Best Courtroom Movies

So I was watching 12 Angry Men yesterday (caught it on TMC, so it had commercials...blah!), and I started thinking about great scenes in or around the courtrooms. I decided to make a list (doesn't sound like me at all). Here are ten movies that have, in my opinion, some great courtroom scenes:



12 Angry Men (1957)
Ok, so the actual courtroom scenes are few and far between, but the result of it is one of the best movies ever made. Henry Fonda leads the 12 jurors in the trial of a young boy accused of murder. Fonda is the only man that believes there is reasonable doubt as to the validity of the case presented by the prosecution. The next 90 minutes display some of the best writing (taken from a play) and acting that has ever been filmed. Fantastic performances by all, including Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, E.G. Marshall, Jack "Klugger" Klugman and Jack Warden. Stands up incredibly well after 50+ years!
IMDB rating - 8.9

Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
Marlene Dietrich is the rich wife of a murdered man. Having been the only witness to his murder she must give testimony at the trial. The lawyer investigating the murder is played by Charles Laughton, a savvy man who has been in bad health and shouldn't be taking on such high profile cases anymore. But the mystery is too much for him and he goes full force into the trial. Some fantastic scenes in the courtroom that are very easy to follow (written by Agatha Christie) and Dietrich and Laughton are remarkable in their performances. Great ending will leave the viewer very satisfied!
IMDB rating - 8.3

A Time To Kill (1996)
Ok, so Matthew McConaughey is not our greatest actor, but he does an admirable job in this thriller about a man who kills in the name of his child who was raped and murdered by some redneck bigots. Tell me the scene when McConaughey tells the jurors to imagine the girl was white wasn't extremely powerful. It may have been predictable, but it worked, big time! The rest of the movie may be quite forgettable, but that scene alone makes this a movie to watch.
IMBD rating - 7.1

In The Name Of The Father (1993)
There isn't a great deal of courtroom scenes in this one, but the redemption scene at the end is phenomenal. From the great editing to the fantastic performances of Emma Thompson and Daniel Day-Lewis, the last scenes are so very memorable. The rest of the movie is quite good, too...and it's based on a true story. Well worth seeing!
IMBD rating - 8.0

A Few Good Men (1992)
A bit long and a bit meandering, this movie's greatest assets are the scenes in the courtroom. So Jack Nicholson is famous for his line "You can't handle the truth", but I always loved the utter shock on the face of Tom Cruise when he finally gets Jack to break. A standout for me in this movie is Kevin Pollak, a stand-up comedian/impersonator that handles his role with quiet ease and strength. Directed quite well by a man usually known for comedy, Rob Reiner.
IMDB rating - 7.6

Anatomy Of A Murder (1959)
I'm not sure if I ever enjoyed James Stewart so much in any other film he did. He plays a small town lawyer who gets a great chance to defend a murderer. Only, is he defending the right person? There are many questions as to the validity of the people surrounding the case, but Stewart sees through all the B.S.....or does he? A great movie that can keep you guessing along with the star. Stewart plays the role like his everyman-type made famous in his Hitchcock movies. We feel for him when he discovers the truth, and ache with him as he decides what to do with it.
IMDB rating - 8.2

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
I think we all had to read this book in school, and some of us were lucky enough to watch the film there, too. Gregory Peck is a good man, a family man, and the man who must set the town right. The courtroom scenes, although not as powerful as some others, are important, and tell a great deal about Southern America at the time. The film has not held up as well as others, but is still an American classic that can't be ignored. And that's Robert Duvall as Boo Radley!
IMDB rating - 8.5

Philadelphia (1993)
Known more for the outstanding performances of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, Philadelphia has one of the best scenes in a courtroom that I can remember, and it's all because of Jason Robards. Watching this man realize what he had done to Tom Hanks' character, realizing what a horrible man he had become, is reason enough for this film to be lauded the way it was. Robards tells so much without saying a word, and on film, that is SO powerful!
IMDB rating - 7.6

JFK (1991)
Obviously this 3 hour movie has a lot going for it, and a lot of information to retain while watching it, but it's the courtroom scene where Jim Garrison (played very well by Kevin Costner) unravels the events of November 22, 1963 that stand out in my mind. That long scene takes everything we've learned about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and makes it easier for all to digest. Was it a conspiracy? Nobody will ever know, but this scene surely makes a grand point.
IMDB rating - 8.0

My Cousin Vinny (1992)
All the others were known for their dramatics. My Cousin Vinny is a comedy that has some great courtroom scenes that make you think and laugh all at once. Joe Pesci was totally convincing as the big city lawyer in his first big defense trial, in a small town no less. His girlfriend, played by Marisa Tomei, comes along for the ride and turns out to be a great help in breaking the case. Tomei won an Academy Award for her role (some say it was a mistake - either by the Academy voters or Jack Palance, the man who presented the award) and Fred Gwynne, in his final acting role, was amazing! Great fun.
IMDB rating - 7.3


Some honorable mentions: Primal Fear, The Reader, ...And Justice For All.