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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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53 %
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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]

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Release:

Aug 22, 1997

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Pelican Brief

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat
0.5/4

Walter Chaw

If only The Pelican Brief were purposefully controversial.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 01 2009 07:40 PM

Film Freak Central

splat
2/4

A shallow bore.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 30 2009 01:48 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

splat

This is a standard Grisham pot-boiler.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 30 2009 01:43 PM

Channel 4 Film

tomato

Jonathan Rosenbaum

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: | comment Comment | Mar., 30 2009 01:39 PM

Chicago Reader

splat
2/4

Peter Canavese

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: | comment Comment | Feb., 10 2009 03:22 PM

Groucho Reviews

tomato

Brian Lowry

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: | comment Comment | Nov., 05 2008 03:15 AM

Variety

splat
C

Emanuel Levy

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: | comment Comment | Oct., 08 2006 02:03 PM

Screendaily

tomato
6/10

JoBlo

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: | comment Comment | May., 05 2006 03:16 AM

JoBlo's Movie Emporium

splat

Derek Adams

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:17 AM

Time Out

tomato
3/5

Emanuel Levy

No review available.

comment Comment | Jul., 23 2005 09:13 PM

EmanuelLevy.Com

tomato
3/5

Michael Dequina

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 27 2005 02:07 PM

TheMovieReport.com

tomato
5/5

Jules Brenner

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 18 2005 10:50 AM

Cinema Signals

tomato
3/5

Eric Lurio

Julia good Denzel better.

comment Comment | Dec., 21 2004 07:21 AM

Greenwich Village Gazette

tomato
4/5

Michael E. Grost

No review available.

comment Comment | Dec., 13 2004 11:26 AM

Classic Film and Television

tomato
3/5

Tony Medley

No review available.

comment Comment | Dec., 03 2004 08:47 PM

tonymedley.com

tomato
3/5

James Sanford

Good, albeit overlong Grisham thriller

comment Comment | Oct., 07 2004 04:27 PM

Kalamazoo Gazette

splat
2/5

Frank Swietek

No review available.

comment Comment | Jun., 24 2004 08:02 PM

One Guy's Opinion

tomato
3/5

Rich Cline

No review available.

comment Comment | Mar., 12 2004 05:07 PM

Shadows on the Wall

tomato
3/5

Mike McGranaghan

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 19 2004 06:28 PM

Aisle Seat

tomato
4/5

Greg Maki

No review available.

comment Comment | Jan., 18 2004 05:40 PM

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

 
 
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