Reel Justice The Courtroom Goes... | Buy

Informative and entertaining, Reel Justice rates trial scenes in films on a one-to-four-gavel scale, with four being a classic and one being "ask for a new trial." Authors Paul Bergman and Michael Asimow, both accomplished law professionals, discuss the cultural messages encoded in the films, point out what went right and wrong in scenes where liberties were taken, and even answer a few legal questions along the way. Completely revised and reformatted from the successful first edition, this new edition of Reel Justice includes more than two dozen recent movies as well as many older favorites that weren't covered in the first version. Just a few of the films reviewed: " A Time to Kill " Legally Blonde " Philadelphia " Inherit the Wind " A Few Good Men " The Devil's Advocate " I Am Sam " Intolerable Cruelty " Rules of Engagement " Twelve Angry Men " Ghosts of Mississippi " Runaway Jury Reel Justice is an indispensable video guide for film viewers who want the legal lowdown on courtroom scenes.

Paul Bergman is a professor of law emeritus at UCLA Law School and frequently lectures to lawyers and judges on how films depict law and legal culture. He has written numerous articles on the depiction of law and lawyers in films, as well as several books on evidence, trial advocacy, legal counseling, and legal processes for non-lawyers.

Michael Asimow is professor of law emeritus at UCLA Law School. He specializes in administrative law and has written numerous books and articles about law and lawyers in movies and television, including Law and Popular Culture: A Course Book.

Acknowledgments

xiii

Foreword by Judge Alex Kozinski

xv

Introduction

xix

1. Courtroom Heroes

The Accused (1988)

2

(3)

Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

5

(4)

Judgment in Berlin (1988)

9

(4)

The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

13

(4)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

17

(4)

12 Angry Men (1957)

21

(5)

The Winslow Boy (1948)

26

(4)

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

30

(4)

Short Subjects

Boomerang! (1947)

34

(1)

Count the Hours (1953)

35

(1)

Criminal Lawyer (1937)

35

(1)

Eye Witness (1950)

35

(1)

Lawyer Man (1933)

36

(1)

On Trial (1939)

36

(1)

The People Against O'Hara (1951)

36

(1)

State's Attorney (1932)

37

(1)

The Talk of the Town (1942)

37

(1)

Veer-Zaara (2004)

38

(2)

2. Injustice for All

A Dry White Season (1989)

40

(3)

In the Name of the Father (1993)

43

(4)

Let Him Have It (1991)

47

(4)

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

51

(4)

10 Rillington Place (1971)

55

(3)

The Wrong Man (1956)

58

(3)

Short Subjects

Unashamed (1932)

61

(1)

Vera Drake (2004)

62

(2)

3. Experts or Charlatans? Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

64

(28)

SIDEBAR: THE PRODUCTION CODE

68

(3)

A Cry in the Dark (1988)

71

(3)

Inherit the Wind (1960)

74

(5)

Nuts (1987)

79

(2)

Presumed Innocent (1990)

81

(4)

Primal Fear (1996)

85

(3)

Short Subjects

An Act of Murder (1948)

88

(1)

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938)

89

(1)

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

89

(1)

Final Analysis (1992)

90

(1)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

90

(1)

Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)

91

(1)

4. Courtroom Comedies

Adam's Rib (1949)

92

(4)

Bananas (1971)

96

(3)

The Castle (1997)

99

(4)

From the Hip (1987)

103

(3)

Legally Blonde (2001)

106

(3)

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

109

(3)

Short Subjects

The Advocate (1993)

112

(1)

Disorder in the Court (1936)

113

(1)

Dreamboat (1952)

113

(1)

Going Bye-Bye! (1934)

113

(1)

How to Murder Your Wife (1965)

114

(1)

Liar Liar (1997)

114

(1)

Serial Mom (1994)

114

(1)

She Couldn't Say No (1940)

115

(1)

Trial and Error (1997)

115

(1)

Trial and Error (1962)

116

(1)

5. Corruption of Justice

And Justice for All (1979)

117

(4)

Chicago (2002)

121

(3)

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

124

(4)

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

128

(4)

Murder in the First (1995)

132

(4)

Night Falls on Manhattan (1997)

136

(2)

The Star Chamber (1983)

138

(3)

Suspect (1987)

141

(4)

Short Subjects

Coquette (1929)

145

(1)

Devil's Advocate (1997)

145

(1)

JFK (1991)

146

(1)

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

146

(1)

Marked Woman (1937)

147

(1)

Night Court (1932)

147

(1)

Sleepers (1996)

148

(1)

The Star Witness (1931)

148

(1)

Trial by Jury (1994)

149

(1)

The Juror (1996)

