a "good deal of surface charm" but "the story relies on an overload of tangential subplots to keep it looking busy." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded Primal Fear three and a half stars, writing that "the plot is as good as crime procedurals get, but the movie is really better than its plot because of the three-dimensional characters." Ebert described Gere's performance as one of the best in his career, praised Linney for rising above what might have been a stock character and applauded Norton for offering a "completely convincing" portrayal. The film spent three weekends at the top of the U.S. box office. Accolades Norton's depiction of Aaron Stampler earned him multiple awards and nominations. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains: Aaron Stampler – Nominated Villain 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10: Nominated Courtroom Drama Film See also Mental illness in films Trial movies Plot twist Deewangee (2002), a Hindi film influenced by Primal Fear. References External links 1996 films 1996 crime drama films 1996 crime thriller films 1996 directorial debut films 1996 drama films 1990s legal films 1990s psychological thriller films 1990s thriller drama films American crime drama films American crime thriller films American legal drama films American psychological thriller films American thriller drama films American courtroom films Films about dissociative identity disorder Films scored by James Newton Howard Films about lawyers Films about religion Films based on American novels Films based on crime novels Films directed by Gregory Hoblit Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance Films set in Chicago Films shot in Chicago Films shot in West Virginia Films produced by Gary Lucchesi Legal thriller films American neo-noir films Paramount Pictures films Rysher Entertainment films Works about judgement Courtroom dramas 1990s English-language films 1990s American films ja:真実の行方#映画