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Product Description
Taut and emotionally powerful, Michael Apted's compelling showdown courtroom drama is driven by characters as intriguing as its predicament. The only thing Jedediah Tucker Ward and his daughter have in common is law. Equally brilliant, equally driven, t
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #3702 in DVD
- Brand: Fox
- Released on: 2005-02-01
- Rating: R (Restricted)
- Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: .25 pounds
- Running time: 110 minutes
Editorial Reviews
From The New Yorker
In this high-concept legal thriller, directed by Michael Apted, Gene Hackman plays a flamboyant lawyer who specializes in civil-liberties and consumer-advocacy cases, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays his daughter, an ambitious associate in a slick corporate-law firm. The script-by Carolyn Shelby, Christopher Ames, and Samantha Shad-contrives to pit the father and the daughter against each other in a negligence suit against an auto manufacturer. Sparks, both personal and professional, are meant to fly, but the Hollywood engineers who designed this piece of product have cut a few too many corners: the thriller plotting is predictable, the family drama is broad and sentimental, and the connections between them are facile. Yet Hackman and Mastrantonio somehow manage to impart lifelike rhythms to their scenes together: their skill keeps this rickety contraption from stalling completely. -Terrence Rafferty
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
38 of 41 people found the following review helpful. 
Very Moving
By Hugo Dart
This is an extraordinary drama in which father and daughter (both lawyers) with big emotional issues have a face-off in the courtroom.
Aside from a very well-constructed plot and competent direction by Michael Apted, the performances delivered by the actors are quite impressive. The supporting cast is very good, especially Jan Rubes (Alexander Pavel).
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio shows great maturity in a challenging role - and the fact that she is stunningly beautiful does not hurt.
And what about that Gene Hackman? What a brilliant actor. Watching him feels like a real privilege. Don't you miss the chance of doing it.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. 
A Family Drama Set in a Courtroom
By William D. Shingleton
There are really two kinds of lawyer films out there; the kind that is about the trial and the kind that is about the lawyers; this film is about the lawyers and the family drama of a father and daughter pitted against each other in a class action lawsuit. The film is well constructed and acted, though there is the occasional corny dialoge in the father-daughter scenes that could have been written much stronger.
The father (played by Gene Hackman) is a crusading support-the-little-guy type, but he is not without his warts and particularly not without the consequences of his giant ego. Hackman is perfect in this role and gives his character the depth it deserves. Mary Elizabeth Masterantonio plays the daughter and is really the center of the film since it is her evolution more than Hackman's that drives the plot. She more than holds her own against a much more experienced actor and gives the film credibility.
There are a few witty remarks in the film but I can't say that the dialogue crackles; since this is not an action film, the dialogue is how the film moves along, so that's a shame. But the plot is enthralling and takes a few unexpected twists at the end; combined with the solid cast (this was shot so long ago that Fred Dalton Thompson was not yet a senator and Lawrence Fishbourne is listed as Larry) it makes the film engaging and certainly worth the low price of this DVD.
The DVD itself is disappointing and carries no special features to speak of (trailers for this film and other movies DO NOT count as special features, at least in my opinion). The only reason to get the DVD versus the tape is that it's easier to find and will hold up better over time.
The bottom line is that this is a solid, well acted film whose David versus Goliath, Inc theme rings even more true in the post-Enron universe than it did when the film first came out.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Thrilling Courtroom Drama
By Bill Windsor
Best courtroom drama movie I have ever seen. Performances of Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are superb as father and daughter attorneys on opposite sides of an automobile accident case. The story pits big-corporation corporate attorney (Mastrantonio) against small-time scrappy class-action attorney (Hackman). But the highlight is the intra-family dynamics between father, mother, and daughter, which are superbly developed as the tension of the lawsuit case unfolds. The screenwriting is excellent, handling characters from attorneys to family to scientists, plus powerful revelations in the final courtroom scene. You will say, "Wow" at the end.
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