Law-Related Movies - Organized by Substantive Law SubjectSet out below are the movies from the "A to Z" list organized by the following substantive law subjects:
Civil Procedure/Trial Advocacy [top] Class Action (1991). Starring Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. An unlikely scenario where father and daughter act on opposite sides on a products liability case involving cars that explode. He is the liberal plaintiff's lawyer, representing the underdog, she is a corporate type, acting for the defendant. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Liar, Liar (1997). Starring Jim Carrey. A young boys wish that his father not be able to lie for 24 hours comes true but haunts his father (played by Carrey), a lawyer whose court appearances require him to "bend the truth" on behalf of his client. Some fairly funny courtroom scenes involving Carrey. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Miracle on 34th Street (1994). Starring Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle. This modern remake of the 1934 "classic" recounts the story of a young girl who questions the existence of Santa Clause. When the Macy's Santa Clause, who claims to be the real Kris Kringle, is institutionalized, he is defended in court by the boyfriend of the young girl's mother who tries to prove his client is not insane. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). The Rainmaker (1997). Starring Matt Damon and Danny DeVito. A dramatization of the John Grisham novel that tells the story of a young lawyer (played by Damon) who teams up with a grizzled veteran (played by DeVito) to take a case against an insurance company that is denying medical coverage for a dying boy. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). The Trial (1963). Starring Anthony Perkins. Directed by Orson Welles. Based on the classic novel by Franz Kafka, it tells the nightmarish story of Josef K who is arrested one morning and put on trial despite never really knowing what the charges are. A must view (or read) for any law student. The Verdict (1982). Starring Paul Newman, James Mason. Directed by Sidney Lumet. A good courtroom drama involving Paul Newman as a down-and-out lawyer who is forced to "crash" funerals and wakes looking to drum up business. When he takes a medical malpractice case on a contingency basis, he encounters a strong defence from the defendant. Make sure to yell "objection" in a loud voice during some of the courtroom scenes where rules of civil procedure are ignored in favour of dramatic tension. Read an online review. Criminal Law/Death Penalty [top] The Accused (1988). Starring: Kelly McGillis, Jody Foster. Courtroom drama involving rape victim Sarah Tobias (played by Jody Foster) who at times seems to be the one on trial. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 stars). Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Starring Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, directed by Otto Preminger. A courtroom drama involving a murder trial where the accused, a lieutenant in the army, is charged with murdering a bar owner who had raped his wife. Will the defence of temporary insanity prevail? Multiple Academy Award nominations. Read an online review. And Justice for All (1979). Starring Al Pacino, directed by Norman Jewison (a University of Toronto graduate). Al Pacino defends a judge who is charged with rape, a judge with whom he has had run-ins in the past. A good examination of the justice system, corruption and legal ethics. Read James Berardinelli's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Capturing the Friedmans (2003). Directed by Andrew Jarecki. A captivating documentary of a high school teacher, his wife and their three sons and their involvement in the criminal justice system when the father and youngest son are charged with sexual crimes involving children. The movie's tagline - "Who do you believe?" - is reflected in the questions raised by the director regarding the prosecution and defence of the accessed. Read Roger Ebert's online review (3.5 out of 4 stars). The Chamber (1996). Starring Chris O'Donnell, Gene Hackman and Faye Dunaway. Based on John Grisham's novel, the story of a young lawyer who defends his racist grandfather who is on death row for murdering two Jewish boys. Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars). The Client (1994). Starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. Based on the John Grisham novel, tells the story of a young boy who is a witness to some Mob action and secrets and who therefore seeks out a lawyer to help protect him from the Mob and the FBI. Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 stars out of 4). A Cry in the Dark (1988). Starring Meryl Streep and Sam Neill. Based on the true story of an Australian mother who is charged for the murder of her daughter despite her claim that a dingo stole her baby from their tent. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Dead Man Walking (1995). Starring Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn. A well told story of a nun (played by Susan Sarandon) who visits and cares for a prisoner on death row (played by Sean Penn). The movie raises important questions about the ethics of the death penalty versus the impact of crime on victims and their families and spirituality and forgiveness. