Legal Research and Writing - Law-Related Movies - By Subject

Legal Research and Writing: Ted Tjaden

Law-Related Movies

Law-Related Movies — Organized by Substantive Law Subject

Movies - Home Page
"A to Z" List of Law-Related Movies
Movies Organized by Substantive Law Subject
Comedies
Court Martial Movies
Courtroom Dramas
Documentaries
Inspirational Lawyer Movies
Prison-Related Movies
Top 10

Set out below are the movies from the "A to Z" list organized by the following substantive law subjects:

Civil Procedure / Trial Advocacy
Contract Law
Corporate Law
Criminal Law/Death Penalty
Defamation Law
Environmental Law
Expropriation Law
Family Law
Human Rights
Intellectual Property
Judges
Juries
Law School Life / Practice of Law
Military Law
Miscellaneous
Property Law
Wills & Estates

Civil Procedure/Trial Advocacy [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).

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).

North Country (2005): For some reason, I was never a huge fan of Charlize Theron, but she does a good job in this story as a mistreated female employee in a male-dominated workforce in a mine in Minnesota, based on a true story, that resulted in the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States (the Wikipedia entry here has a nice overview of the real-life lawsuit). Read Roger Ebert's review here.

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 Social Network (2010). Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake and directed by David Fincher with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. This dramatization of the early days in the history of Facebook is told largely through flashbacks from examination for discovery transcripts related to lawsuits between the founders of Facebook, including Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg). Aside from the litigation issues itself, there are stories of legal intrigue relating to private equity investment and the role played by Sean Parker of Napster fame (played by Justin Timberlake). issues of intellectual property, and issues of privacy law.

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. Read the original New York Times review here.

Trial and Error (1997). A fairly silly comedy in which Michael Richards, who plays an actor, agrees to step in and "act" in place of his friend, a lawyer played by Jeff Daniels, who is sick/hungover and cannot appear in court. Hilarity ensues since, as can be imagined, the Michael Richards character of course knows nothing of trial procedure or the law. Roger Ebert's 3 star review is here.

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 Roger Ebert's 4 star review here. Read the original New York Times review here.

Contract Law   [top]

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. Parts of the movie were filmed in Toronto. Houseman won the Academy Award for his performance. Read the original New York Times review here.

Shrek Forever After (2010). In Shrek and the Law of Contract, Dr Eoin O’Dell neatly describes the contractual theories that apply to this tale of Shrek's Faustian bargain with the evil Rumpelstiltskin, as described in the IMDB summary, "to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away — where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met — he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love."

Corporate Law [top]

Other People's Money (1991). Directed by Norman Jewison and starring Danny DeVito as a corporate raider and Gregory Peck as the patriarch of the company targeted by Danny DeVito. Penelope Ann Miller plays a lawyer, the daughter of the wife of Gregory Peck, who tangles with Danny DeVito's character regarding ownership and survival of the company. See Roger Ebert's 3.5 star review here.

The Social Network (2010). Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake and directed by David Fincher with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. This dramatization of the early days in the history of Facebook is told largely through flashbacks from examination for discovery transcripts related to lawsuits between the founders of Facebook, including Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg). Aside from the litigation issues itself, there are stories of legal intrigue relating to private equity investment and the role played by Sean Parker of Napster fame (played by Justin Timberlake). issues of intellectual property, and issues of privacy law.

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 from Time Magazine.

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 Roger Ebert's review (3 stars).

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009). Starring Michael Douglas, Jesse Metcalfe, and Amber Tamblyn. An extremely implausible story (and Hollywood remake of a better 1956 version). It tells the story of a journalist who suspects that the publicity-seeking District Attorney (played by Michael Douglas) has too good of a conviction rate and might be causing evidence to be planted at crime scenes. What the journalist does next is stupid (in allowing himself to be framed for murder in order to see if the D.A. will plant evidence against him). Stereotypical courtroom scenes with a "You better be going somewhere counsellor" judge. Read the Rotten Tomatoes reviews here.

