Being an attorney, I have an attraction to movies that revolve around lawyers or courtrooms. It is often entertaining to watch how the realities of litigation and law are blurred, butchered and disregarded altogether in the name of entertainment or dramatic license.
Here is the list of my great courtroom movies. For a movie to be on my list, it has to be something I have seen within the last 5 years. If the movie predates that and I have not seen it in the last five years, then it was not entertaining enough for me to see it again. An example of a movie that would come under this exclusion is Twelve Angry Men. This movie is on every respectable top ten list out there and unquestionably a great movie. It is not one that has that pull for me to see over and over. I saw it in high school almost 30 years ago and have not seen it since. The same would be true of To Kill a Mockingbird and Inherit the Wind. These are all great classic courtroom movies on every top ten list. I have not seen any of them in the last five years so I am leaving them off. There are also movies that revolve around lawyers but I do not view as courtroom movies such as The Firm, The ClientThe Pelican Brief and Michael Clayton. If I say a movie is technically good from a courtroom perspective I am judging the overall portrayal to the layman and not passing judgment on every little evidentiary/trial fau paux.
Movies like Liar Liar, My Cousin Vinny and Legally Blonde are hilarious. I did not include comedies. The reason is that no matter how funny the movie may be, there is really no character or individuality. They all basically revolving around making courtroom dialogue humorous
The Verdict: This is my favorite courtroom movie of all time. I can watch it over and over. Paul Newman in my opinion gives his greatest acting performance. What lawyer out there cannot identify with getting that one big case that will cure what ails the human condition? A case that that not only redeems society but redeems the down and out alcoholic attorney played by Newman. He battles a crappy case, biased judge, reluctant witnesses and a crooked law firm defending the Catholic Church. Not great technically from a courtroom perspective but you get so sucked into Paul Newman’s character that you completely disregard any tactics that would be questionable in real life. David vs. Goliath courtroom movies are a dime a dozen and only work if they bring you into the story so you become David. Watch this movie and you will be David for two hours.
The Rainmaker. Based on the book of the same title by John Grisham. Same David and Goliath script but with a much more technically correct courtroom feel. This is one of the few Grisham books in my opinion that the book translates well to the big screen. This time the young inexperienced attorney representing the poor family unable to speak for themselves up against the big bad insurance company. How do you not get sucked into Matt Damon’s character? The young attorney with no money trying his first case again up again the big time corrupt defense firm. (Are there any courtroom movies out there that put defense firms in a positive light?) The only people in this country who do not want to put a whop ass on a big bad insurance company are the people who work for the insurance company. One of the better courtroom movies from a technical perspective, great storyline. By the time the movie is over you want to go hire a lawyer to sue an insurance company, any insurance company…….
A Few Good Men. You have to get past the fact that the whole movie hinges on the star witness, a Marine Corps General played by Jack Nicholson suddenly collapsing like a used air bag under cross examination and giving the defense its’ case. The odds of this happening in real life? Play the Powerball Lottery this week. You have a better shot. Jack had to give it up under cross to make the movie work and boy does his performance make it work! Just get passed that. It’s a great movie. One of those movies worth watching just to watch every scene with Jack Nicholson. Oh yea, a good performance by Tom Cruise as the under-dog un-appreciated and initially apathetic military defense attorney. Watch it for Jack though.
A Civil ActionThis is based on the book A Civil Action. It is a true story. The underdog attorney, real life attorney Jan Schlictman up against the big bad corporate giants who are spilling toxic substances into the drinking water of Woburn, Massachusetts causing cancer clusters in the children….. I don’t want to give away the entire story but you have an attorney coming to understand himself at the cost of everything he once was, morally, financially, emotionally. I warn you that this is a SLOW movie. It is very deliberate as is the very long book. It needs to be to work. It works in that it is deliberate but never boring. You will come away from this movie with a better understanding of the frustrations that many attorneys face in trying to do the right thing and getting so sucked into to trying to do the right thing that you lose sight of what the right thing really is. John Travolta gives a great performance as real life attorney Jan Schlittman. He brings you right into his character to such a degree that you hang on each work and move quickly through any slow parts of the movie. Interesting paradox here. Robert Duvall is portrayed as an honest defense attorney for the corporate giant when in reality the defense firm involved destroyed and hid evidence.
