25 more great movies: Honorable mentions
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Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order)
Our all-time list of cinematic favorites
The Accused (1988) When three men are acquitted of raping a young woman (Jodie Foster) in a bar, the prosecutor pursues charges against patrons who urged them on.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) A writer sets himself up to be charged with murder to reveal the shortcomings of circumstantial evidence.
Breaker Morant (1980) Three Australian lieutenants on trial for shooting prisoners during the Boer War in 1901 claim that they acted under orders and were being used as scapegoats.
Bridge of Spies (2015) Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan in this compelling look at one lawyer’s impact on the Cold War.
The Caine Mutiny (1954) Humphrey Bogart is the mentally unstable Navy Capt. Queeg in this story of mutiny and morals set during World War II.
Class Action (1991) A father representing an accident victim finds out his estranged daughter is defending the auto company accused of product liability.
The Client (1994) A young boy who witnesses a mafia lawyer commit suicide finds himself in deep water and hires an attorney (Susan Sarandon) to help him.
Counsellor At Law (1933) A workaholic lawyer (John Barrymore) is in danger of losing his family.
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) Based on the real-life story of the maverick general facing court-martial over his efforts to save his air corps, starring Gary Cooper.
The Devil’s Advocate (1997) A deal with the devil (Al Pacino) is struck when a new attorney (Keanu Reeves) comes to work for a powerful law firm.
The Firm (1993) A fresh-faced young lawyer (Tom Cruise) is recruited by a prestigious law firm, only to learn that it is not as pristine as he thought.
The Fortune Cookie (1966) Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon star in a comedic tale about an ethically challenged lawyer who persuades a relative into faking an injury for a lawsuit.
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) The pursuit to convict Byron De La Beck for the 30-year-old murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers is based on a true story.
Intolerable Cruelty (2003) George Clooney is a prominent Los Angeles divorce attorney in this Coen brothers take on marital discord.
Jagged Edge (1985) Glenn Close plays a defense lawyer who gets close—maybe too close—to a client (Jeff Bridges), who is on trial for the murder of his rich wife.
JFK (1991) Controversial for being loose with the facts is Oliver Stone’s take on New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s efforts to solve the Kennedy assassination.
Liar, Liar (1997) Jim Carrey plays a lawyer who finds he’s incapable of telling a fib in this unusual comedy.
Music Box (1989) Mike Laszlo, a Hungarian immigrant, is accused of being a war criminal and his daughter (Jessica Lange) defends him.
North Country (2005) Charlize Theron plays a miner who sues the company for sexual harassment.
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) The controversial publisher says the First Amendment protects his right to publish pornography.
Philadelphia (1993) Tom Hanks stars as an HIV-positive lawyer fired from his firm after it learns of his condition. Denzel Washington plays the homophobic lawyer who represents him.
Presumed Innocent (1990) A prosecutor finds himself accused of killing a female colleague in this thriller based on a Scott Turow best-selling novel.
The Rainmaker (1997) A young lawyer takes on a big insurance company that has stopped paying medical bills for his client, a dying leukemia patient, in this John Grisham adaptation.
A Time To Kill (1996) Another Grisham story, this one about a racially charged killing in the Deep South.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) Agatha Christie’s tale of a British barrister who defends an American war veteran accused of murdering a lonely and wealthy widow.
