Greatest Legal Movies of all time

[Darrell KSR]

What's your list? Here's my top five.

1. My Cousin Vinny. This may be a stretch to some, but it was really well done, and actually extremely true to criminal law and procedure.

2. A Time to Kill. The closing argument alone makes this worthy.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird. I know, I know. Should be number 1. I haven't seen it in a couple of years, but I will watch it again and reevaluate. I think it is outstanding, but I think two more recent movies have surpassed it.

4. The Verdict. I confess, I love Paul Newman in a man crush type way. I'm not sure that anything he's ever done has it been outstanding.

5. Presumed Innocent. This one probably doesn't have the publicity some of the others had, but is really really good.

5 Honorable mention ( not necessarily my number 6 through 10, but just five more I wanted to mention).

A Paper Chase. As a former law school student, this one holds special significance to me. I almost put it in the top five, but that really wouldn't be fair.

The Pelican Brief. Not even close to being on the list, but so much this revolved around my law school that I recognized it just resonates specially with me. We'll be on nobody else's list, however.
A Few Good Men. How can I pass up you can't handle the truth? I don't know, but too much of the movie was just entertaining and not classic to me. Great movie, just not worthy of top five.

Philadelphia. Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks were tremendous.

12 Angry Men. Probably should be higher. Saw the traveling Broadway play once and it may have been even better than the movie.

Too many others to list, including some that will make the top two or three of most national list. Let's hear yours.

[KSRBEvans]

Strong list. If you ever have the misfortune of having to attend an ethics CLE seminar, there's at least a 50% chance the presenter will be using clips from "My Cousin Vinny." That's been my experience, anyway, probably because he knows that's the best way to keep the audience's attention. Great movie, and pretty accurate, both as to the realities of trying a case in a small town and procedural rules.

Mrs. BEvans and I visited Monroeville, Alabama for a day trip last year. We had a chance to walk through the courthouse/museum which Harper Lee and the movie production team borrowed from for the courtroom set in "To Kill A Mockingbird." Felt like hallowed ground. Outside the courthouse the state bar association had erected a monument titled "Atticus Finch--Hero." I think most attorneys want to be (or at least started out wanting to be) Atticus.

Love "Presumed Innocent," especially the late Raul Julia as Sandy Stern, Rusty's attorney. So smooth and nuanced. Just a great performance. Definitely underrated, as you say.

12 Angry Men is one of those movies I'll stop and watch whenever I catch it on TV. I'm just fascinated by juries and how they go about their business. I'd love to be on one, just to see it from the inside, but as an attorney I'll never get that chance. (Even if not excused for cause, I'm sure at least one side would use a peremptory strike.) That movie catches all the positives we hope for and negatives which probably exist in people who have to decide the fate of an accused.

I started out as a JAG, so I'll throw in a few of my favorite military courtroom dramas.

--A Few Good Men: an obvious choice, and although I have some quibbles with some of the procedure, still engrossing every time I see it. And although he's an exception to the rule, I've met more than my share of COL Jessups--Nicholson really nailed that type of Commander.

--The Caine Mutiny: what a great cast, from Bogey as CAPT Queeg, to Van Johnson as his XO, to Fred McMurray as the provocateur Communications Officer who ultimately shows his true character, to Jose Ferrer as the defense counsel who destroys Queeg and hates every minute of it. The after-court scene at the hotel is phenomenal.

--An underrated choice, but one of my all-time favorite movies: Breaker Morant, about a court-martial during the Boer War where a British officer is charged with war crimes as a sacrificial lamb, and the struggle by his defense counsel to save him. Edward Woodward (of "The Equalizer" fame) is great as the title character. Rarely on TV, but definitely worth a watch if you can see it.

[Catfan73]

Inherit the Wind.

[MickintheHam]

Apparently Lincoln Lawyer didn’t make the final cut.

[KSRBEvans]

Apparently Lincoln Lawyer didn’t make the final cut.

I like that movie. Another one that I'll watch whenever I catch it on TV. A guilty pleasure.

[badrose]

Some great stuff here. I have several of them but it's been a while since watching. MCV was the last I watched, I think. Loved it when Colonel Jessup took the bait. The closing argument in A Time To Kill...

[badrose]

I like that movie. Another one that I'll watch whenever I catch it on TV. A guilty pleasure.

Would you have risked that maneuver?

[CitizenBBN]

Rupp Arena is the best legal movie of all time.

[KSRBEvans]

Would you have risked that maneuver?

Definitely not, but it makes for good drama to have someone skirting on the ragged edge of the professional responsibility rules doing that. And I've known some defense attorneys who might treat that as another day at the office.

[blueboss]

I strongly agree with A Time To Kill and the closing arguments. If I see that movie on the local listings, I’ll stop what I’m doing to catch the last half of that movie.

Apples/Oranges, movies/docudramas, but...

Some of the OJ docudramas have been worthy of a mention. I’ve also been watching a Trevon Martin 6 part documentary that’s pretty interesting.


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[KeithKSR]

No mention of The Firm?

[badrose]

No mention of The Firm?

A good movie and deserves to be on the list.

[CitizenBBN]

Does The Devil's Advocate count or is that more of a documentary of New York law firms? ;)

[Doc]

Any movie where the lawyer dies........

[Doc]

What's your list? Here's my top five.

1. My Cousin Vinny. This may be a stretch to some, but it was really well done, and actually extremely true to criminal law and procedure.

2. A Time to Kill. The closing argument alone makes this worthy.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird. I know, I know. Should be number 1. I haven't seen it in a couple of years, but I will watch it again and reevaluate. I think it is outstanding, but I think two more recent movies have surpassed it.

4. The Verdict. I confess, I love Paul Newman in a man crush type way. I'm not sure that anything he's ever done has it been outstanding.

5. Presumed Innocent. This one probably doesn't have the publicity some of the others had, but is really really good.

5 Honorable mention ( not necessarily my number 6 through 10, but just five more I wanted to mention).

A Paper Chase. As a former law school student, this one holds special significance to me. I almost put it in the top five, but that really wouldn't be fair.

The Pelican Brief. Not even close to being on the list, but so much this revolved around my law school that I recognized it just resonates specially with me. We'll be on nobody else's list, however.
A Few Good Men. How can I pass up you can't handle the truth? I don't know, but too much of the movie was just entertaining and not classic to me. Great movie, just not worthy of top five.

Philadelphia. Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks were tremendous.

12 Angry Men. Probably should be higher. Saw the traveling Broadway play once and it may have been even better than the movie.

Too many others to list, including some that will make the top two or three of most national list. Let's hear yours.

Ill agree on Presumed Innocent. One of the best legal films out there

[Doc]

Ill add "A Few Good Men" only because I'm a Jack Nicholason fan (And Cape Fear).

[Darrell KSR]

Watched To Kill a Mockingbird last night. Outstanding movie. Acting was exceptional.

[badrose]

^^^It's on Netflix...for anyone who's interested in watching it. You can also buy it on blu-ray for $9.00 so you can have it perpetuity.

[badrose]

Anatomy of a Murder, anyone? James Stewart, I don't think, has ever done a bad movie.

[Doc]

Jurassic Park, for this scene


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMzfrod7hcE

Because the lawyer get eaten, while on the toilet