Have you noticed that the major Hollywood Movie studios seem only to be interested in making movies that can be developed into 'Franchises' - or serialised?
Or worse, they either re-make a classic film or tag on an awful sequel, sometimes decades after the original? (yes, I'm looking at you Tron 'Legacy'!)
Next, you'll be telling me they are planning to remake Point Break!
What's that?
Oh.
Apparently, one of the reasons we're seeing so many superhero movies and remakes of classic films is because the studios now use software to 'predict' which scripts will bring in the biggest returns.
Call me cynical, but I'm guessing that software isn't all that sophisticated if all it appears to be doing is reading through old box office receipts and suggesting the studio rehashes whichever movie comes out at the top.
Then again, I'm thinking, if bolting on tenuous sequel after tenuous sequel works for 'The Avengers' franchise and the mirriad of associated block-busting spin-offs, maybe it could work for us!
And so, here it is... (cue Don LaFontaine type movie trailer voiceover guy voice)
"From the people who brought you the incredibly widely read “Best & Worst TV Lawyers”, comes the epic sequel “Best & Worst Film Lawyers”."
1 Michael Sullivan (Brad Pitt) – Sleepers (1996)
(Warning: YouTube video contains a major Spoiler!)
Not only does brilliant New Yorker, District Attorney, Michael Sullivan get himself assigned to the case to ‘prosecute his friends,’ he hires and scripts the defence too and has a hand in 'tweaking' the testimony of a local Priest in this film about trying to justify which wrongs are more right. Pitt was cast in this role post Seven and 12 Monkeys and emerged to not look out of place amongst Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Bacon.
2 Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) – Philadelphia (1993)
Openly homophobic, Personal Injury Lawyer, Joe Miller (Washington) visits his doctor to find out if he has contracted AIDS after shaking Andrew Beckett’s (Tom Hanks) hand. Beckett was just before, fired from his high flying job where he was previously the golden boy as his condition worsens and his firm turn their cold backs on him. Miller, of course, sees the light and defends him. The two lead actors in this film, arguably amongst the finest ever to grace the big screen pull out the stops to give emotional performances in this epic, loosely based on real life events, blockbuster.
3 Richie Roberts (Russell Crow) - American Gangster (2007)
Russell Crow’s effortless portrayal of the man who took down Harlem’s Crime King, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) with uneasy determination as the ‘hated for his honesty’ Detective (he literally walks away from a cash bribes) to prosecuting his man in court a little after passing the bar exam is both brilliant and empathetic. The evolution of his relationship with his enemy is quite the surprising journey in this ‘adaptation of real life events’ in 70s/80s New York.
4 Edward L. Masry (Albert Finney) - Erin Brockovich (2000)
A role which brought Brit, Albert Finney a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, Ed hires Erin Brokovich and warmly, charms his way through the movie with killer one-liners and a clear, fatherly, affection for Oscar winning, Julia Roberts’, brash, Brockovich. His law firm take on the big guys in a law-suit and the rest is a dramatization of real life history.
5 Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) - Liar Liar (1997)
A lawyer without the ability to lie, bend the truth or mislead? Definitely a fantasy film with a much diluted touch of supernatural! A story defining court case ensues with Reede having to stick to the facts as he bounces off the walls in true Jim Carrey style. Carrey’s performance is as heart-warming as it is over-the-top funny as he shows the rogue and brilliant sides of a ruthless lawyer.
6 Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci) – My Cousin Vinny (1992)
While on their way back to college two New Yorkers are accused of murder in rural Alabama, and one of their cousins, an inexperienced, foulmouthed lawyer not used to Southern rules and manners, comes in to defend them. Not many quotes that are suitable for printing but this gives a good indication of the type of representative they are about to receive;
Vinny [opening statements] Uh... everything that guy just said is bullsh*t... Thank you.
7 Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) – The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
People often compare lawyers to Lucifer so it was only a matter of time before Hollywood paired the two up. Who knew you’d end up feeling sorry for the lawyer! Based on a book by Andrew Neiderman, the film centres on an unbeatable lawyer from a small town in Florida who joins a New York firm and finds himself in a world he didn’t know existed. A cast of Hollywood's finest including Al Pacino, Charlize Theron and a cameo from Don King are added in for good measure.
8 Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) - A Few Good Men (1992)
“In the heart of the nation's capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth.”
The whole film is spent setting the scene and leading up to final courtroom showdown between Kaffee, an inexperienced Navy lawyer who has never seen the inside of a courtroom and Colonel Jessop (Nicholson) the base commander. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny a film that gave us one of the most quoted movie lines ever (coming in at number 29 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes List).
9 Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
(Warning: NSFW - YouTube video contains some bad language)
Played with ruthless, straight laced, comedic timing, Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy is the square barrister that almost steals this sequel to Bridget Jones’ Diary, his profession in the high end of law is fleshed out as key backdrops to the story. In both films, his two pathetic ‘fisty-cuffs’ scenes with Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver are cinematic, comedy treasures and in this installment, the water based, fight scene is married ludicrously with The Darkness's 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love.'
10 Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) - Legally Blonde (2001)
It could happen, right? The first instalment of ‘Legally’ is genuinely very pink and with a few very funny set pieces executed by a hardworking, comedic, supporting cast which boasts Jennifer Coolidge and Luke Wilson. Enraged not to be engaged, Elle Woods (excellently humanized by Witherspoon) applies to Harvard to study law and makes the transition from fashion merchandising major to star Law student to spite her arrogant ex-boyfriend, winning over a lot of popcorn, movie character doubters along the way.
This youtube clip sets the tone of the whole movie...
There are, of course, many more and I’ve hardly scraped the surface. These are in no particular order, just some personal favourites and ones suggested by those around me while I was writing this post. But what do I know? I want to know yours? Please comment on the blog or facebook page and tell me who your favourite movies lawyers are and why?
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