Law Movie Canon
posted by Daniel Solove
Since PrawfsBlawg is experimenting with “research canons,” I thought I’d take this opportunity to create a “law movie canon” post. So here’s a list of my five favorite law movies. I’m basing this list on the following totally objective standard: Do I really like the movie? I actually happen to be an expert in things I like, and I therefore believe I am uniquely situated to create this list.
So here’s my list, in no particular order:
1. Anatomy of a Murder
This is a wonderful film about a murder trial, filled with brilliant trial scenes and tons of great issues ranging from attorney ethics to truth-seeking at trial.
2. Breaker Morant
A fantastic film about the trial of three soldiers who follow an order to kill a group of prisoners of war in violation of the rules of warfare. A deep exploration of the nature of law and justice during wartime.
3. My Cousin Vinny
Perhaps the best legal comedy movie ever made. Absolutely hilarious.
4. To Kill A Mockingbird
A superb film adapted from a great book.
5. Twelve Angry Men
A terrific exploration of the themes of judging and the role of perception and experience in the legal decision-making process and a great demonstration of the value of persistent questioning and analysis.
Of course, there are many more law movies I’ve liked, but these are a class apart. What are your favorite law movies?
October 4, 2006 at 12:25 am
Posted in: Law and Humanities
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Responses (17)
Eric Goldman - October 4, 2006 at 1:30 am
OK, I’ll be the first to admit it. I liked Legally Blonde. There, I said it. Eric.
Orin Kerr - October 4, 2006 at 1:38 am
Don’t forget the Shawshank Redemption.
Patrick S. O'Donnell - October 4, 2006 at 2:38 am
Twelve Angry Men is truly a classic. I used to show it to students in a ‘critical thinking’ course to illustrate many of the informal fallacies, questions of evidence, the nature of dialogue and debate, etc. They simply don’t make movies like this anymore and ’tis a shame.
To Kill a Mockingbird comes in a close second. I’ve watched it countless times and never grow tired of it. In my mind’s eye, Atticus Finch is the lawyer’s lawyer (and Peck the actor’s actor), exemplifying everything that is best about the profession as a ‘calling.’
There IS something about a well-made black and white film that stands apart and above its color counterpart.
John Armstrong - October 4, 2006 at 7:39 am
I suppose it’s more an academic movie, but I always liked The Paper Chase. Once I started grad school it rang even more true how inane the whole thing is, which helped me keep a sense of humor about the whole thing. Maybe soon I’ll watch it again and identify with the professor.
Nate Oman - October 4, 2006 at 8:34 am
I think that you need to add “Other People’s Money,” one of the few great movies about corporate law.
Also, since I am now covering secured parties’ remedies under Article 9 in my commercial law class, I have to put in a plug for “The Repo Man”
Frank - October 4, 2006 at 9:28 am
How about law school movies? The evolution of [depictions of] HLS from “One L” to “Legally Blonde” says a lot about legal culture!
Doug B. - October 4, 2006 at 9:28 am
Kudos for listing “Anatomy of a Murder” first. Especially for anyone who teaches criminal law, this has to be at the very top of the list.
For torts/insurance teachers who want a great classic comedy, I’d recommend “Fortune Cookie.” It is really not a law movie, but has enough law (and laughs) to justify a place on these sorts of lists.
“Witness for the Prosecution” and “Primal Fear” also tend to make my list of worth-watching for students.
Bruce Boyden - October 4, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Rashomon! It’s a useful analogy for divergent but self-serving accounts of a single event.
I second “My Cousin Vinnie.”
The Caine Mutiny.
Paths of Glory (guilty under an arbitrary standard).
Paul Horwitz - October 4, 2006 at 3:06 pm
The Devil’s Advocate — yes, with Keanu Reeves — for the scene in which he interrupts a crucial and emotional argument with his wife to take a phone call from work. Excellent verisimilitude, even leaving aside the fact that the managing partner turns out to be Satan.
Alex - October 4, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Some other suggestions: The Verdict (1982), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), All the President’s Men (1976), A Few Good Men (1992), In the Heat of the Night (1967). I admit that the inclusion of some of these movies might be stretching the definition of “law movie.”
C.E. Petit - October 4, 2006 at 4:49 pm
A few other suggestions not already made above:
Reversal of Fortune (1990) (criminal procedure, and one of the creepiest, most morally ambiguous protagonists; Jeremy Irons won Best Actor)
Waking Ned (1998) (more amusing than My Cousin Vinny, to my taste)
Bleak House (BBC, 2005) (does it really need a comment?)
Apocalypse Now! (theatrical cut, 1979) (counterpoint to Breaker Morant), followed by Judgment at Nuremburg (1961)
John Steele - October 4, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Eastwood’s Unforgiven.
A Man for All Seasons.
JDB - October 4, 2006 at 5:46 pm
To what others have said, I’ll add The Sweet Hereafter, about a PI lawyer trying to recruit plaintiffs in a Canada town devestated by an accident, and Murder on a Sunday Afternoon, a documentary about the trial of a wrongfully accused 15-year old Florida boy that, thankfully, has a happy ending.
Bruce Boyden - October 4, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Oh yeah, Sweet Hereafter definitely. The Ian Holm character’s interactions with the townsfolk are deeply complex and troubling. Also, you don’t find too many movies where the dramatic climax occurs during a deposition. And I forgot all about Reversal of Fortune.
Matt - October 4, 2006 at 11:49 pm
I’d strongly recommend re-watching (or watching!) judgement at Neremberg, especially now. I must say I find it a bit terrifying to watch in today’s America. While we’ll probably never get the joy of seeing John Yoo in the role of Emil Han I fear there will be pleanty of reason to think we should.
Matt Bodie - October 5, 2006 at 6:05 pm
“The Thin Blue Line” is a terrific doc about a criminal investigation, the subsequent trial, and how they can go terribly awry. Randall Adams and David Harris are both extremely compelling figures. The movie demonstrates how innocent people can actually get convicted, something that many law students may intuitively doubt without having seen it in action. Plus, there’s a Supreme Court case involved.
Joanna Fleming - June 12, 2008 at 3:05 pm
The Shawshank Redemption was a good film. Another I really enjoyed was Murder in the First with Kevin Bacon.
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