Underrated Lawyer Movies

Published Monday, October 21, 2024

Not every movie about a lawyer is good. In fact, most are terrible. But you can’t approach all legal movies the same way. Assuming Legally Blonde is in the same category as 12 Angry Men is akin to assuming spaghetti is the same as fettuccini – while they’re both Italian, they serve a different fix. (Let it be noted though that this is not a shot against Legally Blond, which is actually pretty funny.)

Nonetheless, because I am often asked what legal movies I like, how legally realistic a certain movie is, or particular questions about a legal issue in a movie, I thought it may make a good blog to explore a few titles. I put together a short list of underrated legal dramas – movies that often do not get the same amount of attention as films such as To Kill a Mockingbird, A Few Good Men, The Verdict, and A Time to Kill.

Of note, all of these movies are Rated R for good reason. Please know I am not making any recommendations on whether they are appropriate for family viewing.

Puncture (2011)

Puncture went under the radar when it first came out despite getting decent reviews. Perhaps that’s because Chris Evans, aka Captain America, was on the verge of becoming a megastar and Marvel didn’t want a movie where he represents a heroin addicted attorney to disrupt their superhero promotion. The plot line, which is based on a true story, centers around two Houston attorneys, one being Chris Evans, who learn from a nurse that she contracted AIDS a couple of years ago when she was accidentally pinpricked with a contaminated needle by a violent patient. The nurse shows the attorneys a retractable safety needle that could have prevented her exposure (and thousands of others like her) that was invented by an engineer who is unable to sell his product to any hospital because of political and business reasons. While it is a bit formulaic in its David v. Goliath approach, it’s quite effective. Chris Evan’s performance is raw and powerful and really balances the conflict between his compassion and addiction. Given the nature of our occupation and the type of lawsuits we pursue, this movie has stuck with me throughout the years. Also, there’s a cameo in this film by a Houston lawyer (Mark Lanier) who we’ve worked with.

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The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

The Lincoln Lawyer is the perfect Friday night film. It has a great cast (Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, Ryan Phillippe), it’s fast paced, and its twists have purpose and are interesting. Based on a Michael Connelly novel, the film centers around a criminal defense attorney (McConaughey) who is hired to represent a man charged with assault (Phillippe). When the details of the case start to resemble a former murder case, the past and present begin to merge into a twisty drama that makes two hours fly by. While I cannot represent to you that this movie is legally realistic at all, it’s definitely fun.

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The Rainmaker (1997)

There’s no “courtroom drama” film list without a John Grisham movie. While The Rainmaker is a fairly well known movie, it doesn’t seem to get the kind of attention that other Grisham movies like A Time to Kill, The Firm, and The Pelican Brief seem to get – and honestly, I don’t know why. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola (yes, the same Coppola who directed The Godfather trilogy), The Rainmaker is another David vs. Goliath story. Matt Damon plays a struggling young attorney who decides to challenge an insurance company who denied coverage to a young man dying from leukemia. Like any good David v. Goliath story, in order for it to be successful you have to be fully committed to the David character and hate the Goliath. That works here, as Matt Damon plays a sympathetic yet charismatic lead and Jon Voight is particularly nasty as the insurance attorney on the other side. With great support from Claire Danes and Danny DeVito (plus a nice little role as the shady mentor by Mickey Rourke), The Rainmaker shines as one of Grisham’s best.

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The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

Okay – it may seem odd that I am recommending a movie about the publisher and man who created the pornographic magazine Hustler. But, Larry Flynt, for all his flaws is actually an incredibly important figure in American law and his lawsuits regarding the First Amendment are still studied in law schools today. As Woody Harrelson (as Flynt) says “murder is illegal, but if you take a picture of it, you may get your name in a magazine or maybe win a Pulitzer Prize. However, sex is legal, but if you take a picture of that act, you can go to jail.” The portions of this film that deal with Flynt’s lawsuits and his lawyer, Alan Isaacman (who has represented Geraldo Rivera, Kathy Griffin, Rock Hudson and CBS), are particularly interesting, and demonstrate the difficulty in balancing a passionate client with the slow pace of legal justice. The movie’s handling of Larry Flynt’s lawsuit against Southern Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell Sr. is fascinating, especially the argument scene before the United States Supreme Court. While opinions on Larry Flynt may vary, sometimes the strangest cases have the biggest impact on the law.

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Ok – that’s it for now. I know there are a lot of legal movies out there though so if there’s anything available on a streaming source that you want to recommend, please let us know. Last and only because I always get asked the question “what is your favorite lawyer movie?” I would say My Cousin Vinny with Joe Pesci. I have watched that movie dozens of times and it still makes me laugh while being surprisingly accurate.

About the Author

Tyler Schneider is a volunteer blog contributor at EPL, and managing partner and attorney at THL (TorHoerman Law) in Edwardsville. When not working or spending time with his wife and daughters, Tyler enjoys watching virtually unheard-of movies and collecting rare movie posters. Tyler is known around THL for his extensive (and often niche) movie references.