(The) Accused: Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her portrayal of Sarah Tobias in this 1988 fact-based drama. After being raped by three men in a local bar, Sarah, enraged at the light sentence her attackers receive, persuades attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) to press charges against the men who cheered on the attack. But it won't be easy: Sarah has a shady past that could be used against her in court.
(The) Andersonville Trial: George C. Scott directs this powerful 1970 adaptation of Saul Levitt's 1959 play about one of America's most notorious trials -- the prosecution of Henry Wirz for atrocities committed against Union prisoners at Georgia's Andersonville camp during the Civil War. More than 14,000 Yankee prisoners died, and untold others were subjected to horrific conditions. Wirz argued that he was only following military orders, but prosecutors proved otherwise.
üAmistad: Steven Spielberg directed this 1997 story about the 1839 revolt aboard Spanish slave ship La Amistad and the uprising's tragic aftermath. An African-born slave (Djimon Hounsou) leads a mutiny against his brutal captors. Because the ship is in American waters, a U.S. court must decide the slaves' fate. In an eloquent courtroom speech, ex-president John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) argues for the Africans' freedom.
üCross of Fire: Set in the 1920's, this 1989 made-for TV movie is based on the true story of the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon D.C. Stephenson. Starring John Heard, Mel Harris, David Morse, George Dzunda, Donald Muffat, Kim Hunter and Lloyd Bridges, it draws upon the past to comment on the present.
üFlash of Genius: In this feature length dramatization of the Ethics Spotlight that's on p. 190 of your text, Robert Kearns goes up against the giants of the auto industry when they fail to give him credit for inventing intermittent windshield wipers.
üGood Night, and Good Luck: In this 2005 Oscar-nominated docudrama, TV newsman Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) is pitted against Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his single-minded crusade to quell the red threat at home. Despite corporate pressure to back off, Murrow and his CBS staff are determined to examine the lies and fear tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his Communist witch-hunts. The cast includes George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson and Jeff Daniels. (Note: This is a Jan 2007 add to the instructor's library and addresses some great Constitutional issues that are as relevant today -- especially in light of the Patriot Act -- as they were during the days of McCarthyism.)
ü(The) Great Debaters: This 2007 heavily fictionalized but highly inspirational version of a true story tells how a debate team from Marshall, Texas' historically black Wiley College was pushed to a level of excellence that allowed them to take on Harvard University in 1935. Legal themes/sub-themes within the movie include racial prejudice and civil rights, civil disobedience, unionization, the value of a well-formed argument, not to mention non-legal themes of pride, integrity, and the value of education. It stars Denzel Washington (who also directed) and Forest Whitaker.
üThe Insider: One man told the truth. Another reported the story. Both paid the price. The Insider -- a true tale about a Big Tobacco scientist (Russell Crowe) who exposed industry secrets, and the newsman (Al Pacino) who fought corporate forces that would have squelched the story -- offers a glimpse into power, media and money in America. A thought-provoking and thrilling film. (1999)
üAnd Justice for All: In this 1979 movie, an idealistic young lawyer's (Al Pacino) belief that guilt should be punished and innocence protected gets him in hot water with judges, the bar association, and his fellow attorneys.
A Jagged Edge: A razor sharp suspense thriller about crime, punishment and passion. Jeff Bridges plays the prime suspect and Glenn Close plays the attorney who abandons her ethics by having an affair with him. (1985)
üCivil Action: In this 1998 film, John Travolta stars as personal-injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann whose fierce determination entangles him in a case that threatens to destroy him. A compelling legal thriller based on Jonathan Harr's best-selling nonfiction book.