Amistad: This movie is not for everyone. It is slow. It is hard to follow. It involves a mutiny on a slave ship traveling towards the coast of the United States. The story revolves around the trial of the slaves who led the revolt. I can sum up my review this way: Did watch the HBO mini-series John Adams? Then watch this movie….. Why? John Quincy Adams, the son of Second President John Adams Jr. was the lawyer who defended the slaves who had revolted and killed their captors Good performances by Matthew McConaughey and Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams. This slave controversy in this case became a prelude to The Civil War.
Philadelphia. This is the first big star motion picture that I am aware of that addressed AIDS discrimination. Who better to do than Tom Hanks Great performance by Tom as a big city Philadelphia lawyer with AIDS. His law firm discovers his condition and cans him. Denzel Washington is great as the stereotypical ambulance chaser who finds a conscience and a cause….. I don’t think this is a very good movie from a technical standpoint My reason is that all the stuff about Hank’s characters sexual orientation and sexual habits would never come into evidence as not being relevant. They put it in the movie for dramatic purposes and it works for that purpose It can however give the laymen the impression that if you make such a claim your sex life will be put out there for all to see and that’s just not true.
Miracle on Thirty Fourth Street (The 1947 Original) the existence of Santa Clause on trial? How could this not be on my list?
Judgment at Nuremberg: The first film to address the trial of the Nazi’s accused of war crimes after World War II otherwise known as The Nuremberg Trials. I am frankly surprised this has not been re-done with a current day all star cast. I think it would do well.
9. Primal Fear This movie has absolutely absurd courtroom dialogue but the story line and performances by Edward Norton and Richard Gere are so good that you really don’t care.
10. Music Box This is one of the few movies dealing with the issues of aging former Nazis and Nazi sympathizers who committed war crimes living in the United States. Jessica Lange and Armin Mueller-Stah give great performances.
The movie is based on the true story of John Demjanjuk. While the premise of a daughter representing her father on trial for his life is a stretch, it works well here. Jessica’s emotional opening statement is also unrealistic and inadmissible. The movie is incredibly moving on all levels. You are torn between her father as a loving grandfather and a brutal murderer guilty of terrible war crimes. In an interesting twist of life imitating art, the father of Joe Eszterhas who write the screenplay, was accused of writing anti-Semitic propaganda before and during World War II. Like the character in Music Box, his father denied being the person who wrote these materials. Mr. Ezterhas denies knowing anything about his father’s past at the time her wrote the screenplay. There is a great article about this that can be read here.
Class Action This movie is based on the Ford Pinto Rear End End Explosion cases. Gene Hackman is great as the both idealistic and cynical plaintiff’s attorney going after the huge car maker. Once again a defense firm is portrayed as as unethical. They hide then destroy key evidence in the case. The conduct of the character played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, while portrayed as noble in the movie would have probably resulted in her disbarment in real life. She knows a partner in her firm has destroyed evidence. She tells the other side(who happens to be her father) about it. She also gives them a corroborating witness not previously known about. Noble maybe but career ending absolutely.
Presumed Innocent This is one of the great courtroom movies of the last 20 years both in style and drama. Great performances by both Harrison Ford and Brian Dennehy. A show stealing supporting performance is turned in by late actor Raul Julia. The movie also does fairly well on a courtroom technical basis. One dramatic license taken is the hammer which needed to be taken. The statement that the police wouldn’t look for it because if they dont find it , that would be brought up in court is just silly. They don’t look for something because they might not find it? Search warrants are executed to find evidence, not to leave it.
