November 22, 1997 -- This is one of the movies in the old Hollywood tradition with heroes you can cheer for (even if they are lawyers) and villains you can hiss at. It is just as entertaining as it is manipulative and corny.

This is a real triumph for writer-director Francis Ford Coppola, who hasn't had a big hit since "The Godfather III" back in 1990. This movie ought to cure that problem. It should also be a big hit for author John Grisham, who co-wrote the screenplay, adapted, of course, from his book. All Grisham needs is more money.

I haven't been a big fan of films made of Grisham books except for "The Firm." This is certainly the best film effort since that one, and perhaps the best of them all. It has been a while since I saw "The Firm." Other films based on Grisham books are "The Runaway Jury (1998), "The Gingerbread Man" (1997), "A Time to Kill" (1996), "The Chamber" (1996), "The Client" (1994), "The Pelican Brief" (1993).

This story is about a young lawyer, Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon of "Courage Under Fire") who is just out of law school, dirt poor, and has few connections. He hooks up with a sleazy lawyer named Bruiser Stone (Mickey Rourke of "Double Team"). Bruiser owns strip joints and is being investigated for jury tampering, money laundering and other charges by the FBI.

Bruiser teams Baylor with a paralegal, Deck Shiffler (Danny DeVito) who shows him how to get new clients the sleazy way. When it looks like the FBI is about to haul the Bruiser into jail, Shiffler and Baylor decide to set up their own law firm. One of the firm's first cases is a young man dying of leukemia. About the same time, he gets another case of a young woman, Kelly Riker (Claire Danes of "Romeo and Juliette") who has been beaten by her husband.

Baylor and Shiffler are up against a very tough, dirty lawyer for the defendant insurance company in Leo F. Drummond, well played by veteran actor Jon Voight, who has made quite a comeback in recent years. Since appearing in "Heat" two years ago, he has also had meaty roles in "Mission Impossible," "Rosewood" and "Anaconda."

Shiffler's cunning and his many contacts are invaluable in the insurance case. It is a role tailor-made for DeVito and he makes the most of it. Baylor has a few contacts himself. He gets personally involved with all of his clients, including a widow for whom he is making a will. He ends up bringing Kelly Riker to stay with so she can hide from her husband. His clients become like an extended family.

The corrupt insurance company and its lawyers make perfect villains and you can really root for Baylor's underdog clients. There are fine performances all around, including Roy Scheider ("Peacemaker") as the insurance company president, Mary Kay Place ("Citizen Ruth") as the sick boy's mother. Danny Glover as the judge and Randy Travis. This film is good, old-fashioned entertainment. It rates an A.

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