Body Heat (1981): Although not really law-related per se, this drama, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, tells the story of a not very reputable small town lawyer, played by William Hurt, and his affair with a married woman, played by Kathleen Turner, and their plot to murder her husband. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

Body of Evidence (1993). Starring Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, and one of Julianne Moore's earlier movie roles. A fairly implausible story of an accused (play by Madonna) charged with murdering a wealthy old man for his money (through sex). Joe Mantegna plays the prosecutor; Willem Dafoe plays her lawyer. Many stereotypical courtroom scenes. See the original New York Times review here.

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 Central Park Five (2012). Directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon. This documentary tells the stories of five young black men who in 1989 were charged and convicted of a grisly rape in Central Park, New York, despite their claims of innocence based on what were alleged false confessions. 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

Compulsion (1959): This is one I was surprised I had never seen. Orson Welles stars as a defence lawyer in what IMDB describes as: “Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.” Read the original New York Times review here.

The Conspirator (2010). Directed by Robert Redford and starring James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood and Tom Wilkinson. James McAvoy plays the young lawyer assigned to defend Mary Surratt (played by Robin Wright), the mother of the alleged co-conspirator of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, arrested for failing to provide the location of her son.

Conviction (2010). Directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell. Tells the true story of Bette Ann Waters, a single mother whose brother was (as it turns out) wrongfully convicted of murder. Her "conviction" in her brother's innocence leads to her returning to school - and eventually law school - to help overturn her brother's wrongful conviction through DNA evidence (with the help of Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars).

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).

Fracture (2007): I saw this movie when it came out and thought it was a bit silly. It is a courtroom drama of a young prosecutor, played by Ryan Gosling, prosecuting his last murder case before jumping ship to become a plaintiff’s lawyer. The prosecution is of a wealthy businessman, played by Anthony Hopkins. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but is not. To avoid any spoiler alerts, I won’t say anything more. Read Geoff Pevere's review here. Available here on Netflix.

Ghosts of Mississippi (1996): Rob Reiner directed this courtroom drama, based on a true story of the trial of a white supremacist (played by James Wood) accused of murdering civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963. Alec Baldwin plays the prosecutor who brings charges years after the murder with the support of Evers’s spouse, played by Whoopi Goldberg. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

Gideon’s Trumpet (1980): This is one I don’t recall seeing. It appears to have been a TV movie starring Henry Fonda playing Clarence Gideon based on the true story of a Florida convict who seeks the right to have counsel appointed. His claim for such a right ended up in a Supreme Court ruling in his favour in Gideon v Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963).

Guilty as Sin (1993). Sidney Lumet directs Starring Rebecca as a female defense attorney defending Don Johnson, accused of murdering his wife. Fairly typically Hollywood portrayal of lawyers and the legal system and the ethical dilemmas facing criminal lawyers. Read Roger Ebert's 3-star review here.

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 was an Executive Director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted, an organization based, in part, out of Toronto.

In Cold Blood (1967). Based on Truman Capote's "fictional" re-telling of a true crime story of two drifters who brutally murder a farm family during a botched robbery. One of the criminals is played by Robert Blake, who himself was later charged (but acquitted) in the murder of his wife. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

In the Name of the Father (1993): Based (loosely, according to Roger Ebert) on the true story of the Guildford Four wrongfully accused of an IRA bombing of a British pub in 1974, this drama has Emma Thompson playing the hard-working defence lawyer and focuses on the trials and tribulations of Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his father (Pete Postlethwaite) wrongfully convicted for the crimes. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

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).

The Judge (2014 film). Starring Robert Duvall as the judge and Robert Downey,Jr as his son, a lawyer who ends up defending his father in court. Despite having these two strong lead actors, the movie was not well-received, in party due to its schmaltzy story line. Not necessarily recommended.

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).

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 the original New York Times review here.

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).

