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Movies / On DVD / The Pelican Brief
The Pelican Brief

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The Pelican Brief (1993)

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Reviews Counted:45

Fresh:24

Rotten:21

Average Rating:5.5/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: In Alan J. Pakula's (KLUTE) thriller THE PELICAN BRIEF Julia Roberts plays Tulane University law student Darby Shaw. After the consecutive murders of two Supreme Court Justices, she becomes... In Alan J. Pakula's (KLUTE) thriller THE PELICAN BRIEF Julia Roberts plays Tulane University law student Darby Shaw. After the consecutive murders of two Supreme Court Justices, she becomes intrigued with the case and assembles a brief on her theory of who committed the murders. However, things start to get tricky when those who've read her brief turn up as corpses, which prompts her to enlist help from Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington). Their further gathering of evidence to prove her hypothesis only results in moving their names up on the hit-list. Replete with cameo roles by high-profile actors such as playwright Sam Shepard (TRUE WEST) as the law professor with whom Shaw has an affair, this box office hit closely follows popular novelist John Grisham's (THE FIRM) best-selling book. The film's themes are in line with late director Pakula's abiding interest in conspiracy drama, a topic explored in many of his best films such as ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and THE PARALLAX VIEW. [More]

Starring: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard

Starring: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard, Tony Goldwyn, James B. Sikking, Robert Culp, Hume Cronyn, John Lithgow, William Atherton, Stanley Tucci

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Director: Alan J. Pakula
Story: John Grisham
Composer: James Horner

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Pelican Brief

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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This is a standard Grisham pot-boiler.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
03/30/09
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An old hand at this sort of thing, Pakula goes through the motions, but not much more.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
03/12/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

If only The Pelican Brief were purposefully controversial.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
04/01/09
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

A shallow bore.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
03/30/09
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's too bad that Pakula allows this 1993 movie to dawdle after its climax, but prior to that he's adept at suggesting unseen menace and keeping things in motion.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
03/30/09
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

You'd think that Pakula would be just the man to tease the intellectual and emotional depth out of a Grisham potboiler, but you'd be wrong. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
02/10/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Pakula has improved on Grisham's book by excising much of the detritus, crafting a taut, intelligent thriller that succeeds on almost every level.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/05/08
Brian Lowry
Brian Lowry
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A curiously disappointing thriller from Alan Pakula, reaffirming the notion that John Gresham's best-selling novels are more fun to read (at the airport) than watch on the big screen, even if they star Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts.

Full Review Source: Screendaily | comment Comment
10/08/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Screendaily

Definitely an easy rental and a good way to drown a couple of hours if you're looking for a little suspense, some law stuff, lotsa secondary players and a couple of renowned leads delivering the goods.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
05/05/06
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

No review available.

comment Comment
07/23/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/27/05
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/18/05
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Julia good Denzel better.

comment Comment
12/21/04
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
12/13/04
Michael E. Grost
Michael E. Grost
Classic Film and Television

No review available.

comment Comment
12/03/04
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com

Good, albeit overlong Grisham thriller

comment Comment
10/07/04
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
06/24/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

comment Comment
02/19/04
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

No review available.

comment Comment
01/18/04
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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