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars). The Hurricane (1999). Starring Denzel Washington. Directed by Norman Jewison. Tells the true story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter's wrongful imprisonment on murder charges and the efforts made by his lawyers to free him from prison. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Carter is an Executive Director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted, an organization based, in part, out of Toronto. Incident at Oglala (1992). A documentary narrated by Robert Redford and directed by Roger Apted. Tells the story of Leonard Pelletier who was, some say, wrongfully convicted of the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Inherit the Wind (1960). Starring Spencer Tracy, Frederic March. Loosely based on the true story of the 1925 "Scopes monkey trial" involving the prosecution of a teacher for teaching Darwin's theories of evolution. Read an online review. Jagged Edge (1985). Starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges. A fairly absurd murder mystery / trial movie in which the defence lawyer (played by Close) start to fall in love with her client (played by Bridges), who is accused of murdering his wealthy wife. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Just Cause (1995). Starring Sean Connery, Laurence Fishburne. The story of a young man accused of murder and facing the electric chair. Can Law Professor Paul Armstrong (played by Sean Connery) save his client? Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars) Let Him Have It (1991). Based on a true story in the early 1950's in England where two young men are tried for and found guilty of the murder of a policeman. One of the young men avoids the death penalty because of his age but the other is hanged, despite his having the mental capacity of a young child. Gripping courtroom scenes (based on actual transcripts). An excellent movie. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Murder in the First (1995). Starring Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon and Gary Oldman. Christian Slater plays a young lawyer who takes on the case of a prisoner of Alcatraz who is wrongfully put into solitary confinement for years and becomes insane as a result. Strong courtroom (and prison) scenes Read Roger Ebert's review (2 of out 4 stars). My Cousin Vinny (1992). Starring Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei (and Fred Gwynne as the Judge). A funny courtroom drama in which a bumbling and newly-called New York lawyer (played by Pesci) is asked by his nephew and his nephew's friend to save them from wrongful murder charges in a "redneck" Alabama court system. Lots of good laughs as the Pesci character brings his "northern" street smarts to the South. Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 out of 4 stars). Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). A documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky about the prosecution of 3 teenagers in Arkansas for the brutal murder of 3 young boys. The movie raises doubts about the guilt of the accused and the criminal justice system in general. Read Roger Ebert's online review (4 out of 4 stars). Paradise Lost 2: The Revelations (2001). A follow-up documentary to the 1996 film (immediately above) that follows the appeals of the three accused. Read Roger Ebert's online review (3 out of 4 stars). Presumed Innocent (1990). Stars Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy. Based on the novel by Scott Turow, Harrison Ford plays the character of D.A. Rusty Sabich, who finds himself accused of the murder of his former girlfriend. A well-told, gripping drama. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Primal Fear (1996). Stars Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton. Richard Gere plays a high-powered lawyer who takes on a case to defend a young man (played by Norton) who is charged with the murder of a Catholic priest. The case is not straightforward and twists abound. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Reversal of Fortune (1990). Starring Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons and Ron Silver. Based on the true life story where Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz agrees to handle the appeal of the conviction of socialite Claus von Bulow for the attempted murder of his wife. Good dramatization of the work done by Dershowitz and his students in preparing for the appeal. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars). The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman. A prison drama telling the story of Andy Dufresne (played by Robbins) who is sentenced to jail in the 1940's for the murder of his wife and her lover. He develops a unique friendship with a prisoner named "Red" (played by Morgan Freeman) as the two men pass their lives, seeking for meaning, in a drab, dreary prison environment. