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The Judge

Play trailer 2:14 Poster for The Judge R 2014 2h 21m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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49% Tomatometer 197 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant but shady attorney, returns to his Indiana hometown after learning that his mother has passed away. His arrival triggers renewed tension between himself and his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who makes no secret of his disapproval of Hank's morally ambiguous career. As the lawyer prepares to depart, his father is arrested for a hit-and-run death. Hank takes on his father's defense, despite the objections of the resentful old man.
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The Judge

The Judge

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Critics Consensus

Solidly cast and beautifully filmed but thoroughly clichéd, The Judge seems destined to preside over a large jurisdiction of the basic cable afternoon-viewing circuit.

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Critics Reviews

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Donald Clarke Irish Times 10/20/2014
2/5
Objection! Meretricious sentimentality! Objection! Badgering the audience! Where is this leading, your honour? Go to Full Review Mark Kermode Observer (UK) 10/19/2014
3/5
As the verdict draws closer, the sentimental silliness and courtroom cliches pile up ... Go to Full Review Kate Muir The Times (UK) 10/17/2014
2/5
Unfortunately, when Downey is not centre-stage the drama becomes leaden, sentimental and utterly improbable. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Feb 24
2/4
It's packed with so much empty incident and superfluous drama that, when it’s over, you’ll swear you just watched a television miniseries over three nights rather than a theatrical release in one sitting. Go to Full Review Ankit Ojha Cinema Elite 07/09/2024
3.5/5
[...] as predictable as it sounds, “The Judge” is anything but that. The film might be a family drama, but it’s refreshingly adult [...] and filled with surprising emotional honesty. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 07/18/2022
2.5/4
The familiarity of the story hurts what is Dobkin's otherwise pleasantly sincere and straightforward direction, and a number of fine performances. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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bob C @RT46426964 4d Great weepie movie with exceptional Hollywood ending involving redemption. Plenty of it. See more Danny L @Dman2 Feb 16 This is a fantastic movie. A Duvall classic. I really don’t understand the bad reviews. See more Susan W @Soosie Feb 14 Allowing children to take centre stage even for ten minutes is a no no, for me. The film had a good premise and of course a first class cast. But lacked in originality, predictable marriage break up with old school flame romance reignited coupled with attention seeking offspring, all so done before. See more robert g @Gray1950 Feb 4 The two Robert’s were excellent, can certainly recommend watching See more Alex K @RT55114811 Oct 25 Esse filme é excelente e Robert Downey Jr. está perfeito nesse personagem. Um drama familiar envolvendo o relacionamento conturbado de pai e filho e que foge das resoluções óbvias. See more Alexander S @RT61935749 Oct 20 The Judge is a riveting drama that features remarkable performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, but its narrative may not quite live up to the expectations of some audiences, who might be yearning for a more complex and engaging crime storyline rather than a more conventional family drama that, although well-executed, feels a bit too common and predictable. Nevertheless, I found the exploration of the family dynamics to be impactful. Grading: B See more Read all reviews
The Judge

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Cast & Crew

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David Dobkin

Director

Robert Downey Jr.

Hank Palmer

Robert Duvall

Judge Joseph Palmer

Vera Farmiga

Samantha Powell

Billy Bob Thornton

Dwight Dickham

Vincent D'Onofrio

Glen Palmer

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The Judge

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The Judge

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Movie Info

Synopsis Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant but shady attorney, returns to his Indiana hometown after learning that his mother has passed away. His arrival triggers renewed tension between himself and his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who makes no secret of his disapproval of Hank's morally ambiguous career. As the lawyer prepares to depart, his father is arrested for a hit-and-run death. Hank takes on his father's defense, despite the objections of the resentful old man.
Director
David Dobkin
Producer
Susan Downey, David Dobkin, David Gambino
Screenwriter
Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Big Kid Pictures, Team Downey
Rating
R (Some Sexual References|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 10, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.7M
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)