M (1931). Directed by Fritz Lang. Tells the story of a child murderer in Germany and the police hunt to track him down, resulting in a “staged” trial used to force a confession from the accused and obtain a conviction, making the point of the importance of legal representation in criminal trials to ensure justice, even for the most abhorrent crimes.

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).

Music Box (1989): I remember seeing this movie as a young lawyer being bothered by the improbability or inappropriateness of a daughter representing her father against charges of war crimes. That said, Jessica Lange plays the daughter/lawyer, with Armin Mueller-Stahl playing her father, a Hungarian immigrant, accused with war crimes based on recently released documents. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

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 the original New York Times review here.

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 the original New York Times review here.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011). Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The third and final documentary in this alleged wrongful conviction of the West Memphis Three that documents a more recent appeal based on new DNA evidence and other facts not previously available. Read Roger Ebert's online review (3.5 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).

Red Corner (1997). Richard Gere stars as an American television executive in China who ends up being charged with the murder of a Chinese girl he meets in the bar the night before, Bai Ling plays his defence lawyer with the movie focusing on the "challenges" within the Chinese criminal legal system. Roger Ebert, who was not a fan of this movie, describes it in part as "a xenophobic travelogue crossed with Perry Mason." Read his 2 star review here.

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 Secret in Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos) (2009). An Argentinian film directed by Juan José Campanella that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. It is best described as a crime thriller telling the story of a retired criminal investigator who reunites with a women, now a judge, 25 years after they were both involved in the investigation of a brutal rape and murder. Read Roger Ebert's 4 star review here. Available here on Netflix.

Selma (2015). Directed by Ava DuVernay and starring David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo. This movie tells the story of the human rights activism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his campaign for equal voting rights in the American South. It has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Available here on iTunes.

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 the original New York Times review here. Available here on Netflix.

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). Available here on Netflix.

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 the original New York Times review here.

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).

The Winslow Boy (1999): For some reason, I never saw this David Mamet-directed movie, based on the play by Terence Rattigan that loosely tells the story of George Archer-Shee, a British naval cadet accused of stealing a postal order in 1910. In the movie – as in real life – the family defends the honour of the young lad who is eventually exonerated. However, in what was a first of its kind, the family then goes on to petition the U.K. Parliament for compensation for the wrongful prosecution. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

West of Memphis (2012). Directed by Amy Berg. Like the Paradise Lost documentaries discussed above, this film documents the ordeal of the West Memphis Three. Read Roger Ebert's online review (4 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 the original New York Times review here. Available here on Netflix.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939): John Ford directs Henry Fonda as the young Abraham Lincoln in his early career as a lawyer, telling the tale of his defence of two men charged with murder. Read the original New York Times review here.

The Young Philadelphians (1959): We of course have seen Paul Newman as a “veteran” lawyer in The Verdict. Here he plays a young, rising lawyer in Philadelphia. This is another “older” movie I have not seen. From the plot summary from the Wikipedia entry, it seems like quite a soap opera, with lots of marital infidelities and social/class status with Newman rising through the ranks in his law firm, ultimately defending a friend on a murder charge. Read the original New York Times review here.

Z (1969). This Greek crime thriller dealing with the assassination of a liberal political leader in the era of a military dictatorship won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1969 and stars Yves Montand, Irene Papas and Jean-Louis Trintignant. The Wikipedia entry (here - I have yet to see the movie) recounts a corrupt legal system and the cover-up of a fatal car accident where witnesses disappear and the prosecutor is removed from the case, among other interferences with justice. Read Roger Ebert's 4 star review here.

Defamation Law   [top]

Absence of Malice (1981). Directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman and Sally Field. Ostensibly a story about ethical journalism, the story involves issues of newspaper libel and the defence of absence of malice when an investigative reporter (played by Sally Field) publishes potentially defamatory stories about a Florida businessman (play by Paul Newman) who might have shady ties that connects him to the murder of a labour leader. Read the original New York Times review here.

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).

