Primal Fear (Film)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Primal Fear is a 1996 American film directed by Gregory Hoblit which tells the story of a defense attorney, Martin Vail (Richard Gere), who defends an altar boy, Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), charged with the murder of a Catholic archbishop. The movie is an adaptation of William Diehl's 1993 novel. Norton was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and won a Golden Globe Award in the same category for his career-launching role. The film also stars Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, and Frances McDormand. Martin Vail is a prominent defense attorney in Chicago who jumps at the chance to represent Aaron Stampler, a young, stuttering altar boy accused of murdering the Archbishop. At first interested primarily in the publicity that the case will bring, Vail comes to believe that his client is truly innocent, much to the chagrin of the prosecutor (and Vail's former lover), Janet Venable.