Ah, the 90s - hipster jeans, Discmans, scrunchies, and the heyday of courtroom drama movies. It really was a golden age, so it’s no wonder that 90s trends are having a revival. We hope blockbuster courtroom dramas with big stars, great storytelling, and suspenseful twists are on their way back too. Legal and courtroom films in the 90s got thrust into the spotlight through successful adaptations ofJohn Grishamnovels. Grisham has been a prolific author of legal thriller novels over the past four decades and was the original author of five of the films in this list -A Time to Kill,The Firm,The Pelican Brief,The Client,andThe Rainmaker.Other filmmakers saw how much audiences enjoyed these films and followed suit in eking out tense dramas and thrillers from novels featuring a wide variety of legal and courtroom battles.
It’s fair to say that there’s still plenty of interest in legal dramas, but they just don’t make ‘em like they did back in the 90s. Take a trip down memory lane with us - here are 16 of our favorite courtroom movies from the 90s (in alphabetical order).
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A Few Good Men (1992)
Tom Cruise,Jack Nicholson,Demi Moore,Kevin Bacon,Cuba Gooding Jr.,Kiefer Sutherland- an all-star ensemble cast directed byRob Reinerand based on a screenplay byAaron Sorkin- what more could you want? Maybe you’re after an infamous line that is still used to this day… well - “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” sure has that base covered.
A Few Good Menis a tense, suspenseful drama that keeps you on your toes until the final fiery exchange between young hotshot lawyer Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Colonel Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) where all is revealed. The film deals with the sensitive topic of extrajudicial punishments in the US military (known as a ‘code red’) and how the ordering of a code red may have led to a marine’s untimely death. The plot may be a bit predictable by the end but the convincing performances by the film’s stars and the sharp, quick-talking dialogue we’ve come to expect of Sorkin are reason enough to give this one a watch.
A Time to Kill (1996)
The first of the John Grisham adaptations and a great one to start with isA Time to Kill.Some more big names likeMatthew McConaughey,Sandra Bullock,Samuel L. Jackson,Kevin Spacey,Donald Sutherland,and Kiefer Sutherlandlend their acting chops to a solid courtroom film that deals with the complex themes of racism and rape in a sensitive and nuanced way.
This film was the second Grisham adaptation to be directed byJoel Schumacherafter he took the helm forThe Client. It seems he developed a deft touch through that experience -A Time to Killmaintains a delicateness and sincerity to the story while also dealing with a harrowing topic. This contrast, along with the moving and empathetic performances by the cast, keeps the film interesting and absorbing.
Amistadis an underrated additionto the 90s legal drama genre. Directed bySteven Spielberg, the film depicts the workings of the slave trade in a nuanced and careful way. This sensitive treatment is accentuated by the empathetic performances of yet another all-star cast includingDjimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey,Anthony Hopkins,andMorgan Freeman. The film is loosely based on true events that occurred on a Spanish slave ship, La Amistad, in 1839. The story depicts the capture of abducted African men who were intended for slavery in America. The men were successful in taking over control of their abductors’ ship but were misdirected towards America and therefore recaptured by the American Navy.
The film looks at the international legal battle that followed their recapture and the harsh imbalance of power in the slave trade, particularly when legalities unfold in a foreign land and language for the defendants. The screenplay was written byDavid Franzonibased on a 1987 book byHoward Jones,Mutiny on the Amistad.
Disclosure (1994)
Disclosureis another 90s legal film based on a novel - but this time it’s theMichael Crichtonnovel of the same name. Directed byBarry Levinsonand featuringMichael Douglas,Demi Moore,and Donald Sutherland,Disclosuretakes on a case of sexual harassment in the workplace. The film follows Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas), a senior executive at a technology business that is planning on launching a new product as part of a recent merger.
Tom expects to be promoted to lead the new product division but gets pipped to the post by an ex-fling, Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore). Meredith and Tom have a consensual sexual tryst in her office but she subsequently sues Tom for sexual harassment. Tom soon finds his work life and personal life threatened by the claims. It’s a slightly sexier courtroom drama with a business tinge to it, along with some nice flashbacks to “modern” technology in the 90s - CD-ROMs, mass file deletion, and even VR glasses!
