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The Chamber

Play trailer Poster for The Chamber R 1996 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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13% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 39% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Young lawyer Adam Hall (Chris O'Donnell) launches a legal appeal for his racist grandfather, Sam Cayhall (Gene Hackman), a former Ku Klux Klan member he has never met. Accused of killing two young Jewish boys years earlier, Sam meets his grandson in a Mississippi prison on death row, and the atmosphere is tense. Despite having no sympathy for the older man, Adam has other motives for defending his grandfather that have to do with his own father's suicide.
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The Chamber

Critics Reviews

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Emanuel Levy Variety 03/08/2006
2/5
Lacking the surface glitz, attention-grabbing plot and star power of John Grisham's previous adaptations, Folley's film will also suffer due to comparisons with the similarly-themed and better Tim Robbins' Dead Man Walking, released last year. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
2/4
Any subject, including racism, can be the legitimate material of a movie. But I am not happy when I see deep wounds in our society being opened for the purpose of entertainment. Go to Full Review USA Today 01/01/2000
2.5/4
There isn't a whole lot to the movie. Go to Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot 03/02/2022
3/4
A familiar Death Row location, but it handles itself with a good deal more levity, and believability, than the other Grisham melodramas. Go to Full Review Caffeinated Clint Film Threat 05/06/2005
2/5
Chris Barsanti Filmcritic.com 01/18/2004
2/5
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Audience Reviews

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LesMarie S Apr 3 Powerful performances from them all. It could have been more gripping. The whole aspect of generational violence and passed down guilt are hard truths. These themes makes for enthralling storylines. I did enjoy it but I wanted more depthness. Faye and Gene are Queens & Kings of the screens, and deserved a script, with content that match the level of their amazing talent! See more Sheila M Mar 7 5 stars for Hackman's performance alone. The storytelling lacked but he was incredible. As usual. See more David D 03/17/2024 Great movie. Gene Hackman is a brilliant actor. The movie is suspenseful dramatic and even poignant. Hackman's character is very remorseful and regretful for his past mistakes. And he even for a moment shows compassion towards his daughter for a past transgression that left her with extreme guilt. See more steve d 01/04/2023 The acting is good but there is very little to the story. See more 05/13/2022 This movie acts as a curiosity, since Gene Hackman was originally offered the role of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, instead of Anthony Hopkins. So if you want an inkling of what could have been, this is a good movie to watch. But, as always, Chris O'Donnell is just bland. I can't believe he was considered for the lead in Men In Black before Will Smith. See more jay s 12/24/2019 Enjoyed the movie. Hackman is brilliant as ususal, just like Chris O'Donnell. I got the taste of a pinch of Dixie. As European, see the ugliness of our race conserved for too long in the US. The supremacist white. Were we really so superior? See more Read all reviews
The Chamber

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Cast & Crew

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James Foley

Director

Chris O'Donnell

Adam Hall

Gene Hackman

Sam Cayhall

Faye Dunaway

Lee Cayhall Bowen

Robert Prosky

E. Garner Goodman

Raymond J. Barry

Rollie Wedge

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The Chamber

The Chamber (1996) The Chamber (1996) The Chamber (1996) The Chamber (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Young lawyer Adam Hall (Chris O'Donnell) launches a legal appeal for his racist grandfather, Sam Cayhall (Gene Hackman), a former Ku Klux Klan member he has never met. Accused of killing two young Jewish boys years earlier, Sam meets his grandson in a Mississippi prison on death row, and the atmosphere is tense. Despite having no sympathy for the older man, Adam has other motives for defending his grandfather that have to do with his own father's suicide.
Director
James Foley
Producer
John Davis, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard
Screenwriter
William Goldman, Chris Reese
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Davis Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$14.4M
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround
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