Ah, the 90s - hipster jeans, Discmans, scrunchies, and the heyday of courtroom drama movies. It really was a golden age, so it’s no wonder that 90s trends are having a revival. We hope blockbuster courtroom dramas with big stars, great storytelling, and suspenseful twists are on their way back too. Legal and courtroom films in the 90s got thrust into the spotlight through successful adaptations of John Grisham novels. Grisham has been a prolific author of legal thriller novels over the past four decades and was the original author of five of the films in this list - A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, and The Rainmaker. Other filmmakers saw how much audiences enjoyed these films and followed suit in eking out tense dramas and thrillers from novels featuring a wide variety of legal and courtroom battles.
It’s fair to say that there’s still plenty of interest in legal dramas, but they just don’t make ‘em like they did back in the 90s. Take a trip down memory lane with us - here are 16 of our favorite courtroom movies from the 90s (in alphabetical order).
A Few Good Men (1992)
Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kiefer Sutherland - an all-star ensemble cast directed by Rob Reiner and based on a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin - what more could you want? Maybe you’re after an infamous line that is still used to this day… well - “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” sure has that base covered.
A Few Good Men is a tense, suspenseful drama that keeps you on your toes until the final fiery exchange between young hotshot lawyer Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Colonel Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) where all is revealed. The film deals with the sensitive topic of extrajudicial punishments in the US military (known as a ‘code red’) and how the ordering of a code red may have led to a marine’s untimely death. The plot may be a bit predictable by the end but the convincing performances by the film’s stars and the sharp, quick-talking dialogue we’ve come to expect of Sorkin are reason enough to give this one a watch.
A Time to Kill (1996)
The first of the John Grisham adaptations and a great one to start with is A Time to Kill. Some more big names like Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, and Kiefer Sutherland lend their acting chops to a solid courtroom film that deals with the complex themes of racism and rape in a sensitive and nuanced way.
This film was the second Grisham adaptation to be directed by Joel Schumacher after he took the helm for The Client. It seems he developed a deft touch through that experience - A Time to Kill maintains a delicateness and sincerity to the story while also dealing with a harrowing topic. This contrast, along with the moving and empathetic performances by the cast, keeps the film interesting and absorbing.
Amistad (1997)
Amistad is an underrated addition to the 90s legal drama genre. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film depicts the workings of the slave trade in a nuanced and careful way. This sensitive treatment is accentuated by the empathetic performances of yet another all-star cast including Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, and Morgan Freeman. The film is loosely based on true events that occurred on a Spanish slave ship, La Amistad, in 1839. The story depicts the capture of abducted African men who were intended for slavery in America. The men were successful in taking over control of their abductors’ ship but were misdirected towards America and therefore recaptured by the American Navy.
The film looks at the international legal battle that followed their recapture and the harsh imbalance of power in the slave trade, particularly when legalities unfold in a foreign land and language for the defendants. The screenplay was written by David Franzoni based on a 1987 book by Howard Jones, Mutiny on the Amistad.
Disclosure (1994)
Disclosure is another 90s legal film based on a novel - but this time it’s the Michael Crichton novel of the same name. Directed by Barry Levinson and featuring Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, and Donald Sutherland, Disclosure takes on a case of sexual harassment in the workplace. The film follows Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas), a senior executive at a technology business that is planning on launching a new product as part of a recent merger.
Tom expects to be promoted to lead the new product division but gets pipped to the post by an ex-fling, Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore). Meredith and Tom have a consensual sexual tryst in her office but she subsequently sues Tom for sexual harassment. Tom soon finds his work life and personal life threatened by the claims. It’s a slightly sexier courtroom drama with a business tinge to it, along with some nice flashbacks to "modern" technology in the 90s - CD-ROMs, mass file deletion, and even VR glasses!
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Another classic legal thriller from the 90s is Double Jeopardy, starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. It’s gotten mixed reviews since its release, but it’s an absolute classic story about an accused seeking out the truth and eventually getting revenge for a false accusation.
The film follows the story of Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd), who wakes up to find a bloody crime scene and her husband, Nick, gone. Libby gets convicted for his murder with a suspected motive of collecting the insurance money. After six years in prison, Libby gets paroled and commences a desperate journey to be reunited with her son Matty and to discover the truth about Nick, while her parole officer (Tommy Lee Jones) follows her tracks.
