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Friday Five: Top 5 Lawyer Movies
Posted: October 12th, 2007
By: Zach Heller
Category: Friday Five
Friday is here and that means one thing above all else, Lawline.com has a new Friday Five for you to sink your teeth into. This weekend calls for some inclement weather conditions, offering the perfect chance to enjoy a quality movie. It is in that spirit that we bring you a top 5 list for your DVD player.
TOP 5 LAWYER MOVIES OF ALL TIME:
1) My Cousin Vinny. "Your honor, I respectfully request a whole day to go over this sh... er stuff." This was the only unanimous selection on the list. Vincent Gambini, played by Joe Pesci, is the most memorable big screen lawyer of all time. If you have not seen this movie you are missing out, and I recommend you buy or rent it as soon as possible.
2) The Firm. “Hey Ray, wouldn't it be funny if I went to Harvard, you went to Jail and we both ended up surrounded by crooks.” Tom Cruise as a law school grad who gets lured into a prominent firm in Tennessee, only to find out that everything there is not as it seems. You should get Ethics Credits for watching this one.
3) A Time to Kill. “What is it in us that seeks the truth? Is it our minds or is it our hearts?” This is a powerful movie about a trial that brings to light racial tension in the south when a young black girl is raped. Matthew McConaughey plays a determined lawyer who seeks justice for a black man against a white jury.
4) The Devil’s Advocate. “Because the law, my boy, puts us into everything. It's the ultimate backstage pass, it's the new priesthood, baby.” Al Pacino stars as the devil, lawyer and manager of a prestigious law firm in New York City. His son, played by Keanu Reeves, is an up and coming lawyer who has never lost a case. They eventually go head to head in a dramatic ending, what more could you ask for.
5) Philadelphia. “What I love the most about the law? It's that every now and again - not often, but occasionally - you get to be a part of justice being done. That really is quite a thrill when that happens.” We couldn’t leave this one out because of its classic status. Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks offer terrific performances as the courtroom battle pits one lawyer against a large firm.
Honorable Mentions: To Kill a Mockingbird, A Few Good Men, The Verdict, Liar Liar, Find Me Guilty 
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I’m sorry I must respectfully dissent from the posted list of movies as the best. While I enjoyed all of the movies in the list. It simply does not include enough older movies.
First I must give my own shout-out to My Cousin Vinny for creation of the sub-genre of courtroom comedy.
The list overlooks some excellent older films including My personal favorites (in no particular order)
Witness For the Prosecution-(1957) Billy Wilder presents a masterpiece that continues to tour the nations playhouses.
Inherit the Wind (1960)- The nation has not ceased to debate evolution v. creationism. Why have we forsaken this top grade courtroom film on the subject?
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - a movie for lawyers by a lawyer, In my opinion Otto Premminger’s best film of many films (it’s not exactly a courtroom movie but if we strech that to law-ralated his Advise & Consent (1962) would make the list as well.).
I think Breaker Morant (1980) is a better court martial film then A Few Good Men or even The Caine Mutiny.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) marks my second Spencer Tracy movie, (along with Inherit the Wind) It’s worth renting just to see a very young, very skinny, pre-Kirk William Shatner.
By the way I will not accept any age related excuses for overlooking these movies; they are mostly prior to my 1970 DOB.
-tom
Comment By: Thomas G. Glick - October 15, 2007
Now Tom, while I must admit to not having seen the older movies you mentioned, I must defend my position. There were only five spots to fill, and this was a tough one to narrow down. I call myself an avid movie lover, but mostly pay attention to only those movies I have been alive for. I don't know what movie on my list I could have left out. P.S. A Time to Kill was on TV last night and it is better than I remembered.
Comment By: Zach Heller - October 16, 2007
Nice article.
Comment By: online movies - November 28, 2007
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