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The Pelican Brief (1993)
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Overview
Tagline:
Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. One lone law student has stumbled upon the truth. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead. morePlot:
A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
1 win & 2 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Washington Called for Sex Scene Cuts? (From WENN. 29 April 2004)
Denzel Upset Over Racial Slur (From WENN. 3 December 2002)
User Comments:
The best of the Grisham movies moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Julia Roberts | ... | Darby Shaw | |
| Denzel Washington | ... | Gray Grantham | |
| Sam Shepard | ... | Thomas Callahan | |
| John Heard | ... | Gavin Vereek | |
| Tony Goldwyn | ... | Fletcher Coal | |
| James Sikking | ... | FBI Director Denton Voyles (as James B. Sikking) | |
| William Atherton | ... | Bob Gminski | |
| Robert Culp | ... | President | |
| Stanley Tucci | ... | Khamel | |
| Hume Cronyn | ... | Justice Rosenberg | |
| John Lithgow | ... | Smith Keen | |
| Anthony Heald | ... | Marty Velmano | |
| Nicholas Woodeson | ... | Stump | |
| Stanley Anderson | ... | Edwin Sneller | |
| John Finn | ... | Matthew Barr |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
141 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColour:
Colour (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Dolby DigitalCertification:
South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Ireland:PG (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PGMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
F. Denton Voyles also appeared in 1993 John Grisham adaptation, The Firm (1993) in which he was played by Steven Hill. moreGoofs:
When Darby Shaw and Thomas Callahan are in class Darby's hair changes between shots. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Justice Rosenberg: Any of those signs got my name on 'em?
Gray Grantham: Quite a few.
Justice Rosenberg: What do they say?
Gray Grantham: The usual: Death to Rosenberg, Retire Rosenberg, Cut off the oxygen.
Justice Rosenberg: [laughs] That's my favorite. Of course you, Mr Grantham, did pretty good by me your last time out: Rosenberg equals the government over business, the individual over government, the environment over everything. And the Indians? Oh, give 'em whatever they want.
Gray Grantham: Well with all due respects sir, that wasn't my line, that was a quote.
Justice Rosenberg: From one of your unnamed senior White House officials; senior White House son of a bitch I should have said, who got in there by stirring up these people, one against the other. It never fails to amaze me what a man will do to get into the Oval Office.
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Soundtrack:
My Mammy moreFAQ
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Forget the plot holes. Forget the implausibility of the story. This is Grisham, the modern-day master of legal and political conspiracy and intrigue.
This movie centers on one thing: the chemistry between the on-screen duo of Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. And they do not disappoint. Both give absolutely stellar performances, Washington as the reporter who desperately wants his story to see the light of day but is not afraid to let his compassion show through, and Roberts as a terrified law student engulfed in a situation where she is way over her head, trying simultaneously to survive and avenge the death of her lover. There is not one scene, not one bit of dialogue, verbal or non-verbal, that doesn't make be believe everything they say, and that is a testament to the acting abilities of Roberts and Washington, two of Hollywood's best.
For pretty much the entire second half of the movie, Denzel and Julia's characters work together to find proof of the conspiracy that resulted in the assassination of two Supreme Court judges, while at the same time dodging unscrupulous lawyers, heavies and an international hitman.
In their final scene together, when Darby is taking the FBI director's private plane out of the country, the bond that has grown between her and Gray is extremely noticeable. They deplane, and Gray shows Darby the headline exposing the conspiracy. Darby smiles, shakes Gray's hand, and proceeds to walk to the car that will take her to her new location.... but no, a handshake is just not enough, not after what they'd been through... so she goes back and gives Gray a huge hug, which he returns. The mutual respect is there for all to see. No words are spoken throughout the entire scene, they are not necessary.
Having read many of Grisham's books and seen all of the movies adapted from those books, I wondered how "The Pelican Brief" would stack up against all the others in the long run. In my opinion, it is still the best of the bunch.
My score: a solid 10.