The Client (1995–1996) User Reviews (3)

Guardian ad litem

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 27 May 2016]

John Grisham has really written some fine fiction that seems so easily adaptable to the big screen. The film The Client certainly won a lot of acclaim for all connected with it and it's only one of Grisham's works that have been a solid film success. You would think that he would do well on the small screen too.

But this TV adaption of The Client only lasted for a season. JoBeth Williams was a fine substitution for the role of Reggie Love that Susan Sarandon did so well on screen. The other members of the cast are Polly Holiday as her mother, David Barry Gray as her paralegal and John Heard as prosecutor Roy Foltrigg so memorably played on the big screen by Tommy Lee Jones.

On the big screen Sarandon is hired in a manner of speaking by 11 year old Brad Renfro. On the small screen Williams is an attorney whose clientele is children. She is in many episodes a guardian ad litem for the children she represents. Meaning she represents the interest of the kids and not parents or guardians.

It's a specialized field of law in my area practiced in Family Court. To my knowledge this is the only TV show that dealt with those issues exclusively, perhaps Judging Amy can also be considered as well and it lasted a bit longer.

Sad this didn't last longer. And the review is dedicated to attorney Sheila Dickinson who was one dedicated practitioner of family law and a zealous guardian for her clients.

Very Good Show

[simon24tb · 29 April 2001]

I never watched the show during its run, but after it was cancelled I finally got the opportunity to see what a great series I missed out on. Based on the John Grisham novel and spun from the film, JoBeth Williams takes over Susan Sarandon's Oscar-nominated role as Reggie Love, a tough and caring southern lawyer. Williams' performance is very accurate and at times she so closely resembles Sarandon I forget I'm not watching the film.

The series is not much different from the film, and as a "courtroom drama," it doesn't focus only on the trials but also on the characters. The writing is so effortlessly wonderful that it amazed me to see how this one was axed.

The supporting players are very good, too. John Heard is great as a southern D.A., and his accent is very accurate. Polly Holliday is stunning as Reggie's mother and her performance is comparable to Tyne Daly's in "Judging Amy." Ossie Davis was terrific as the tough judge, which he played in the film as well.

The cast and writing for this short-lived series are exceptional and as a whole, "The Client" TV series is probably one of the best court shows and probably the best of the short-lived shows.

My Score: 10/10

Well done, especially an exceptional pilot.

[chcom · 27 October 2004]

Not enough people saw "John Grisham's 'The Client'" so it was overlooked and faded off TV screens pretty fast. I looked forward to each episode; however, the pilot was one of the best written and directed of its genre that I've ever seen. Wonderful characters, a reality of time and place and a genuine humanity distinguished it from the competition then and now. It pulled me in from the first frame. For me to remember it all this time says a lot.

A young boy is in trouble and the lawyer who helps him has a few messes of her own. She knows everyone in her small southern town and each relationship has its complications. I especially applaud JoBeth Williams, John Heard, the young boy, who I believe was Brad Renfrew, and Ossie Davis, who raises the bar every time he works. It's too bad not enough people saw this one.