Dead Man Walking: Scheduled to be put to death for brutally slaying two teens, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) seeks the aid of activist nun Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon), a death-penalty opponent. She becomes Matthew's spiritual adviser and tries to halt the execution, even though Matthew's professed innocence is dubious. As the execution date draws ever closer, Sister Helen works to save Matthew's soul by getting him to confess -- and to ask divine forgiveness. (1995)
Devil’s Advocate: Things are hunky-dory when charismatic lawyer Al Pacino recruits young litigator Keanu Reeves to his high-powered Manhattan firm. Indeed, Reeves and wife Charlize Theron find the Park Avenue high life seductive. But they soon learn the hard way that Pacino has some "devilish" plans in store for his new hire. (1997)
üEnron: The Smartest Guys in the Room: Based on Peter Elkin's book, this documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the powerful energy company (and former Wall Street darling) whose downfall forever changed the landscape of the business world. Blending actual footage, interviews and providing a wealth of information, this film is a serious lesson in the potential trappings of dishonesty and unethical behavior dogging corporate America today. (2005)
üErin Brokovich: A stirring, funny and unconventional drama based on true events, Erin Brockovich stars Julia Roberts as a twice-divorced mother of three children who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins. Desperately needing a job, Erin goes to work for her attorney (Albert Finney) and comes across some medical records describing awful illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up. (2000)
Hoffa: On the day Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa (Jack Nicholson) will mysteriously disappear forever, in 1975, his trusted henchman (Danny DeVito) tells the story of Hoffa's life to a young trucker. Very well acted and provides some great historical perspective on the early days of the Teamsters' Union and the battle between labor and management. Warning: this movie definitely warrants its R-rating due to excessive profanity and some very violent scenes. (1992)
I Am Sam: Sam (Sean Penn) is a grown man with the mental capacity of a 7-year-old. After fathering a child with a homeless woman, Sam raises the baby himself until an incident at a birthday party finds the Child Protective Services deeming him an unfit guardian. With the help of yuppie lawyer Michelle Pfeiffer, Sam attempts to regain custody of his daughter and prove that, despite his handicap, he's a truly loving father. (2001)
Kramer v. Kramer: Ted (Dustin Hoffman) is a career-driven yuppie -- until he finds out his wife (Meryl Streep) is leaving him and their 6-year-old son. Ted soon finds that he loves being a full-time parent, but then his wife reappears to reclaim the boy. Poignant and beautifully acted, the movie swept the 1979 Academy Awards, winning Oscars for Hoffman and Streep, plus Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay honors.
(The) Laramie Project: An all-star cast delivers a compelling performance in this 2002 movie based on the theatrical version of the Matthew Shepard murder story, a real incident that took place in 1998 in Laramie, Wyo. (Shepard's plight became a lightning rod for rallies against homophobia and hate crimes.) Portraying the residents of Laramie are Christina Ricci, Dylan Baker, Peter Fonda, Jeremy Davies, Janeane Garofalo, Laura Linney, Steve Buscemi and Amy Madigan.
üThe Madoff Affair: Sentenced to 150 years in federal prison, Bernie Madoff perpetrated the largest financial fraud in history. This PBS "Frontline" documentary takes you inside the web of deception that snagged investors for $65 billion in a global Ponzi scheme.
üMy Cousin Vinny: Lippy New York City lawyer Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci) motors to a Podunk Alabama town with his brassy, leather-clad girlfriend (Marisa Tomei, in an Oscar-winning performance) to clear his cousin Bill and Bill's pal Stan after they're falsely accused of bumping off a convenience-store clerk. Unfortunately, Vinny passed the bar exam just weeks earlier -- after six attempts -- and has yet to try a case. Things look bleak for Bill and Stan. …(1992)
(The) Paper Chase: Hart (Timothy Bottoms) is a Harvard Law School freshman struggling to get by even as he falls in love with the daughter (Lindsay Wagner) of a tyrannical professor (John Houseman, in an Oscar-winning performance). Based on the novel by John Jay Osborn Jr., this 1973 drama -- whose success inspired a TV series -- accurately depicts a world of high pressure and brutal competition, where top grades seem like the difference between life and death.
