An exceptionally adept Florida lawyer is offered a job at a high-end New York City law firm with a high-end boss - the biggest opportunity of his career to date.
Kevin Lomax, a ruthless young Florida attorney who never lost a case, is recruited by the most powerful law firm in the world. In spite of his mother's disagreement (she compares New York City to Babylon), he accepts the offer and the money that comes along. But soon, his wife starts feeling homesick and seeing devilish apparitions. However, Kevin is sinking in his new cases and pays less and less attention to his wife. His boss and mentor, John Milton, seems to always know how to overcome every problem and that just freaks out Kevin.—Steve Richer <[email protected]>
This is a movie about a young, seemingly unbeatable lawyer from a small town in Florida. When he gets an offer to go to New York and work for a large firm, he and his wife Mary Anne jump at the opportunity. Soon, Mary Anne begins to dislike the city and Kevin's job. She urges him to quit and go back to Florida but he sees her as insane. The longer he works, however, the more his wife makes sense, but is it too late?—Alyson <[email protected]>
Defense attorney Kevin Lomax has never lost a single case. He is invited to New York to work for a big law firm ruled by senior board member John Milton, who showers him with wealth and feeds his vanity. Kevin's wife just wants to have a baby and is distressed by Kevin always being on a case and never at home. She starts to lose her grip on reality--or so it seems. Kevin Lomax is about to find out about his true heritage and the grand scheme John Milton is running from his penthouse apartment.—Gustaf Molin <[email protected]>
Kevin Lomax is a hotshot southern lawyer who knows how to play the game. He gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is offered a job with a law firm that promises many opportunities. He takes his wife to the Big Apple in hopes of a better life and a good job. He only finds himself on the receiving end of trouble when his boss is the Devil himself and has some treacherous plans up his sleeve for Kevin.—Mystic80
Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves), a defense attorney in Gainesville, Florida, has never lost a case. He defends a schoolteacher, Mr. Gettys (Chris Bauer), against a charge of child molestation. During the trial, Kevin realizes that his client is guilty, and a reporter tells him that a guilty verdict is all but inevitable. However, through a harsh cross-examination Kevin destroys the credibility of the victim (Heather Matarazzo) and secures another not guilty verdict.
As he celebrates, Kevin is approached by a representative of the New York law firm Milton, Chadwick & Waters, who offers him a large sum of money to help the firm with a jury selection. After Kevin's jury delivers a not guilty verdict, John Milton (Al Pacino) offers him a large salary and a swanky apartment if he joins the firm. Despite warnings from his Evangelical Christian mother, Alice (Judith Ivey), about sinful big city life, Kevin accepts the job and moves with his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) to Manhattan.
Kevin first defends a Voodoo sorcerer (Delroy Lindo) who ritually sacrificed an animal. He compares the incident to Kashrut law and claims that his client is protected under freedom of religion, winning the case. Kevin spends an increasing amount of time at work, leaving Mary Ann (Charlize Theron), his wife, feeling isolated.
Kevin next defends Alexander Cullen (Craig T. Nelson), a billionaire accused of murdering his wife and child. This case demands more of Kevin's time, further separating him from Mary Ann. He begins having fantasies about co-worker Christabella Andreoli (Connie Nielsen), while Mary Ann shows signs of mental illness when she claims seeing demons everywhere. Milton suggests that Kevin step down from the trial, but Kevin refuses.
Eddie Barzoon (Jeffrey Jones), the firm's managing attorney, is convinced that Kevin is competing for his job after finding his name in the company papers as a partner. Although Kevin denies any knowledge, Barzoon threatens to inform the United States Attorney's office about the situation. Kevin tells Milton about Barzoon's threats, but Milton is unconcerned, sarcastically dismissing Barzoon as "God's special little creature". At that moment, Barzoon is beaten to death by vagrants, who take on demonic appearances. Mary Ann witnesses this, further eroding her sanity.
While preparing Cullen's mistress Melissa (Laura Harrington) to testify about Cullen's alibi, Kevin realizes she is lying and tells Milton he believes Cullen is guilty. Milton offers to back Kevin regardless. Kevin decides to proceed with her testimony and wins an acquittal.After the trial Kevin finds Mary Ann in a nearby church, naked and covered with cuts. She tells her husband that Milton sexually assaulted and mutilated her, but Kevin saw Milton in court with him at the time of the alleged attack; he believes that Mary Ann injured herself and has her committed.
Kevin is approached by U.S. Attorney Weaver with knowledge of the law firm's illegal activities. Although Kevin tries walking away, he stops when Weaver tells him that Gettys was found with a dead girl in his car trunk. Following Kevin, Weaver walks into the street and is run over by a car.Alice and Pam (Debra Monk), Kevin's case manager at the firm, visit Mary Ann. Alone with Mary Ann, Pam appears as a demon through a mirror. Mary Ann attacks Pam with the mirror and locks herself in the room. As Kevin tries to break down the door, Mary Ann takes a piece of broken glass from the mirror and cuts her throat with it, killing herself.
Before he can mourn, Alice reveals that Milton is Kevin's father. Kevin leaves the hospital to confront Milton, who gleefully admits to sexually assaulting Mary Ann. Kevin fires a pistol into Milton's chest, but the bullets have no effect. Kevin realizes that Milton is not only his father, but also Satan himself. Kevin blames Milton for everything that happened, but Milton explains that he merely "set the stage", and that Kevin could have left at any time. Kevin realizes that he always wanted to win, no matter the cost, and left Mary Ann behind. Milton explains that he wants Kevin and Christabella, who is Kevin's half-sister, to conceive a child: the Antichrist. He offers Kevin anything that he wants. However, rejecting his Satanic heritage, Kevin cites free will and shoots himself in the head, ruining Milton's plan.
Kevin wakes up during the recess of the Gettys trial. After embracing Mary Ann, Kevin announces that he can no longer represent his client, despite the threat of being disbarred. A reporter follows Kevin and Mary Ann, pleading for an interview and promising to make Kevin a star. After some prodding from Mary Ann, Kevin reluctantly agrees. After Kevin and Mary Ann leave, the reporter shape-shifts into a grinning Milton. Breaking the fourth wall, he says, "Vanity - definitely my favorite sin."
