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Deliberate Intent (2000)
Director: Andy Wolk
Cast: Timothy Hutton, Ron Rifkin, Clark Johnson, Penny Johnson Jerald
Runtime85 min
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A First Amendment scholar is recruited by an attorney to sue a publishing company after a hit man commits a triple murder by allegedly following a how-to manual the book company published. They set out to put the company on trial for providing blueprints for would-be murderers. Arguing that the publisher is not protected by the First Amendment, the crusading lawyers seek monetary damages for the victims' families.
Critical Reception & Ratings
Deliberate Intent, a 2000 thriller directed by Andy Wolk, received a mixed critical reception, with critics divided on the film's exploration of the First Amendment and its legal themes. The film did not receive any major awards recognition. The movie has a 5.1/10 rating on IMDb and a 50% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a somewhat divided audience response.
Why you might like this:
Fans of legal thrillers and cerebral dramas will appreciate the thought-provoking premise of 'Deliberate Intent' (2000), directed by Andy Wolk. This film challenges notions of free speech and corporate responsibility as it delves into a lawsuit against a publishing company accused of providing a 'how-to' guide for a deadly crime, leading to a gripping courtroom battle brought to life by the powerful performances of Timothy Hutton and Ron Rifkin.
About
Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors is a book written under the pseudonym Rex Feral and published by Paladin Press in 1983. Paladin Press owner Peder Lund stated, in an interview with 60 Minutes, that the book started life as a detailed crime novel written by a Florida housewife, and that the format was later changed to appeal to Paladin's reader base accustomed to the publisher's non-fiction books on military, survivalist, weapons and similar topics. The book portrays itself as a how-to manual on starting a career as a hit man, fulfilling contracts. However, after a number of lawsuits claiming that the book was used as a handbook in several murders, the publication of the book was stopped. It marked "the first time in American publishing history that a publisher has been held liable for a crime committed by a reader."
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