149

(1)

True Believer (1989)

149

(2)

6. It's Just a Bunch of Circumstantial Evidence

Fury (1936)

151

(4)

I Confess (1953)

155

(4)

SIDEBAR: THE HEARSAY RULE

158

(1)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

159

(3)

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

162

(4)

Short Subjects

The Case of the Howling Dog (1934)

166

(1)

Dr. Crippen (1962)

166

(1)

Evelyn Prentice (1934)

167

(1)

Legal Eagles (1986)

167

(1)

The Murder Man (1935)

167

(1)

Nora Prentiss (1947)

168

(1)

Physical Evidence (1989)

168

(1)

Reversal of Fortune (1990)

168

(1)

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

169

(1)

They Won't Believe Me (1947)

169

(1)

The Unholy Three (1930)

170

(2)

7. Uncivil Actions

A Civil Action (1998)

172

(4)

Class Action (1991)

176

(5)

Libel (1959)

181

(2)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

183

(4)

The Rainmaker (1997)

187

(5)

SIDEBAR: JOHN GRISHAM'S LAWYERS

191

(1)

Runaway Jury (2003)

192

(3)

The Verdict (1982)

195

(4)

Short Subjects

Brilliant Lies (1996)

199

(1)

North Country (2005)

200

(1)

The People vs. Dr. Kildare (1941)

200

(1)

The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959)

200

(3)

8. Familiarity Breeds Contempt (of Court)

Jagged Edge (1985)

203

(3)

Music Box (1989)

206

(3)

The Paradine Case (1947)

209

(3)

The Young Philadelphians (1959)

212

(5)

SIDEBAR: MEMORABLE COURTROOM DEMONSTRATIONS

215

(2)

Short Subjects

Body of Evidence (1993)

217

(1)

Criminal Law (1988)

218

(1)

Defenseless (1991)

218

(1)

A Free Soul (1931)

218

(1)

Guilty as Sin (1993)

219

(1)

Madame X (1937)

219

(1)

Manhattan Melodrama (1934)

220

(1)

The Secret Six (1931)

220

(1)

The Unknown Man (1951)

221

(2)

9. Prejudice on Trial

Amistad (1997)

223

(4)

The Letter (1940)

227

(3)

Philadelphia (1993)

230

(5)

Pinky (1949)

235

(4)

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

239

(3)

Sommersby (1993)

242

(3)

They Won't Forget (1937)

245

(5)

A Time to Kill (1996)

250

(3)

Short Subjects

Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

253

(1)

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

254

(1)

Johnny Belinda (1948)

254

(1)

Judge Priest (1934)

254

(1)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

255

(1)

Murder! (1930)

255

(1)

A Passage to India (1984)

256

(1)

Sergeant Rutledge (1960)

256

(1)

Trial (1955)

257

(2)

10. The Death Penalty

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)

259

(3)

Compulsion (1959)

262

(4)

I Want to Live! (1958)

266

(4)

Knock on Any Door (1949)

270

(5)

SIDEBAR: CHARACTER EVIDENCE

274

(1)

Short Subjects

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

275

(1)

Eight O'Clock Walk (1952)

275

(1)

The Onion Field (1979)

276

(1)

Wives Under Suspicion (1938)

276

(2)

11. Military Justice

Breaker Morant (1980)

278

(4)

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

282

(4)

A Few Good Men (1992)

286

(5)

Paths of Glory (1957)

291

(3)

Rules of Engagement (2000)

294

(3)

Town Without Pity (1961)

297

(4)

Short Subjects

Billy Budd (1962)

301

(1)

Carrington V.C. (1955)

301

(1)

The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)

302

(1)

High Crimes (2002)

302

(1)

King and Country (1964)

303

(1)

Man in the Middle (1964)

303

(1)

Prisoners of the Sun (1990)

304

(1)

The Rack (1956)

304

(2)

12. Family Law

Evelyn (2002)

306

(3)

I Am Sam (2001)

309

(3)

It Could Happen to You (1994)

312

(3)

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

315

(3)

Losing Isaiah (1995)

318

(4)

Short Subjects

Big Daddy (1999)

322

(1)

The Good Mother (1988)

322

(1)

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

323

(1)

Laws of Attraction (2004)

323

(1)

Man on Fire (1957)

323

(1)

A Map of the World (1999)

323

(1)

No Other Woman (1933)

324

(1)

One More River (1934)

324

(1)

The Unfaithful (1947)

325

(1)

Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (1998)

325

(1)

Notes

326

(6)

Bibliography

332

(8)

Indexes

Index by Movie Title

340

(7)

Index by Number of Gavels

347

(5)

Index by Topics

352

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