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Suspect (1987). Starring Cher, Dennis Quaid and others. Cher plays a public defender who takes on the case of a homeless man charged with the murder of a legal secretary. Dennis Quaid is on the jury and thinks the accused likely did not commit the crime and sets out, along with Cher, to find out who committed the murder. Fairly preposterous but entertaining if you suspend your disbelief. Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 out of 4 stars). The Thin Blue Line (1988). Documentary, directed by Errol Morris. A gripping documentary of the tale of two men involved in the murder of a police officer in Texas where one of the men ends up on Death Row for the murder when, in retrospect, it appears he may have been railroaded for the crime. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). A Time to Kill (1996). Starring Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey. Another of several movies based on a John Grisham novel. This one tells the story of a young lawyer (played by McConaughey) who takes on a case in the South defending a black man who is charged with killing the two white men who raped his daughter. Standard Grisham fare, well-acted and relatively entertaining as a courtroom drama. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. A solid dramatization of Harper Lee's novel telling the story of Atticus Finch and his daughter Scout and how Atticus defends a black man wrongfully charged with rape in a racially-biased environment. Peck won the Best Actor Oscar. Read an online review. Very Bad Things (1998). Stars Jon Favreau, Christian Slater, Daniel Stern and Cameron Diaz. Note: This movie may be offensive for some viewers. Not for all tastes, this "dark humour" movie follows a group of friends on a bachelor party to Las Vegas when something goes horribly wrong. Issues of criminal law abound (mens rea, actus reus, criminal conspiracy). Read Roger Ebert's online review (1 out of 4 stars). Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Starring Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton. Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Charles Laughton plays the lawyer defending Leonard Vole, charged with the murder of a rich, middle-aged widow. The problem, however, is that the accused's alibi rests with his wife, who has decided to be a witness for the prosecution. Read an online review. Environmental Law [top] A Civil Action (1998). Starring John Travolta, Robert Duvall. A well told story based on Jonathan Harr's book of a true story involving a class action lawsuit against environmental polluters that involves multiple ups and downs including the potential bankruptcy of the lawyer (played by John Travolta) handling the case. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Erin Brockovich (2000). Starring Julia Roberts, Albert Finney. Tells the now well known story of Erin Brockovich, the legal assistant who starts to unearth environmental contamination by a large utility company. Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars). Expropriation Law [top] The Castle (1997). Starring Michael Caton. An extremely hilarious Australian comedy dealing with, of all things, expropriation (hence the title, which stems from the saying "A man's home is his castle"). Some hilarious courtroom scenes. Laugh-out-loud funny. See Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Family Law [top] I Am Sam (2001). Starring Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer. A nicely told story of a child custody case involving Sean Penn, as the father, who has the mental capacity of a 7-year old. When is 7-year old daughter is taken by child welfare authorities, he hires a lawyer (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) to act on his behalf. Some good courtroom scenes. Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars). Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Starring Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep. A well-told child custody case in which the characters played by the two lead actors are involved in emotional litigation over who will get custody of their young son. The movie cleaned up at the Academy Awards. Read an online review. Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002). Directed by Phillip Noyce and stars Kenneth Branagh. Based on the true story of 3 aboriginal girls ("half-castes") taken from their Aboriginal mothers and placed in a government residential school to be "domesticated". The movie documents their attempts to return to their families across the Outback, following a rabbit-proof fence. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). The War of the Roses (1989). Starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito as the lawyer. Filmed in Toronto, the movie producers rented law books from the Bora Laskin Law Library to use in the scenes in the lawyer's office. The movie purportedly is a fictional story based on the life of Martha Stewart's messy divorce. Funny scenes throughout. