyer vs corporate indifference” story; humane, methodical, and quietly devastating—NPR’s runner-up and a frequent critics’ favorite.
Image: Damon/DeVito at counsel table.
The Pelican Brief (1993) — Warner Bros.
Cast/Crew: Dir. Alan J. Pakula; Julia Roberts; Denzel Washington.
Why it ranks: A sleek conspiracy thriller with star-chemistry to burn; carefully plotted and impeccably paced—NPR’s #1 and still the most rewatchable Grisham.
Image: Roberts/Washington garage scene still.
WHY THESE 10 (and how the order was set)
This list blends a brand-new NPR/WXXI ranking published August 15, 2025 (which includes the TV Rainmaker) with BFI’s February 2025 “Where to begin with Grisham” guide, then cross-checks the new show’s reception and release details via Decider, Daily Beast, AP and TechRadar.
