You probably clicked on this article because you thought to yourself, “hmm, I had no idea the French had a collective opinion on the John Grisham adaption I barely remember.”
Or maybe you thought “oh the French hate something random, this must be bonkers!”
If you’re sitting there now with your fingers crossed, hoping you’re completely right about both things, I have excellent news for you.
Image Credit: Warner Bros.
If you were of adult-reading-material age in the 90s and aughts, there’s a good chance you read a John Grisham novel and/or saw one of the many film adaptations of his work.
And there’s an even better chance that, considering the great cast of A Time to Kill, you saw THIS film.
Now, listen… critics and audiences thought this book/movie was fine, and though it’s not without its issues *cough* white savior *cough*, it’s generally something you can enjoy with a bag of popcorn.
Image Credit: WarnerBros.
With the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, maybe you can even look back and see it as an early attempt to stand up for Black lives, and to say that they’re not valued the same way under the law, or by society in general.
Well, that’s not what the French thought. Or, more specifically, French film critics.
Get ready folks… because we’re about to take a sharp left turn.
If you’re French this movie makes you angry. Like, really angry.
Angry enough that there’s a whole subsection on the film’s Wikipedia page titled “Reaction in France.”
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Basically, they’re upset that the book/film seems to be apologizing for the death penalty (wait until they read The Chamber), and they’re also upset that a Black person received justice… I think?
Or they’re mad that Americans don’t consider the father mentally ill for murdering the men who raped his young daughter?
Yeah, because the French legal system hands out justice fairly all the time.
Sure…. cool story!
I don’t really know what to say about all of this, except to say that, to me, it all seems tres French.
Give me your thoughts in the comments, if you can put them in order.