üPhiladelphia: When a high-powered attorney (played by Tom Hanks) reveals his HIV-positive status -- and his homosexuality -- to his co-workers, he soon finds himself unemployed. Seeking to sue for discrimination, Hanks works with the only attorney who'll take the case -- Denzel Washington's ambulance-chasing, homophobic, bottom-feeding attorney. Hanks won an Oscar for his 1993 performance, and Philadelphia's complex, affecting message is delivered through subtly crafted drama.
Presumed Innocent: In this 1990 movie, Harrison Ford is a Chicago prosecutor assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a beautiful co-worker (Greta Scacchi). Ford can't conceal that he and the victim had an affair, and all the evidence implicates him as the prime suspect. With excellent supporting work from Brian Dennehy, Bonnie Bedelia and Raul Julia, Presumed Innocent is a tightly wound shocker that delivers.
ü(The) Rainmaker: In this 1997 movie, John Grisham's novel comes to the screen. Matt Damon plays Rudy Baylor, a young, rookie lawyer who takes on the biggest case of his life and comes up against a multi-million dollar insurance company.
Reversal of Fortune: In this tauntingly ambiguous 1990 courtroom drama, the enigmatic Claus von Bülow (Jeremy Irons) stands accused of putting his wife, Sunny (Glenn Close), into a perpetual coma with an insulin overdose. Claus hires hard-charging attorney Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver), who scrambles to defend his client -- with help from some impassioned Harvard law students -- while Sunny narrates flashbacks that shed light on the events that lead to her condition.
Runaway Jury: In this 2003 drama based on John Grisham's 1996 novel by the same name, Nick Easter (John Cusack) gets himself on the jury of a landmark case against a gun manufacturer and tries to influence the other jury members to vote a certain way. Meanwhile, Easter's girlfriend, Marlee (Rachel Weisz), tries to swindle the attorneys (Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman) to pay millions of dollars to have the jury return a verdict friendly to their clients.
üSeparate But Equal: Sidney Poitier stars as Thurgood Marshall in this 1991 made-for-TV film that garnered seven Emmy nominations. Dramatizing the NAACP, pre-Supreme Court fight that changed the face of education, the movie follows Marshall as he takes on John W. Davis (Burt Lancaster) in Brown vs. Board of Education and battles to desegregate schools.
Twelve Angry Men: A guilty verdict means death -- but the jury's not about to let that spoil their day. Twelve men must decide the fate of an 18-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing his father. Only one (Henry Fonda) wants to take the time to coolly deliberate the case. Sidney Lumet (Network) made his directorial debut in this 1957 fiery drama that illuminates all the petty impediments on the path to justice.
(The) Verdict: Washed-up ambulance-chasing attorney Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) gets a chance at redemption when his friend Mickey Morrissey (Jack Warden) tosses him an open-and-shut medical malpractice case. But instead of accepting an easy cash settlement, Galvin takes the powerful defendant to court. James Mason plays the opposing counsel whom Galvin calls "The Prince of Darkness." Directed by Sidney Lumet. (1982)
üWho Killed the Electric Car: Ethics? Intellectual property? Environmental law? Not sure how we should classify this documentary, but it provides fascinating insight into the short life of General Motor's electric car, the EV1 -- once all the rage in the mid-1990s and now fallen by the roadside. Through interviews with government officials, former GM employees, concerned celebs and former EV1 owners, we get a chance to see why this green-friendly vehicle can't be found in a single driveway today and why it took another 10 years for the electric car to start gaining a foothold.
Witness for the Prosecution: Based on an Agatha Christie play, this 1957 Oscar-nominated mystery directed and co-written by Billy Wilder concerns an esteemed and aging lawyer (Charles Laughton). On the eve of retiring, he takes on the defense of an alleged murderer (Tyrone Power, in his final film performance) accused of killing a wealthy widow. Things get complicated when the accused's only alibi, his wife (Marlene Dietrich), decides to testify for the prosecution.
last updated 10/15/2009