What's the Difference between The Rainmaker the Book and The Rainmaker the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Rudy Baylor
|
Rudy Baylor
Portrayed by: Matt Damon
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Deck Shifflet
|
Deck Shifflet
Portrayed by: Danny DeVito
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Kelly Riker
|
Kelly Riker
Portrayed by: Claire Danes
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Leo F. Drummond
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Leo F. Drummond
Portrayed by: Jon Voight
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Dot Black
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Dot Black
Portrayed by: Mary Kay Place
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Judge Harvey Hale
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Judge Harvey Hale
Portrayed by: Dean Stockwell
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Donny Ray Black
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Donny Ray Black
Portrayed by: Johnny Whitworth
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Ronny Ray Black
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This Character does not appear.
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Dr. Walter Kord
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This Character does not appear.
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Dr. Milton Jiffy
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This Character does not appear.
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Cooper Jackson
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This Character does not appear.
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Judge Tyrone Kipler
|
Judge Tyrone Kipler
Portrayed by: Danny Glover
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Jackie Lemanczyk
|
Jackie Lemanczyk
Portrayed by: Virginia Madsen
|
The Rainmaker Book vs Movie
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
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When various Great Benefit employees are on the stand, Rudy completely defeats them and exposes their lies when he shows them the Section U part of their claims and underwriting manuals that describe the scheme to deny every claim for a year to make more money. This destroys their case for the most part. Rudy never had any contact with Bruiser after he fled the country. |
The claims and underwriting manuals are supplied by Jackie Lemanczyk. The defense tries to get them thrown out as stolen documents. Rudy asks for a recess and gets it. Rudy calls Bruiser Stone and is told that under such and such legal code, stolen documents can be used to rebut a claim. |
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During the trial when Cliff Riker (Kelly's abusive husband) is served divorce papers by a server friend of Rudy, he beats her again. Rudy brings her to a woman's shelter after she can leave the hospital. A few days later Rudy and Kelly go to her house to get her clothes and other property. Cliff arrives home drunk and attacks them with a bat. Rudy takes the bat away and fractures Cliff's skull with it. Kelly tells Rudy to leave. The she calls the police and is arrested for killing her husband. |
After Rudy knocks out Cliff with the bat, Kelly tells him to leave. As soon as Rudy leaves, Kelly resumes beating Cliff to death with the bat. She is arrested.
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Cliff Riker's family makes threat towards Kelly and Rudy. The local prosecuting attorney say the threats are illegal and could result in arrest of the family members. Rudy's office is shot at during a driveby shooting. Charges against Kelly are eventually dropped; even the county's attorney felt bad for Kelly. |
The charges are dropped when Cliff's past history of abuse is revealed. |
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Prior to closing statements in the trial, Rudy tells Leo that the Black family will settle for 1.2 million dollars; he is jerking Leo around as the Blacks will never settle. Great Benefit had previously offered the cost of the defense ($75,000) and cost of the treatment ($200,000). Leo refuses the offer immediately. |
Rudy never offers to settle for any amount as the Black family wanted a verdict in their favor.
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The jury finds in favor of the Black family and awards 50.2 million dollars in damages. Other lawsuits are filed all over the country against Great Benefit. The parent company transfer all of Great Benefit's holdings overseas forcing them out of business. The Blacks get nothing. The Great Benefit CEO is arrested at the airport while trying to flee the country. |
Great Benefit files for bankruptcy. Rudy tells Dot Black that even though she will get no settlement, she destroyed Great Benefit and they will not rip anyone else off. |