Plenty of courtroom dramas are out in the entertainment industry, many of them stemming from TV shows. But what are some of the more iconic crime-riddled courtroom films released?
To Kill a Mockingbird
Adapted from Harper Lee’s best-selling classic, the 1962 film perfectly encapsulates the story. The story goes about a Black man accused of raping a white woman during the Great Depression in the 1930s, and he is represented by a well-known and liked white lawyer, Atticus Finch. Seeing that the plot takes place inside a courtroom, it’s on the top of the list for its iconic stature and how it holds through time. The film emphasizes the civil rights movement. Being Black gives you less favorability inside the courtroom, putting more innocent lives at risk of being locked up.
12 Angry Men
Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film is considered one of the best single-setting films ever. 12 jurors on a murder trial debate in the jury room the final verdict. The plot leaves the audience in suspense, and they don’t know where the jurors will end up until the end. With the film being set in one room, the story has to be gripping enough to keep the audience’s attention, and this film does just that. The film also shows the importance of going through all the scenarios and being thorough with the case so justice can be served correctly.
A Few Good Men
Hothead Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) holds the people in charge accountable. This military trail goes through the murder of a Marine trying to leave the company. Kaffee must find the motive behind the attack. In doing so, he calls out his higher-ranking officer Colonel Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson), who delivers the iconic line: “You can’t handle the truth!” This film represents stepping out of comfort zones and holding people with power accountable for their actions.
My Cousin Vinny
Joe Pesci plays an eccentric New York lawyer who goes to a small Alabama to help his cousin and friend. Accused of murder, it’s up to Vinny to find them not guilty. The kicker is Vinny has never won a case before. This film follows the law and the process of courtroom etiquette so well that it’s studied in law school. The iconic ending scene of his fiancé putting the defense in his place on the stand helped win Marisa Tomei an Oscar for her role. Pesci can keep the audience entertained in a comedic film and make them wonder how he will pull off winning this case.
JFK
This Oliver Stone drama goes into the conspiracies of the assassination of former President JFK. Based on the true story of New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner), this film follows the lawyer in proving Lee Harvey Oswald (played by Gary Oldman) did not kill the President, and government forces set it up. This almost 3.5-hour film is a standout performance for Costner and got him a Golden Globe nomination.
Anatomy of a Murder
James Stewart stars as a semi-retired lawyer Paul Biegler who’s working on a case of Army Lt. Manion (played by Ben Gazzara), who murdered an innkeeper after his wife claimed he raped her. Biegler quarrels against District Attorney Lodwick (played by Brooks West) and Claude Dancer (played by George C. Scott). The fate of his case lies in the hands of the victim’s mysterious business partner (played Kathryn Grant), who appears to be hiding a very dark secret.
A Time to Kill
Another trial battling racism in the deep south, with Samuel L. Jackson playing Carl Lee Hailey and Mathew McConaughey playing Jake Brigance as his lawyer. After his daughter is brutally raped, Hill takes it upon himself to find vengeance and kills the attacker, but now must face a jury of his white peers that his crime was justified.
Legally Blonde
First-year law student Elle Woods (played by Reese Witherspoon) gets an internship on a considerable murder trial. With the accused being someone from her past, Woods does everything she can to solve the case and keep the girl code at the top of her list, all while styling her favorite pink looks. The film follows Woods as she learns what it means to be a lawyer and who is here to support her.
Although these courtroom scenes aren’t crime related, they’re still just as iconic as the others. Here are some honorable mentions:
Inherit the Wind
Bertram Cates (played by Dick York) is a Tennessee school teacher in the 1920s who is accused of teaching evolution instead of creationism. Gaining national attention in the media, E. K. Hornbeck (played by Gene Kelly) reports on the case. In contrast, two of the nation’s best lawyers, Matthew Harrison Brady (played by Fredric March) and Henry Drummond (played by Spencer Tracy), face off.
Miracle on 34th Street
A classic Christmas film puts a man who claims to be Santa Claus (played by Edmund Gwenn) on trial while his roommate Fred Gailey (played by John Payne) must defend him in court. Making national headlines, it becomes a critical case to make sure children still believe in Santa. After turning nonbelievers, Doris and Susan Walker (Maureen O-Hara and Natalie Wood, respectively) into believers, Gailey must go outside the box to prove his roommate is who he says he is just before he has to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.
Kramer vs. Kramer
Ted Kramer (played by Dustin Hoffman) gets the biggest account of his career but then finds out his wife, Joanna (played by Meryl Streep), is leaving him and their son Billy (played by Justin Henry). Ted loses his job and is forced to become a stay-at-home dad, but in doing so, he becomes close to his child. With the help of another single parent, Margaret (played by Jane Alexander), Ted seems to be going in a better direction until Joanna comes back seeking custody of Billy.
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