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).

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).

Michael Clayton (2007). Starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. This movie tells the story of lawyer Michael Clayton, played by Clooney, who is described as the law firm's "fixer" or "janitor," cleaning up the "messes" of the firm or its clients. In this case, it is a large corporate client sued for environmental pollution (Swinton is superb as the in-house general counsel), represented by a lawyer (played by Wilkinson) from the firm who suffers a nervous breakdown, thereby jeopardizing the client's defence. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars).

Two Weeks' Notice (2002). A fairly silly romantic comedy / drama in which Sandra Bullock, as a Harvard law-trained lawyer and environmental protester ends up working as in-house counsel for a real estate developer played by Hugh Grant who hires Bullock's character on the promise to not demolish several local landmarks. Hugh Grant turns out to be a difficult boss causing Bullock to quit, giving her "two weeks' notice" after which time Hugh Grant's character only realizes how important she was in his life. Roger Ebert gave the film a generous 3 star review.

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).

Leviathan (2014). This award-winning Russian film tells the story of a Russian man and his wife whose house and property is targeted by a small-town, corrupt Russian Mayor seeking to illegally expropriate the couple's property. All of the characters are quite flawed, including the Moscow lawyer, a friend of the couple, who represents them in fighting back against the mayor.

Family Law   [top]

Evelyn (2002). Starring Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies and Aidan Quinn and directed by Bruce Beresford. Set in Ireland in 1953, this movie tells the story of an unemployed father (played by Brosnan) who loses his children to a Church-run orphanage and his efforts to go to court to get them back. Roger Ebert's review here (3 out of 4 stars). Available here on Netflix.

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).

Intolerable Cruelty (2003). In one of the lesser-known or less popular Coen Brothers' film, George Clooney plays a famous and wealthy divorce lawyer who gets entangled on the other side of divorce proceedings with a wealthy socialite played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Read Roger Ebert's 2.5 star review here.

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 the original New York Times review here.

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).

A Separation (2011). Starring Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, and Sareh Bayat. An excellent insight into a fictional account of a couple's divorce in Iran and an encounter with a legal system ruled by Islamic law. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 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).

Human Rights [top]

Selma (2015). Directed by Ava DuVernay and starring David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo. This movie tells the story of the human rights activism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his campaign for equal voting rights in the American South. It has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Available here on iTunes.

Intellectual Property   [top]

Flash of Genius (2008). Starring Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham and Alan Alda. A good dramatization of the true life story of professor Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent car windshield wiper but was tied up in years of litigation with Ford to prove his entitlement to royalties. Alan Alda plays the lawyer. Read Roger Ebert's review (3 out of 4 stars).

Logorama (2009). Winner of the 2009 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. A brilliant take on American society and consumerism with a Quentin Tarentinoesque take of two Los Angeles police officers (in the form of Bibendum, the Michelin Man) who track a foul-mouthed, gun-toting Ronald McDonald who has taken Big Boy hostage. Included for its clever use of the trademark parody defense (see my SLAW.ca post here on this movie and its implications for trademark parody). Read a short review here from Wired.com.

Portrait of Wally (2012). Directed by Andrew Shea. This documentary tells the story of a painting (entitled "Portrait of Waly") by Austrian painter Egon Schiele that was stolen by Nazis during their occupation of Austria from its owner, Lea Bondi Jaray, a Jewish art gallery owner. The movie raises legal and moral issues surrounding art ownership as a court battle ensues between the Austrian art dealer who acquired the painting after the war and the heirs of its original owners. See a review of the film here from the Washington Post.

The Social Network (2010). Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake and directed by David Fincher with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, this dramatization of the early days in the history of Facebook is told largely through flashbacks from examination for discovery transcripts related to lawsuits between the founders of Facebook, including Mark Zuckerberg(played by Kesse Eisenberg). Aside from the litigation issues itself, there are stories of legal intrigue relating to private equity investment and the role played by Sean Parker of Napster fame (played by Justin Timberlake). issues of intellectual property, and issues of privacy law.

