John Grisham’s books are perennially popular, and have been for some time, so it’s no surprise they’ve already received myriad spectacular adaptations. The Pelican Brief benefited heavily from the megawatt star power of both Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. A Time to Kill is an interesting musing on vigilante justice. Sydney Pollack’s Oscar-nominated The Firm was anchored by an excellent Tom Cruise. Then there’s the spirited, great original adaptation of The Rainmaker, directed by none other than Francis Ford Coppola, and that means the series adaptation of The Rainmaker, created by Michael Seizman and Jason Richman, has a big pair of Oxfords to fill. There are many inspired casting choices, stellar performances, and solid set-ups for a killer finale, but it’s plagued by missed potential in design and execution.
What Is ‘The Rainmaker’ About?

Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan) can’t stand bullies and never backs down from a fight. That doesn’t serve him well as a young attorney, when he challenges esteemed lawyer Leo F. Strummond (John Slattery) in front of his peers and girlfriend Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman) at high-end firm Tinley Britt. After Rudy becomes persona non grata, he’s forced to join the more controversial law firm J. Lyman Stone, led by the dogged Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Lana Parilla) and her shifty paralegal Deck Shifflet (P.J. Byrne). He takes on a wrongful death suit that puts him and the firm squarely on the other side of the courtroom against Leo, Sarah, and the rest of Tinley Britt, gradually uncovering a far larger conspiracy than he even knew.
‘The Rainmaker’ Has Inconsistent Character Development

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Grisham novel adaptations have punched well above almost any weight class, considering the massive stars often leading them. Between Denzel, Cruise, Roberts, or the trio of Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sandra Bullock in A Time to Kill, the charisma bar has long ago been set about as high as possible. Series lead Milo Callaghan brings considerable empathy to his client dealings (and regarding his neighbor, whom he discovers is a victim of domestic abuse), alongside an engaging, indignant streak that’s persistently well utilized. Still, there’s a certain courtroom brilliance that’s multiply explained but simply doesn’t translate thus far. Dan Fogler is a fantastic actor (and was stellar as The Rainmaker director Coppola in The Offer, funny enough), and there are moments here where the true colors of Melvin Pritcher come through in a palpable way, but much of the time the portrayal feels too muted (in part from Melvin’s oft-repetitive character dialogue). Halfway into the season, it seems like neither actor is fully showcasing the power and gravitas of their respective roles.
‘The Rainmaker’s Cast Is Full of Talent, With Highlights From John Slattery and P.J. Byrne

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The Rainmaker still boasts some fantastic performances in tow that properly command the screen. As antagonistic lawyer Strummond, Slattery is exceptional: confident, bullheaded, and devilishly persuasive, just as a world-class lawyer should be. He’s charming opposite Rudy in a courtroom, but just as good at his interpersonal manipulations to turn Sarah into the tool Tinley Britt needs (rather than being the ally her boyfriend Rudy needs). It’s a solid performance as Slattery enjoyably weaponizes reason, rage, and manipulation with equal verve — though the series would benefit from his increased presence in the first five episodes. Another standout is P.J. Byrne as the adaptation’s hilarious secret weapon in the shifty Shifflet. Byrne is a capable investigator, but happily shady — he doesn’t just reveal that a certain character’s family has a troubled legal history, he delivers it with ill-placed joy. During Rudy’s decidedly serious questioning of a lice-removing barber, he stares deeply at the liquid she’s removing lice into and interrupts their conversation with childlike observation: “These look like baby sperm.” He consistently maintains a delicate balance of being good at his job and amusingly immature, lightening a narrative full of otherwise serious characters. Madison Iseman also excels as the corruptible, ambitious Sarah, while Lana Parilla’s Bruiser leaves a strong impression despite being underutilized. The Rainmaker has some stellar character moments, but some of its greatest talents are relatively buried by the halfway point of the season. Part of these overall issues may stem from the series’ regular lack of the sorts of explosive events that make for great drama thus far, denying the “Aha!” moments that help characters shine.
‘The Rainmaker’ May Prove a Solid Legal Thriller, if It Can Stick the Landing

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Reveals do happen and twists occur, but emotional arcs get disproportionate relative bulk this season. Milking interpersonal drama between Rudy and Sarah and Rudy’s growing relationship with his neighbor often seems to be emphasized more than fully utilizing the drama of the investigation and the courtroom. And, halfway through the season, neither plotline offers consequences significant enough impact. Ultimately, the storylines feel like little more than a detour. Part of this could be remedied by the series’ back half, and it could simply be a structural issue, though it’s impossible to say at this point. Altogether, it means that The Rainmaker showcases a lot of potential in its first five episodes, but it has yet to cash in on much of it. The Rainmaker certainly isn’t a bad series — too many elements work for it to be such. That said, in the first half available thus far, there’s a limited amount of success in the adaptation. Some performances fail to consistently fill their characters’ shoes, while other characters are electric to watch but woefully underutilized. The initial moments tease devastating reveals and growing danger as The Rainmaker proceeds, but there’s never a guarantee that everything clicks, and it ends with pizzazz. The Rainmaker may yet end up a fairly solid legal drama by the time the final credits roll, but at best it will prove an uneven one. In the meantime, the jury’s still out. The Rainmaker premieres August 15 on the USA Network in the U.S.