Product Review

Primal Fear (DVD)

A high-profile slaying becomes the case of an ambitious attorney's caree r in this legal thriller based on the novel by William Diehl . Richard G ere stars as Martin Vail, a famed defense lawyer who volunteers his serv ices to Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a Kentuck y teenager charged wit h the murder of a Chicago archbishop. Covered with blood, Aaron was capt ured after a foot chase broadcast live on TV, making a gleeful Vail cer tain that he could raise his profile by defending the obviously guilty s uspect. Assigned to prosecu te is Assistant District Attorney Janet Vena ble (Laura Linney), who is Vail's ex-girlfriend. Vail's case becomes mor e complicated th an he expected when a psychologist, Dr. Molly Arrington (Frances McDormand) concludes that Stampler suffers from multiple perso nalit y disorder. Vail also uncovers evidence that the archbishop was in volved in a corrupt land scheme and may have molested young parish ioner s. Now the cynical, opportunistic attorney is faced with a daunting pros pect, a client who may actually deserve his best defens e. Its shocking, twist ending made Primal Fear (1996) a big box office hit and earned No rton, in his screen debut, an Oscar nominati on for Best Supporting Acto r.