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Double Jeopardy (1999)
Another classic legal thriller from the 90s isDouble Jeopardy,starringAshley JuddandTommy Lee Jones.It’s gotten mixed reviews since its release, but it’s an absolute classic story about an accused seeking out the truth and eventually getting revenge for a false accusation.
The film follows the story of Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd), who wakes up to find a bloody crime scene and her husband, Nick, gone. Libby gets convicted for his murder with a suspected motive of collecting the insurance money. After six years in prison, Libby gets paroled and commences a desperate journey to be reunited with her son Matty and to discover the truth about Nick, while her parole officer (Tommy Lee Jones) follows her tracks.
In the Name of the Father (1993)
From one classic to the next…In the Name of the Fatheris a harrowing and powerful tale based on a true story.Daniel Day-Lewisbrings his trademark intensity to the film and gives an impressive performance asGerry Conlon. Set in 1974 amidst the tensions between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British Army, Gerry is a young Irish man wrongly sentenced to life in prison along with his father Patrick Conlon (Pete Postlethwaite) and three other innocent people (later known as The Guildford Four) after the police coerced a confession from him regarding an IRA bombing. The film follows Gerry’s next 15 years trying to prove their innocence.
The screenplay was co-written and adapted byTerry GeorgeandJim Sheridan(who also directed) from Gerry Conlon’s 1990 autobiography. It was well received and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, and Best Picture.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
The one comedic addition to this list isMy Cousin Vinny. The movie largely revolves around the comedy chops ofJoe Pescias Vinny Gambini, a novice lawyer who is tasked with a big case as his first-ever trial. He is enlisted by family members to defend his cousin Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Bill’s friend, Stan Rothenstein (Mitchell Whitfield), in a big murder case in Alabama.
It’s largely a comedy, but it surprisingly also does the courtroom legal drama realistically - maybe with a slightly more lenient judge than in most cases - but the laughs come in a natural way that pulls you into the film and onto the side of Vinny and the defendants.
Philadelphia (1993)
For a more serious take on a courtroom drama,Philadelphiagives us some star performances and was one of the first mainstream movies to address HIV/AIDS and homophobia with nuance and sensitivity. The film was written byRon Nyswanerand directed byJonathan Demme.
Tom Hanksstars as Andrew Beckett, a young corporate lawyer based in Philadelphia who is infected with AIDS but keeps his diagnosis and his homosexuality private from his employers. Andrew is suddenly dismissed from the firm after a small misstep that is attributed to his fault. He wants to sue for unfair dismissal but has trouble finding an attorney to represent him. He approaches personal injury lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) but Joe is concerned that he could contract AIDS from Andrew so he turns him down initially. Joe eventually realizes the discrimination that Andrew faces and takes his case on to form an indomitable duo.
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Primal Fear (1996)
Yet another book adaptation on the list,Primal Fearis based on a novel byWilliam Diehlof the same name. And as with most other movies on this list, it attracted some big names likeRichard Gere,Laura Linney,John Mahoney,Alfre Woodard,Frances McDormand,andEdward Nortonto the production.
Primal Fearintroduces us to Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a defense attorney who defends a young, stuttering altar boy, Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), who is charged with the murder of a high-profile Catholic archbishop. The film has plenty of twists and courtroom maneuvers, and it boasts intense performances, notably by Edward Norton. He was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Sleepers (1996)
In a similar vein,Sleepersalso deals with the heavy theme of child sexual abuse and is based on a novel byLorenzo Carcaterra. Barry Levinson wrote, produced, and directed the film. In doing so, he was tasked with managing an ensemble all-star cast, includingBrad Pitt, Kevin Bacon,Jason Patric,Robert De Niro,Dustin Hoffman,andMinnie Driver.
Sleeperstells the story of four young men who are sent to a detention center after a prank goes horribly wrong. Whilst in the detention center, they are abused by the guards and suffer long-term issues from the abuse. The film revisits them when they are older and two of the men stand accused of the murder of one of the guards that abused them as children. The four men are brought back together, and they hatch a plan to bring the guards to justice for their crimes.
