BEFORE: I'm getting out of Mississippi (it's quite dangerous down there, from what I've seen...) and heading to San Francisco. Still a few more legal-themed films to go - Gene Hackman carries over from last night, and gets birthday SHOUT-out #8. Happy 81st, Gene!
THE PLOT: Jeb Ward is an attorney who specializes in David vs. Goliath cases. He finds a client who is suing an auto company over a safety problem, and then he finds that the defense atorney will be his estranged daughter.
AFTER: Again, I'm not an expert on the law - most everything I know I've gleaned from movies and "Law & Order" episodes. But what this film got right is the often complex relationship between a father and a daughter. Together, these two have more issues than a newsstand - and over the course of the film they attempt to resolve some of them, but sometimes the attempts end up forcing them further apart. What also rang true was the fact that the daughter, like a lot of people (myself included), had spent some time in her 20's distancing herself from her parents, and then later finding out, like a lot of people do, that inevitably they ARE like their parents, and that's not necessarily a terrible thing.
At first it seems like an obvious conflict of interest (and a somewhat contrived plotline) to have a father and daughter facing off in court. But if they're not getting along, well then, no problem.
NITPICK POINT #1: A woman who wants to be taken seriously as an attorney, and succeed at a law firm on her own merits, probably shouldn't be sleeping with her boss. She could be the best lawyer in the firm, but it will still look improper for her to get promoted.
NITPICK POINT #2: It's a common mistake (and movie plot point) that a legal team has to share all evidence with the opposing side. Not exactly - I think they only have to share evidence that they intend to introduce in court. So when Maggie learns about a key piece of evidence that would help the other side, I believe all she needs to do is to not mention it - the opposition can't ask to see it if it's never introduced.
But FINALLY a film shows some attorneys paying a price for ethics violations. That's been a rare thing indeed in this week's movies. I just wish the film had been a little more exciting.
Also starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (last seen in "The Perfect Storm"), Laurence Fishburne (last seen in "What's Love Got to Do With It"), Donald Moffat, Jonathan Silverman, and Fred Dalton Thompson (last seen in "In the Line of Fire").
RATING: 5 out of 10 crash tests
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