Judges   [top]

The Judge (2014 film). Starring Robert Duvall as the judge and Robert Downey,Jr as his son, a lawyer who ends up defending his father in court. Despite having these two strong lead actors, the movie was not well-received, in party due to its schmaltzy story line. Not necessarily recommended.

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. Read the original New York Times review here.

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. Read the original New York Times review here.

Juries   [top]

Jury Duty (1995). Okay. I seriously debated whether to include a Pauly Shore movie and may regret its inclusion. However, the cast includes Stanley Tucci. The story, if it matters, is the comedic notion - stretched for 86 minutes - that the Pauly Shore character realizes it is in his interest as a jury member on a criminal trial to stretch the duration of the trial to continue to earn his "per diem" stipend. Janet Maslin's original New York Times review pretty much sums it up with this comment: "If you have odd socks that need matching, you've got something better to do than watching Jury Duty."

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).

Trial By Jury (1994). British actress Joanne Whalley-Kilmer plays a single mother/store owner who sits on a jury for a criminal trial of a mob boss played by Armand Assante. The tension arises when the mob boss threatens to kill her son unless she votes to acquit. Much drama and suspense ensues. Read the original New York Times review here.

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 the New York Times review here. There is also a 1997 remake directed by William Friedkin and starring Jack Lemmon.

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).

Haiku Tunnel (2001). Written and directed by and starring Josh and Jacob Kornbluth. An "office comedy" set in a San Francisco law firm that tells the travails of a "temp" legal secretary. Read the Variety movie review here.

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 the original New York Times review here.

Michael Clayton (2007). Starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. This movie tells the story of lawyer Michael Clayton, played by Clooney, who is described as the law firm's "fixer" or "janitor," cleaning up the "messes" of the firm or its clients. In this case, it is a large corporate client sued for environmental pollution (Swinton is superb as the in-house general counsel), represented by a lawyer (played by Wilkinson) from the firm who suffers a nervous breakdown, thereby jeopardizing the client's defence. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 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. Parts of the movie were filmed in Toronto. Houseman won the Academy Award for his performance. Read the original New York Times review here.

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).

Secretary (2002). Starring James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal. James Spader plays a lawyer. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a secretary. The movie tells the story of their sadomasochistic relationship. Read Roger Ebert's 3 star review here. Available here on Netflix.

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 the original New York Times review here.

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 the original New York Times review here.

Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955). Otto Preminger directs an all-star cast led by Gary Cooper and including Hawaii Five-O notable Jack Lord and Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched. Tells the true story of General Billy Mitchell, a Word War I air combat commander who was court-martialed for criticizing those in the military elite for incompetence. Read the original New York Times review here.

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. Read the original New York Times movie review here.

Paths of Glory (1957). This Stanley Kubrick film stars Kirk Douglas as a colonel serving in the French Army in World War I who, as a defense lawyer prior to the war, defends three of his men unfairly charged with cowardice in the face of the enemy regarding the refusal of the troops to proceed against enemy gunfire in what would have been a suicide mission for all concerned. Read Roger Ebert's review here.

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).

A Soldier's Story (1984). Directed by Canadian Norman Jewison and starring Howard E. Rollins, Adolph Caesar, Robert Townsend and, in one of his earlier roles, Denzel Washington. Although the movie is a military criminal investigation, I have included it here (and under "Court Martial movies, even though it is not really a court martial movie). The movie, set in a military barracks in Arkansas during World War II, tells the story of a black Sergeant (played by Adolph Caesar) killed one evening outside of the base and the black Captain (Howard E. Rollins) put in charge of the investigation. Read the original New York Times review here.

Town Without Pity (1961). Kirk Douglas plays a military lawyer assigned to defend 4 American soldiers in Germany charged with the rape of a young German girl. The central tension arises when the lawyer must resolve his guilt in deciding whether he needs to destroy the victim's alleged promiscuous reputation contrasted against his duty to protect his clients from the death penalty. Read the New York Times review here.

