A good legal dispute is the stuff great dramas are made of🎃, with all their rebuttals, arguments and surprise witnesses. That’s why it’s so easy to name 25 absolutely stellar courtroom drama movies, complete with all that good stuff. There’s something intrinsically cinematic about a courtroom after all: there’s tension, strong charact𝓰ers, powerful words and usually some good, old-fashioned up-staging too.
Actually, we’d argue that pretty much any movie can be made bꦰetter with a touch of courtroom drama, judge wigs and all. Therefore, is it any wonder that many actors turn in some of their most powerful perf🐼ormances when they have to play wrongly-accused victims or crusading lawyers?
25. The Hurricane (1999)
The Case: Boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter (Denzel 🎃Washington) is convicted༺ of triple-homicide and sentenced to three life terms. Can he fight back against a racist system?
Only In The Movies: The Hurricane me🅰t with much controversy upon release for its meddling with the facts surrounding the real case. A New Yorker critic branded it false, evasive and factually very ♛thin a liberal fairytale. Still great, though.
24. Erin Brockovich (2000)
The Case: Very little t🍸ime spent in the courtroom here, but its still a film that builds a compelling case, as Ms. Brockovich (Julia Roberts) attempts to bring justice to a California power company.
Only In The Movies: Its based on the true story of a real woman, but theres no denying it relies on some serioඣus star wattage from Roberts and Albert Finney.
23. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
The Case: Inℱexperienced law-practiti🌼oner Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci) is called in when his young cousin (Ralph Macchio) is charged with murder in suburban Alabama.
Only In The Movies: A confession💯 for stealing tuna turns into a massive homicide case? Yep, only in Hollywood.
22. Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
The Case:ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ A lawyer attempts to free an old man who believes he is Santa Claus from the asylum that heꦅ's been confined to.
Only In The Movies: This happened for real in the 1800s, but the twee premise combined with no-nonsense courtroom procedure pr💞ovides the kind of drama that could only exist in the movies.
21. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
The Case: Slick-as-crude-oil💦 lawyer Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is hired by rich kid Louis (Ryan Phillippe) ♋when he's charged with sexual assault.
Only In The Movies: Would a defence attorney and a 🐎prosecutor have a child together in reality? And would they really be unable to make🌞 their relationship work because of their morally opposite standings?
20. In The Bedroom (2001)
The Case: Richard Strout (William Mapother) kills Frank Fowler (Nick Stahl🙈) after seeing him with his wife. When it looks likely that hell get𒉰 off scot-free, others take matters into their own hands.
Only In The Movies: Though the case is one soaked 🏅in blood and guilt, director Todd Field plays everything with an under-stated eye that makes it truly devastating.
19. Sleepers (1996)
The Case: Four boys are sentenced to a year in the Wilkenson Centre after a pran🌞k gone wrong results in an old man being injured.
Only In The Movies: Here, the court case is simply the beginning for these f♉our boys, whose lives are changed irredeemably by the verdict. A great look at what happens after the courtrooms gone quiet.
18. Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
The Case: A career man (Dustin Hoffman) who has little time for his young son finds himself lumbered with the child when his w💜ife (Meryl Streep) disappears. When the boy's mother returns, his father fights for full custody.
Only In The Movies: Plot-wise, the relationship between Ted Kramer and his son smacks of Hollywood heart-string pluckage. Meanwhile, the idea that the boy would have to testify, as championed by🔯 Howard Duff,꧟ is absolute movie rubbish.
17. Fury (1936)
The Case: Joe Wilson (Spe꧑ncer Tracy) is arrested for kidnapping a child. When a mob burns down the jail, the district attorney (Walter Abel) takes the perpetrators to court for murder.
Only In The Movies: A classic in it🍌s own right, but director Fritz Lang was restricted by MGM who demanded that he make his protagonist innocent and bolt on a happy endi🦩ng. Not at all like modern movies, then
16. Primal Fear (1996)
The Case: Lawyer Martin Vail (Richard Gere) defend𓆉s an altar boy who🌺 is accused of murdering a priest in cold blood, but is it as clear cut as all that?
Only In The Movies: The f𒅌ilm's giant plot 𒆙twist is almost too far-fetched to be realistic, but it packs one hell of a wallop dramatically.
