This page is about the movie. For the Taylor Caldwell novel, see The Devil's Advocate ; for the Morris West novel, see The Devil's Advocate .

The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 drama movie directed by Taylor Hackford and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman.

This title is a reference to the idiom "Devil's Advocate" and the character of John Milton is named after the author of Paradise Lost (see John Milton).

Cast

• Kevin Lomax – Keanu Reeves
• John Milton – Al Pacino
• Mary Ann Lomax – Charlize Theron
• Eddie Barzoon – Jeffrey Jones
• Alice Lomax – Judith Ivey
• Christabella Andreoli – Connie Nielsen

==Plot==Hotshot defense lawyer Kevin Lomax has never lost a case, even though many of his clients are not innocent. He is invited to leave his small Florida town and join the huge New York law firm led by John Milton. Milton, a massively charismatic and highly regarded man, becomes Lomax's mentor, pushing him towards arrogance and greed. Meanwhile, Lomax's wife Mary Ann starts descending into schizophrenia as she feels lost and abandoned by her husband, a state which is partially, if not entirely, induced by other "employees" of Milton's firm.

The story unfolds as John Milton is found to be the devil and Kevin Lomax his son. Lomax rejects his heritage when he commits suicide and ends Milton's plans to bring about the antichrist. However, we are then returned to the small Florida town and it is revealed that the movie had been a flash of conscience for Lomax or, possibly, even a game of manipulation played on him by the devil. John Milton subsequently shows himself in another guise and begins his plotting once again, this time with more subtlety.

Legal problems

The film was the subject of legal action following its release. The claim was that the sculpture featuring human forms in John Miltons office closely resembled that on the facade of a New York cathedral. It was found in favour of the cathederal sculpter. The studio was forced to limit the number of copies of the original version of film released to Video, DVD and laser disc, and also to place a notice on all versions explicitly stating there was no implied or intended connection.

The film was digitally altered to remove the human forms until near the end of the film. This was very well done. This new version is the one on all DVD and Video releases bar the original batch, and also the new version is the only one on television screenings.

A popular misconception is that "the ending on the film has been changed" from the original. In actual fact it is the end of the film that remains as it originally was.

External link