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 Roger Ebert's review (3.5 stars).

Cape Fear (1962). Starring Gregory Peck as the small town lawyer whose family is terrorized by a man (played by Robert Mitchum) put into jail on the testimony of the lawyer. A 1991 remake starred Nick Nolte as the lawyer and Robert De Niro as the stalker. Read the Turner Classic Movie review here for the 1962 version and the New York Times review of the 1991 version here. The movie was made into a Simpson's episode called Cape Feare.

Citizenfour (2014). Directed by Laura Poitras. This documentary, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2014, tells the story of Edward Snowden and his whistle-blowing of what he regarded as illegal or excessive wiretapping by the NSA. The movie raises issues of privacy, national security, whistle-blowing, and state immunity.

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 a 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 Roger Ebert's review.

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. Read the New York Times original review here.

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 the original New York Times review here.

A Man for All Seasons (1966): Based on the play by Robert Bolt, this classic movie stars Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More, and tells the story of the Chancellor of England’s opposition to King Henry VIII’s attempts to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. Read the original New York Times review here. Available here on Netflix.

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 Roger Ebert's review (4 stars).

The Sweet Hereafter (1997). An Atom Egoyan film starring Ian Holm as a class action lawyer who investigates a school bus crash in a small Canadian town that killed 14 students. Although ostensibly a "class action" movie, Roger Ebert correctly characterizes the movie as a study on how people handle grief: "This story is not about lawyers or the law, not about small-town insularity, not about revenge (although that motivates an unexpected turning point). It is more about the living dead--about people carrying on their lives after hope and meaning have gone. The film is so sad, so tender toward its characters. The lawyer, an outsider who might at first seem like the source of more trouble, comes across more like a witness, who regards the stricken parents and sees his own approaching loss of a daughter in their eyes." Read his 4 star review here.

True Grit (2010). Although perhaps more correctly thought of as a Western than a law-related movie, I have included the Coen Brothers version of this movie for the many law-related references made by the young girl Mattie Ross (played by Hailee Steinfeld) in pursuit of the killer of her father, aided in her efforts by Marshall Rooster Cogburn (played by Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (played by Matt Damon). An excellent movie on a tale of justice with an entertaining scene early on of a criminal trial during which the character played by Jeff Bridges gives testimony on his role in capturing and shooting a gang of criminals.

Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981). John Badham directs Richard Dreyfuss who plays an artist paralyzed in a car accident. The movie, based on a play, raises issues of euthanasia and the right of a patient to die and the role of the government or doctors in prolonging life. Actor Bob Balaban plays the lawyer who represents the main character who seeks to be discharged from the hospital where he is being kept alive. Read Janet Maslin's original New York Times review here.

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).

Property law [top]

Finders Keepers (2015). Documentary directed by Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel about John Wood and Shannon Whisnant. This documentary tells the bizarre story of John Wood attempting to recover his amputed leg that was inadvertenly purchased by Shannon Whisnant when he bought a BBQ in which the amputed leg was being stored. Although lawyers and the legal system do not play a dominant role, the movie does raise issues of property law and the maxim "finders keepers." The movie has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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 Roger Ebert's review (3.5 stars).

The Descendants (2011). Directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller. This Oscar-nominated movie has George Clooney playing a lawyer in Hawaii who is also the trustee of a family trust owning a large tract of unspoiled ocean-front property. Although the story focuses on his character's relationship with his two daughters while his wife and their mother is hospitalized after a boating accident, there are a number of law-related scenes as Clooney's character must deal with whether to commercialize the property or keep it in its pristine state. Read Roger Ebert's review (4 out of 4 stars).

Last updated: January 2016     |    Legal / Terms of Use    |    Ted Tjaden © 2010-2016

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Legal Research and Writing:
4th Edition

by Ted Tjaden

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Published: January 2016
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