Legal Eagles
A natural breeding ground for tension, suspense and witty repartee, the courtroom has long been an obvious choice for filmmakers. Here you will find murder ('In Cold Blood', 'Murder in the First'), injustice ('The Trials of Darryl Hunt', 'In The Name of the Father'), corruption ('Runaway Jury', 'Damages'), bigotry ('To Kill A Mockingbird', 'The Accused') and a few laughs as well ('Legally Blonde'). All be seated! Court is now in session!
Pictured: Brock Peters and the inimitable Gregory Peck who won the Oscar for his protrayal of Atticus Finch in 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.
The Winslow Boy (1999)
7.4/10
Director: David Mamet
Starring: Gemma Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, Jeremy Northam, Rebecca Pidgeon
From the celebrated play by Terence Rattigan comes this moving representation of "The Winslow Boy", an exquisite new film by acclaimed director and pl... Read more
Salem Witch Trials (1998)
6.2/10
in 1692 19 men and women were hanged, and one man was 'pressed' to death following the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts. Almost twenty years late... Read more
McLibel (1998)
6.8/10
Director: Ken Loach, Franny Armstrong
Starring: Dave Morris, Helen Steele, John Safran, Rob Newman
When McDonald's decided to sue two young English protestors for libel, they didn't expect to be in court for years on end. The true story of England's... Read more
The Gingerbread Man (1997)
5.7/10
Director: Robert Altman
Starring: Daryl Hannah, Embeth Davidtz, Kenneth Branagh, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall,...
A southern lawyer's (Kenneth Branagh, with a terrific accent) entanglement with a young waitress leads to disaster in this thriller based on an origin... Read more
The Practice: Season 1 (1997)
7.7/10
Starring: Dylan McDermott, Michael Badalucco, Camryn Manheim, Steve Harris, LisaGay Hamilt...
Before 'Boston Legal', and concurrent with his other hit show, 'Ally McBeal', David E Kelley created another legal eagle show, centred around a firm o... Read more
Ally McBeal: Season 1 - Part 1 (1997)
6.8/10
Starring: Calista Flockhart, Courtney Thorne Smith, Craig Bierko, Gil Bellows, Jane Krakow...
Calista Flockhart stars in the award-winning series as the slightly neurotic Ally McBeal, a single lawyer both blessed and cursed with eccentric colle... Read more
Amistad (1997)
7.3/10
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Nigel Hawthorne, Matthew McConaughey, Djimon Ho...
Based on a true story, the movie chronicles the incredible journey of a group of enslaved Africans who overtake their captor's ship and attempt to ret... Read more
12 Angry Men (1997)
7.9/10
Director: William Friedkin
Starring: Hume Cronyn, Jack Lemmon, George C Scott, Courtney B Vance, Ossie Davis, Armin M...
A fine new version of the memorable tale of jury haggling on a stuffy afternoon in N.Y.C., with a bunch of cranky men. New to this version are the def... Read more
The Rainmaker (1997)
7.1/10
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Matt Damon, Claire Danes, Danny DeVito, Jon Voight
An idealistic young lawyer (Matt Damon) takes on the might of a crooked insurance company with only ambulance chasing legal eagle Danny DeVito to offe... Read more
Primal Fear (1996)
7.7/10
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances...
Guilty? Innocent? Those questions aren't for high-powered Chicago attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) to decide. His job is to defend - especially if... Read more