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Judges [top] Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972). Starring Paul Newman, directed by John Huston. A humorous movie in which Newman plays an unlikely symbol of justice in the Old West as Judge Roy Bean whose judicial decision-making is often based on "six shooter" justice. The Star Chamber (1983). Starring Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook. A fairly ridiculous story about a group of vigilante judges who secretly meet to pass "sentences" on criminals who have unfairly beaten the judicial system. Juries [top] The Juror (1996). Starring Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin. A fairly stupid movie in which a juror, played by Moore, is put under pressure by the Alec Baldwin character to acquit the accused, a Mafiosi, or else her son will come into harm's way. A strong performance by James Gandolfini (who plays Tony Soprano on The Sopranos. Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars). 12 Angry Men (1957). Starring Henry Fonda and others. Directed by Sidney Lumet. A well done drama that takes place in the jury deliberation room where a jury must decide the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father. The case seems open and shut until the jury begins to deliberate. Read an online review. Law School Life/Practice of Law [top] Devil's Advocate (1997). Starring Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves. A fairly stupid story of Keanu Reeves, as a young, successful lawyer who loses his soul and gets recruited by a major New York law firm headed by the "devilish" Al Pacino. Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 out of 4 stars). The Firm (1993). Starring Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman. Based on the John Grisham novel, tells the story of a young lawyer (played by Tom Cruise), recruited by a high-powered firm that has hidden secrets that the young lawyer starts to uncover. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Legally Blonde (2001). Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson. A fairly light comedy about a sorority girl (played by Witherspoon) who applies to Harvard Law School in order to "show up" her ex-boyfriend, also accepted at Harvard. She soon discovers her pre-law skills serve her well in defending a client charged with murder. Some fairly preposterous court scenes, but this is a comedy after all, not a documentary. Good for a few laughs if you are willing to ignore rules of evidence and civil procedure. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). The Paper Chase (1973). Starring Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay "The Bionic Woman" Wagner and John Houseman as Professor Kingsfield. The now classic "must see" movie for law students about the struggles of a first-year law student and the battles he faces with his contracts professor (especially after he finds out he has been dating his daughter). Now somewhat dated, it is still a lot of fun to watch. Note the scenes with the law librarian. I have heard that parts of the movie were filmed in Toronto but I have not been able to confirm that. Houseman won the Academy Award for his performance. Philadelphia (1993). Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington. Tom Hanks plays a successful lawyer fired by his law firm because he has AIDS. The only lawyer willing to act for him in his wrongful dismissal action against his old firm is an ambulance-chasing type lawyer played by Denzel Washington. Well-acted (Hanks got Best Oscar for his performance) and good courtroom scenes. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Regarding Henry (1991). Starring Harrison Ford, Annette Bening. The story of a lawyer (played by Ford) whose life is shattered after he survives a shooting but loses his memory. His struggle to regain his life and reconcile himself to his former career make for a relatively interesting drama. Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars). Military Law [top] Billy Budd (1962). Starring Peter Ustinov, Terence Stamp. The story, based on Melville's novel, of Billy Budd, accused of mutiny on the high seas of the murder of the ship's Master-of-Arms. Read an online review. Breaker Morant (1980). Starring Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson. An excellent Australian court-martial movie set in the time of the Boer War. Three Australian lieutenants are treated as scapegoats when prosecuted for executing prisoners of war. Strong performance by their defence lawyer. Read an online review. A Few Good Men (1992). Starring Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, many others. Tom Cruise plays a Navy lawyer charged with the duty of defending two Marines charged with murder who say they were acting under orders of a colonel (played by Jack Nicholson). Good court room and trial prep scenes. Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 stars out of 4). Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster. A strong dramatization of the Nazi war crime trials. Maximilian Schell won the Oscar for his portrayal of the defence lawyer. Rules of Engagement (2000). Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson. A court-martial drama in which a lawyer/military man (played by Tommy Lee Jones) agrees to defend his colleague (played by Jackson) who is charged of breach of duty for a botched embassy rescue mission. At issue in the trial are the "rules of engagement" and the pressures that soldiers face when under enemy fire. Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 out of 4 stars). Miscellaneous [top] All the President's Men (1976). Starring Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman. The dramatization of Woodward and Bernstein's journalistic investigations of the Watergate scandal. See U.S. v. Nixon (1974) 418 US 683 for litigation relating to the Watergate scandal. Read online reviews. Defending Your Life (1991). Starring Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep. Only marginally law-related, this comedy is the story of Daniel Miller who, after being killed in a car accident, must "defend" his life before a tribunal in Judgment City, a sort of waiting room for the afterlife. Read Roger Ebert's review (3.5 out of 4 stars). Diva (1981). Only marginally law-related. I decided to include this movie since it was included in the University of Chicago Law School Film Festival, presumably because of the copyright issues raised by bootleg concert tapes. The movie tells the story of a young man who makes a bootleg recording of an elusive opera singer. His tape gets mixed up with a surveillance tape and he is chased through the streets of Paris on his motor-scooter with some of the best chase scenes ever. Very art-filmish in its look and feel. Read an online review. Dracula 2000 (2000). Starring Christopher Plummer. This is obviously not a law-related movie. Nor is it a very good movie but a number of the scenes were shot in the fireplace room in the Flavelle Building at our law school. Check it out. Eight Men Out (1988). Cast of many, directed by John Sayles. Tells the true story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox players who took bribes to lose the World Series. Involves court room scenes. Read Roger Ebert's review (2 out of 4 stars). A Fish Called Wanda (1998). Starring John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Eric Idle and Jamie Lee Curtis. A hilarious movie in which John Cleese plays a barrister who gets tangled up with a group of bungling diamond thieves. Extremely funny. Only marginally law related but the funny scenes with Cleese getting caught dancing in the buff are worth it. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars). Gandhi (1982). Starring Ben Kingsley and a cast of thousands. Directed by Richard Attenborough. An epic story of the life of Mahatma Gandhi who started as a lawyer in South Africa and who end up liberating India from British domination through his policies of non-violence. JFK (1991). Starring Kevin Costner and a cast of thousands. Director Oliver Stone's recounting of John F. Kennedy's assassination focusing on the efforts of New Orleans D.A. Jim Garrison's attempts to prosecute the real killers of JFK. Some nice courtroom scenes. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars). Legal Eagles (1986). Starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger and Darryl Hannah. A prosecutor (played by Redford) starts to fall for a defence lawyer (played by Winger) and gets involved with her defence of an off-the-wall performance artist (planned by Hannah). Read Roger Ebert's review (2.5 out of 4 stars). The Pelican Brief (1993). Starring Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts. Another reasonably entertaining movie based on one of John Grisham's novels. Tells the story of a law student (played by Roberts) who inadvertently is drawn into a conspiracy involving the assassination of two Supreme Court justices. Denzel Washington plays the journalist who investigates her story and helps her out. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). People vs. Larry Flynt (1996). Starring Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love and Edward Norton as the lawyer. Directed by Milos Forman. A bio-pic that tells the story of Hustler founder Larry Flynt and his "battle" to defend his freedom of expression (to publish men's magazines and to parody public figures). Some nice courtroom scenes and discussions of the issue of freedom of expression. Some viewers may find other content objectionable. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars). Silkwood (1983). Starring Cher, Meryl Streep. Arguably not a law-related movie in the "lawyer" sense but it is a good movie about law-related themes, including unionization of employees and "whistleblowing". Based on a true story of contamination at a nuclear plant. Strong performances by Cher and Meryl Streep. Read an online review. Wild Things (1998). Starring Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards and Bill Murray as the lawyer. Only marginally law-related, the movie has some hilarious scenes with a lawyer played by Bill Murray. There are so many twists in this movie, you will be kept on edge. Thoroughly entertaining but perhaps not for all tastes. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars). Wills & Estates [top] All of Me (1984). Starring Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin. A rich but sick millionaire (played by Lily Tomlin) decides to have her soul transferred into the body of a younger women but by mistake her soul ends up in the body of Steve Martin, who plays a lawyer whose body is now partly controlled by Lily Tomlin's character. A very funny movie. Read an online review.
Last updated: July 30, 2003 |