And Justice For All. Al Pacino’s great courtroom flick. (I refuse to put The Devil’s Advocate on there) The movie is technically ludicrous and it is supposed to be! That is the whole point. The point is that the legal system is ludicrous and often forces attorneys to choice between morality and victory. While the drama is exaggerated the message is right on. The below video says it all.
That’s my list. Are there other good courtroom movies? Of course. These were the ones that I can watch over and over. Some other courtroom movies I found entertaining but didn’t make my watch over and over list are,
Please feel free to comment and make your case for your favorite courtroom movies and why they are great. Please don’t say its great, because it’s on some list or because everyone else says it is great. Give us your own opinion. Example: I have no desire to see Twelve Angry Men again. It is a great movie on jury and group dynamics. It is also fairly boring. When was the last time you saw it?
Bravo Brian. Quite an extensive list, and lots of good work put into it. I’m more impressed with your overall work on this piece than the movies themselves. Excellent job. I don’t watch movies as frequently as I used to, but A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson is my favorite from your list.
loved your list.. and i also loved red corner.. great drama..and the court scenes i thought were probably realistic for china..at least i imagine it to t=be that way
Sorry, but to dismiss three of the greatest courtroom dramas right off the bat because they are not interesting to you? Did you even consider re-watching it? 30 years is a lot of time, there’s a slight chance that you might have changed a bit during this time and that the movie might strike you differently this time. Just sayin’…
Also, you sort of mailed it in during the end of the list. Run out of ideas?
But, the most serious issue I have with the list is what I consider to be a glaring, nearly obscene omission: You left off Anatomy of a Murder! If you haven’t seen it, run out and rent it today.
@Nick: So what, this is my list not yours. If you want to include them on your list, knock yourself out….. If included movies just because they are on someone else’s list, I might as well have just posted that list…..
I know you didn’t include comedies, but you must see the Man who sued God.
Billy Connolly is hilarious in taking on the CHURCH’s when the big insurance company cites “Act of God” to deny his insurance claim after lightning strikes his boat.
A well setup argument – if it’s God fault, then Billy is suing his personal representatives on earth – vicarious liability really. Their squirming to avoid liability is delicious ! 🙂
What about ‘Murder In The First’. That was an awesome courtroom movie. Christian Slater and Kevin Bacon made an awesome team in trying to bring down Alcatraz.
This is a great list of movies, BUT you forgot to include And Justice For All. Al Pacino is amazing in this excellent courtroom drama. This movie is on my list of top ten favorites and one that I highly recommend.
Thanks for the excellent list…a couple that I’ve not seen (but will now).
Being a John Grisham reader myself, i must admit that you really did a great job in compiling this list. My all time favourite courtroom movie is Philadelphia though you claimed it is for dramatic purposes … unfortunately sometimes it is not only that in real life.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT IDEAS. I AM DOING RESEARCH FOR A PAPER THAT COMPARES MOVIES TO REAL LIFE COURT. I AM NOT A MOVIE WATCHER SO YOU GAVE ME SOME GREAT IDEAS. FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAD ANYTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT……WHERE IS YOUR LIST? THANKS AGAIN
Does anyone know the name of the film where in court near the end, the defence attorney has the murder re-enacted by hitting a dummy and seeing blood spurt everywhere and then shows photos that prove the murder scene was changed befor epolice arrived. It's been annoying me for ages!
Being an attorney, I have an attraction to movies that revolve around lawyers or courtrooms. It is often entertaining to watch how the realities of litigation and law are blurred, butchered and disregarded altogether in the name of entertainment or dramatic license.
26 Responses
Bravo Brian. Quite an extensive list, and lots of good work put into it. I’m more impressed with your overall work on this piece than the movies themselves. Excellent job. I don’t watch movies as frequently as I used to, but A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson is my favorite from your list.
What, no ’12 Angry Men’? A classic!
