The cover story of the latest ABA Journal is the 25 Greatest Legal Movies. I’m not at all surprised at that top two but was very pleasantly surprised that My Cousin Viommy ws third. I never tire of this movie, which contains perhaps the most concise opening statement ever: “Everything that guy just said is bullshit. Thank you.”
Since I can’t resist a list like that, here’s my record on viewing the films. The ones I’ve seen are in bold and I’ve underlined those I think I’ve seen but don’t recall for sure (it sucks to be old).
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- 12 Angry Men
- My Cousin Vinny
- Anatomy of a Murder
- Inherit the Wind
- Witness for the Prosecution
- Breaker Morant
- Philadelphia
- Erin Brockovich
- The Verdict
- Presumed Innocent
- Judgment at Nuremberg
- A Man for All Seasons
- A Few Good Men
- Chicago
- Kramer vs. Kramer
- The Paper Chase
- Reversal of Fortune
- Compulsion
- And Justice for All
- In the Name of the Father
- A Civil Action
- Young Mr. Lincoln
- Amistad
- Miracle on 34th Street
For anyone wondering why I haven’t seen the three films in the top 15 I’ve missed, I can explain two by saying I am not a fan of Julia Roberts or musicals.
[H]e’s the Prince of fucking Darkness.
Mickey Morrissey (Paul Newman), The Verdict
Breaker Morant should not be so high on a lawyer movie list, but it belongs high on a war movie list. War is not just about combat on the screen.
Breaker Morant is also a great trial movie, with three Aussies on trial for enforcing rule “303” (for the enfield .303 caliber rifle). It belongs on the list. It isn’t just about the Boer War but the larger issues of legal responsibilities and war crimes, and in this case, whether the Aussies are scapegoats or criminals.
Anatomy of a Murder is the classic Jimmy Stewart movie where Jimmy explains the theories of possible defenses to murder to Ben Gazzara, really on the verge of suborning perjury. Well worth seeing by any lawyer.