TOP 5 COURTROOM DRAMAS

As I wrapped up watching The People vs. O.J. Simpson this week it kind of amazed me how a courtroom drama can capture so many emotions.  I knew how the story was going to end but I still couldn’t help but feel sorry for all the characters, even the guilty ones.  In honor of how reinvigorated everyone became with, “The Trial of the Century” we’ll take a look at the top five courtroom dramas.

Honorable Mention: My Cousin Vinny

This is not a drama so probably has no place on the list, but how great is this movie?  I don’t care how many times Joe Pesci has portrayed a gangster; his most memorable roles are always infused with a little comedy.  And not for one second do I believe that Marissa Tomei didn’t deserve that Oscar; she is standout hilarious throughout the movie.  The two of them combined elevate My Cousin Vinny to a comedy classic and do what most stories veer away from: they make a courtroom funny.

5) Philadelphia 

Denzel and Hanks sharing the screen? It’d be impossible to leave this one off the list. At the time this was the first big-budget Hollywood movie to deal with the AIDS epidemic.  Director Jonathan Demme gets a little sappy trying to deliver his message but I fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Tom Hanks is absolutely amazing as Andrew Beckett and was awarded Best Actor for his performance. Probably a little dated by now, but its message about discrimination is still relevant today. 

4) JFK

I really enjoyed Kevin Costner when he was in his prime, but to this day I can’t tell if he is trying to match the dialect of his character or just doing some classic early nineties overacting. Either way, I know I eat it up whenever I see him on screen. But he isn’t the only one, as Oliver Stone rounds up a ton of Hollywood heavyweights to help share this popular conspiracy theory. How much of it is true? Well the President was shot. Other than that I have no idea, but I was entertained the whole time. You are going to need to buckle in because this movie is three hours long. If you don’t have time for that please enjoy a Seinfeld recreation featuring a classic Mets implosion to start it all off. 
 
3) To Kill a Mockingbird

I knew what my top three movies would be immediately; it was putting them in order that took a second. I would assume many people know the story of To Kill a Mockingbird by now, having read it in school. If you never have you should. Atticus is one of the greatest fictional heroes of all time, no matter what sequels/first drafts would tell you. Finch proves himself in court and leaves no doubt to the innocence of his client, which helps to further the story’s drama. This story is must-read and a must-watch for people of all ages. Who knows; maybe if you were lucky you got to watch the movie in class and skip your science lesson.
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2) A Few Good Men

One of my favorite movies of all time and probably where I first fell in love with Aaron Sorkin’s writing.  Originally a stage play but then adapted to the screen by Rob Reiner, another fantastic cast comes together to take on a story that relies mostly on its dialogue.  The climatic exchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson lives up to the expectation. The movie is also deservedly featured on the list of AFI’s Top Movie Lines. I can’t wait to see how NBC handles the story when they bring a live adaptation to the small screen this fall. This is a movie I would sit down and watch any time it came on TV. 

1) 12 Angry Men

While I enjoy A Few Good Men more, 12 Angry Men is the superior movie. Another movie taken from the stage and set to film, almost the entire story takes place in one location. A black and white film with heavy dialogue may seem like a homework assignment to those unfamiliar with the story but this movie is worth a visit. Henry Fonda plays the one man willing to hold out against 11 other men who just want to go home and escape the unbearably hot jury room. The dialogue is brilliant, as is the pacing of the story. Many thanks to Amy Schumer for bringing this iconic film back into the limelight when she parodied the story on her show. One of her most heavily praised episodes of all time by the way.
 
What do you think of this list?  Did I leave anything off?  Next week back to reviews and I take a look at the new live-action Jungle Book.