FILM · LIFESTYLE
M ay 2 0 1 7 · L AW TA L K 9 0 6
LIFESTYLE
Some films featuring memorable lawyers and legal plots BY NICK BUTCHER “You can’t handle the truth.” Those five words were an unforgettable moment delivered by Colonel Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson, in the military courtroom drama, A Few Good Men. Everyone holds an opinion of lawyers, which probably explains the long stream of tepid literature written about them. In the April issue of LawTalk we featured five songs about lawyers. However, movies where lawyers play the central characters have produced arguably some of the finest and thrilling cinematic stories ever told. Most people may be familiar with the performance of Gregory Peck in the classic 1962 film, To Kill A Mockingbird. Based in Alabama in 1932, Peck brilliantly plays Atticus Finch. Imagine the reaction 55 years ago to a film about a white lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white woman? The story examines racism, suggesting it is a learned attitude and while it appears obvious Tom Robinson is not guilty, the verdict didn’t provide a happy or just ending.
David vs Goliath From the United States to Australia, where one of the most beloved films featuring a David vs Goliath legal battle would have to be The Castle from 1997. Michael Caton plays the role of Darryl Kerrigan, the proud father and head of a family who live next door to the Melbourne airport in the blue collar suburb of Coolaroo. Mr Kerrigan loves adding DIY 88
renovations to their home and hoards all sorts of treasures. But the Government decides to acquire the property for far less than it is worth, along with many neighbouring properties. It’s all about expansion and progress and Darryl Kerrigan isn’t having a bar of it. His bumbling lawyer attempts to argue that the eviction goes against the “the vibe of the constitution”, which doesn’t wash well and is rejected by the court. But enter Lawrence Hammill, a retired Queen’s Counsel who has only come to court to watch his son, a new barrister, perform, but ends up offering his services pro bono to Kerrigan to argue a stronger case against the Constitution which he eventually wins in the High Court.
The Scopes Trial From comedy back to legal drama. Based on an actual 1925 case, Inherit the Wind is a fictitious account of The Scopes Trial, which occurred in Tennessee. The defendant, John Thomas Scopes, was a high school coach and substitute teacher who had been charged with violating the Butler Act by teaching the theory of evolution in class. The Act forbade the teaching of any theory that denied the biblical story of Creationism. By teaching that man had descended from apes and the theory of evolution, Scopes was charged with breaking the law. While the 1960 film, which featured Spencer Tracy, Fredric March and Gene Kelly, was generally lauded there was some outrage, especially over defence lawyer Henry Drummond’s argument that,
“The bible is a book. It’s a good book, but it is not the only book”. Al Pacino famously played Don Michael Corleone in the Godfather classic movies, but he was on the other side of the law in the 1979 movie And Justice for All.
Judge accused of rape Pacino plays the role of defence lawyer Arthur Kirkland who has to represent a judge accused of rape. The problem is that Kirkland is not fond of this judge. Pacino’s unforgettable worked-up yell is in full force during the courtroom scenes, but particularly when he tells the court “ladies and gentleman, the prosecution is not going to get that man today, because I’m going to get him.” It is actor John Forsythe’s character, Judge Henry T Fleming, that the idealist attorney is supposed to be defending. Pacino’s motivation for the outburst boils down to the prosecution having no case because – aside from the victim’s word – there is no physical or eye witness evidence to put the judge behind bars. But also because Judge Henry T Fleming previously admitted his guilt to Kirkland and how he would get away with it. Pacino is restrained and escorted from the courtroom by security arguing and firing profane shots at the judge until he is eventually seen slumped on the court steps looking both dejected and triumphant. Billy Connolly is one of the funniest men alive and while making a fine living as a stand-up comedian over the past 40 years, he has also starred in several movies including The Man Who Sued God.
Lawyer-turned-fisherman In the 2001 Australian film he plays the role of frustrated lawyer-turned-fisherman, Steve Myers. He has given up on practising law but that all changes when his only real possession, a fishing boat, is struck by lightning and destroyed. Predictably, the insurance company turns down his request for a pay out because of a clause in his policy referring to ‘an act of God.’ Myers reacts by getting his practising certificate back and sues both the insurance company and the church.