@RvG: Its on there, I listed it as one on every list but I have not seen it since high school so it didnt make my current list
loved your list.. and i also loved red corner.. great drama..and the court scenes i thought were probably realistic for china..at least i imagine it to t=be that way
Stuart
SE
I’m glad you included Miracle on 34th Street! Most folks don’t think of it as a courtroom drama, but it’s a classic.
Miss Cellanias last blog post..Modern Underwear
good videos
Sorry, but to dismiss three of the greatest courtroom dramas right off the bat because they are not interesting to you? Did you even consider re-watching it? 30 years is a lot of time, there’s a slight chance that you might have changed a bit during this time and that the movie might strike you differently this time. Just sayin’…
Also, you sort of mailed it in during the end of the list. Run out of ideas?
But, the most serious issue I have with the list is what I consider to be a glaring, nearly obscene omission: You left off Anatomy of a Murder! If you haven’t seen it, run out and rent it today.
@Nick: So what, this is my list not yours. If you want to include them on your list, knock yourself out….. If included movies just because they are on someone else’s list, I might as well have just posted that list…..
I know you didn’t include comedies, but you must see the Man who sued God.
Billy Connolly is hilarious in taking on the CHURCH’s when the big insurance company cites “Act of God” to deny his insurance claim after lightning strikes his boat.
A well setup argument – if it’s God fault, then Billy is suing his personal representatives on earth – vicarious liability really. Their squirming to avoid liability is delicious ! 🙂
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268437/
thanks for the list – a few I hadn’t considered or known about.
What about ‘Murder In The First’. That was an awesome courtroom movie. Christian Slater and Kevin Bacon made an awesome team in trying to bring down Alcatraz.
@Mark: That is a good one I didn’t like Christian Slater but thought Kevin Bacon was brilliant.
Well, you know absolutely anything with Jack Nicholas in it is going to ROCK! has he ever done a “bad” movie?
JJ
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
This is a great list of movies, BUT you forgot to include And Justice For All. Al Pacino is amazing in this excellent courtroom drama. This movie is on my list of top ten favorites and one that I highly recommend.
Thanks for the excellent list…a couple that I’ve not seen (but will now).
Jim | BloggingStartups last blog post..What Happens in Vegas…Gets Blogged About at Megavegalicious.com
@Jim | BloggingStartup: Your right-that needs to be on there
I highly recommend Anatomy of a Murder (1959). It is a great movie and Jimmy Stewart is great as always.
@Matthew Stanford: Good movie, I just had not seen it recently to give it an accurate critique
This is the best Closing statement…..you missed it
http://youtube.com/watch?v=24eL0cWwFxc&feature=related
Being a John Grisham reader myself, i must admit that you really did a great job in compiling this list. My all time favourite courtroom movie is Philadelphia though you claimed it is for dramatic purposes … unfortunately sometimes it is not only that in real life.
Lilianas last blog post..a journey back in time …
I think A Time to Kill should be on the list.. Great line at the end of the closing statement.
I just rewached “Breaker Morant”. Very well done courtroom story with one of the most powerful endings in movie history!
you should have listed the court room scene near the end of the movie called Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, with Jimmy Stewart. It’s a great movie.
Breaker Morant has to be on there. A great movie, a great story, and excellent courtroom action.
No “Anatomy of a Murder?” Lauded by many as technically (legal-wise) superior and stands the test of time.
Anyone?
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT IDEAS. I AM DOING RESEARCH FOR A PAPER THAT COMPARES MOVIES TO REAL LIFE COURT. I AM NOT A MOVIE WATCHER SO YOU GAVE ME SOME GREAT IDEAS. FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAD ANYTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT……WHERE IS YOUR LIST? THANKS AGAIN
What about Witness for the Prosecution; thats a nice movie to
Does anyone know the name of the film where in court near the end, the defence attorney has the murder re-enacted by hitting a dummy and seeing blood spurt everywhere and then shows photos that prove the murder scene was changed befor epolice arrived. It's been annoying me for ages!