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Despite the cookie-cutter formula, courtroom dramas mix it up to keep the viewer entertained. Some keep it in the actual courtroom for the entirety of the drama, while others include elements of the investigation or focus on jury deliberations. The best courtroom dramas always include some kind of ideological argument framed as a civilized courtroom case in which the viewer is the ultimate judge, jury, and possibly executioner.
7 Inherit The Wind (1960)
Based on a play that most people are familiar with thanks to high school English Literature class, modern audiences see Inherit the Wind as a dramatization of the Scopes “Monkey” trial that was about the teaching of evolution in schools, but this was really a stark criticism of McCarthyism. Nathan E. Douglas, the writer credited with adapting the play into a movie script, was writing under a pen name. His real name was Nedrick Young, and he was on the infamous Hollywood blacklist.
Gene Kelly and Spencer Tracey are just two of the big names that make up an impressive cast overall. It’s a nuanced story, and a sad one, with no clear resolution and no villain to carry the blame — so, very much like how real-life justice works.
6 A Cry In The Dark (1988)
One of the most iconic films of the 1980s and a breakthrough role for Meryl Streep, A Cry In The Dark isn’t just about the drama that happens in the courtroom. It’s also about the media circus and the court of public opinion that happens on the sidelines.
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When baby Azaria went missing from the tent on a camping trip, an initial inquiry cleared her parents of any wrongdoing, but rumors about weird religious rites and child sacrifice lead the Chamberlains into the courtroom and eventually prison. They were exonerated and released three years later only because searchers looking for a missing hiker discovered their missing child’s clothing.
5 To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Here’s another fond memory from those halcyon days of grammar school English Literature classes. Required reading for most students, the black and white adaptation starring Gregory Peck is on a similar level for movie fans. The film was critically acclaimed in its time, and it made $20 million on a $2 million dollar budget, making it a certified blockbuster.
The story that Scout tells about the night that her brother Jem broke his arm is such a pillar of modern art and entertainment that most of us know the basic story. It’s not just about the court case that Atticus took on, but the politics in the small town related to it, who ends up on which side, and why.
4 12 Angry Men (1957)
Here’s an obvious candidate for a remake, as long as we can get the title right, but it’s still a great courtroom drama nonetheless. 12 Angry Men is a perfect example of a gripping, immersive drama that takes place with very little editing, time-lapses, or venue changes.
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The jurors seem to be set on a decision in a mundane case, but a single juror is skeptical. At first, the others scoff at his concerns, but a closer look reveals his doubts have merit. A second look at some of the key evidence and the case for the prosecution, so strong at first, starts to unravel. The more time these angry men spend together, other social constructs start to break down too, it’s revealed that certain kinds of prejudices are exposed and examined despite how monochrome the cast is.
3 My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Two New Yorkers get mixed up in a murder in rural Alabama. That is how this movie starts, and that could be the tagline to a horror film. There are some politics here for sure, and not just the kind of tension that you get between city folks and country folks, and although some of it is treated like a joke, the consequences could be serious.
It was marketed as a wacky comedy, but that wasn’t entirely true. My Cousin Vinnie has some serious moments and there are real stakes involved for the main characters. Vinny is actually a clever lawyer, despite his foibles, and the portrayal of the courtroom has a level of realism that’s impressive for a comedy.
2 The Rainmaker (1997)
Out of all the Michael Crichton books that have been adapted into films, this is one of the best, and it probably gets less attention compared to the others. It’s a story of law school graduate Rudy Baylor, who ends up doing the right thing by accident when he gets mixed up in a practice that’s more about ambulance chasing than justice. He ends up handling a case about a denied health insurance claim, one that might have saved the victim’s life, and he starts to learn the hard way that justice also follows the money.
The Rainmaker is more than 20 years old now, but the issues it raises about health insurance and the frustrating protocols of the court system when it comes to corporate wrongdoing are just as relevant today.
1 Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent isn’t just a gripping courtroom drama. It’s also an intriguing “whodunit” and a chilling psychological thriller. The performances and cast are stellar, with appearances from Harrison Ford, Bonnie Bedelia, and Raul Julia, among others.
Viewers looking for a movie grounded in harsh reality will appreciate the plot, which includes all the politics and protocols pertaining to a formal investigation, starting with forensics from the morgue to the search for a murder weapon. The title is a clue to how the movie resolves, and it’s a doozy.
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