The Rainmaker

Year: 1997

Runtime: 135 min

Language: English

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

DramaThrillerCrime

During the devastating drought of 1930s Kansas, a charismatic con man named Bill Starbuck offers a solution – rain – for a price. As he seeks to win the affections of Lizzie, a reserved spinster, he faces challenges from the townspeople, particularly Curry, who doubts his abilities. Bill must find a way to deliver on his promise and confront his own flaws, all while navigating a community desperate for hope and redemption.

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Timeline & Setting – The Rainmaker (1997)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Rainmaker (1997). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Last Updated: January 14, 2025 at 22:05

Main Characters – The Rainmaker (1997)

Meet the key characters of The Rainmaker (1997), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: January 14, 2025 at 22:05

Major Themes – The Rainmaker (1997)

Explore the central themes of The Rainmaker (1997), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: January 14, 2025 at 22:05

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Legal Dramas with Underdog Lawyers like The Rainmaker

Idealistic attorneys fight systemic corruption in high-stakes courtroom battles.This collection features movies like The Rainmaker, where tenacious attorneys battle seemingly unbeatable corporate adversaries. If you enjoyed the tense depositions, ethical dilemmas, and righteous anger of a legal David vs. Goliath story, you'll find similar gripping courtroom battles here.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a determined lawyer, often inexperienced or operating outside the system, who uncovers a profound injustice perpetrated by a wealthy corporation. The story builds through investigation and legal maneuvering, culminating in a tense trial where the underdog must outthink a team of high-priced attorneys. The victory is often qualified, exposing the limitations of the legal system even in success.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together by their shared focus on the high-stakes legal procedural, the clear moral conflict between good and evil incarnate in corporations, and the intense, gritty atmosphere of a fight for dignity against overwhelming power. They deliver a specific mix of intellectual strategy and heavy emotional investment.

Movies with Bittersweet Endings like The Rainmaker

Stories where winning the battle comes with a profound cost.If the poignant, hollow victory of The Rainmaker resonated with you, explore these films that feature bittersweet or Pyrrhic wins. These stories deliver a climax that is both triumphant and sobering, where achieving the goal reveals a deeper, often systemic, failure or personal cost.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative builds towards a climactic success—a legal win, a personal goal achieved, a battle won. However, the resolution subverts a simple happy ending. The victory is rendered meaningless by a larger systemic collapse, comes with an unbearable personal loss, or forces the protagonist to abandon the very world they fought for, resulting in an ending that is profoundly mixed.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their emotionally complex and intellectually satisfying endings. They share a narrative pattern that values realism and thematic depth over pure catharsis, grouping together stories that explore the nuanced aftermath of struggle and the often-high cost of principle.

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The Rainmaker Summary

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The Rainmaker Timeline

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The Rainmaker Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About The Rainmaker

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Rainmaker: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

Similar Movies to The Rainmaker

Discover movies like The Rainmaker that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.