In the Name of the Father (1993)
From one classic to the next… In the Name of the Father is a harrowing and powerful tale based on a true story. Daniel Day-Lewis brings his trademark intensity to the film and gives an impressive performance as Gerry Conlon. Set in 1974 amidst the tensions between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British Army, Gerry is a young Irish man wrongly sentenced to life in prison along with his father Patrick Conlon (Pete Postlethwaite) and three other innocent people (later known as The Guildford Four) after the police coerced a confession from him regarding an IRA bombing. The film follows Gerry’s next 15 years trying to prove their innocence.
The screenplay was co-written and adapted by Terry George and Jim Sheridan (who also directed) from Gerry Conlon’s 1990 autobiography. It was well received and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, and Best Picture.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
The one comedic addition to this list is My Cousin Vinny. The movie largely revolves around the comedy chops of Joe Pesci as Vinny Gambini, a novice lawyer who is tasked with a big case as his first-ever trial. He is enlisted by family members to defend his cousin Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Bill's friend, Stan Rothenstein (Mitchell Whitfield), in a big murder case in Alabama.
It’s largely a comedy, but it surprisingly also does the courtroom legal drama realistically - maybe with a slightly more lenient judge than in most cases - but the laughs come in a natural way that pulls you into the film and onto the side of Vinny and the defendants.
Philadelphia (1993)
For a more serious take on a courtroom drama, Philadelphia gives us some star performances and was one of the first mainstream movies to address HIV/AIDS and homophobia with nuance and sensitivity. The film was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme.
Tom Hanks stars as Andrew Beckett, a young corporate lawyer based in Philadelphia who is infected with AIDS but keeps his diagnosis and his homosexuality private from his employers. Andrew is suddenly dismissed from the firm after a small misstep that is attributed to his fault. He wants to sue for unfair dismissal but has trouble finding an attorney to represent him. He approaches personal injury lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) but Joe is concerned that he could contract AIDS from Andrew so he turns him down initially. Joe eventually realizes the discrimination that Andrew faces and takes his case on to form an indomitable duo.
Primal Fear (1996)
Yet another book adaptation on the list, Primal Fear is based on a novel by William Diehl of the same name. And as with most other movies on this list, it attracted some big names like Richard Gere, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, and Edward Norton to the production.
Primal Fear introduces us to Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a defense attorney who defends a young, stuttering altar boy, Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), who is charged with the murder of a high-profile Catholic archbishop. The film has plenty of twists and courtroom maneuvers, and it boasts intense performances, notably by Edward Norton. He was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Sleepers (1996)
In a similar vein, Sleepers also deals with the heavy theme of child sexual abuse and is based on a novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Barry Levinson wrote, produced, and directed the film. In doing so, he was tasked with managing an ensemble all-star cast, including Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Minnie Driver.
Sleepers tells the story of four young men who are sent to a detention center after a prank goes horribly wrong. Whilst in the detention center, they are abused by the guards and suffer long-term issues from the abuse. The film revisits them when they are older and two of the men stand accused of the murder of one of the guards that abused them as children. The four men are brought back together, and they hatch a plan to bring the guards to justice for their crimes.
The Client (1994)
The second Grisham novel adaptation on the list, The Client follows the story of a young boy, Mark Sway (Brad Renfro), who witnesses a mob lawyer committing suicide. As the lawyer commits suicide, he tells Mark some important information about a politician’s recent disappearance that is suspected to be connected to the mafia.
Mark enlists the help of lawyer (and recovering alcoholic) Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon) to protect him from the mob who want to keep him quiet about what he knows, and also from the intense pressure being exerted on him by attorney Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones). Roy has set his sights on this case to propel him into politics and is therefore aggressive in trying to get Mark to reveal what he knows about the politician’s disappearance. Not the best of the Grisham adaptations but still a solid watch with some good performances from young Renfro, Sarandon, and Jones.
The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
Now for a courtroom movie that gets a bit supernatural and really goes to town with the special effects - The Devil’s Advocate. This movie is also based on a book of the same name by Andrew Neiderman. The film tells the story of a hotshot Florida lawyer, Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves), who has never lost a case. He receives an offer to move to New York City to work with a prestigious law firm - one of the biggest opportunities of his career. Kevin moves to the city with his wife Mary Ann (played by Charlize Theron) and gets treated like royalty.
However, what follows are a series of subtle temptations that sees Kevin spending less time with Mary Ann and more time at the firm with his charismatic and powerful boss, John Milton (Al Pacino). It gets a bit heavy on the special effects late on in the movie, but the performances by the main characters ensure that the moral of the story stays strong.
The Firm (1993)
With a similar moral to The Devil’s Advocate, The Firm is about a young lawyer getting tempted by the trappings of a prestigious corporate law firm. The Firm is based on the John Grisham novel of the same name and is directed by Sydney Pollack.
The story follows Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), a Harvard Law graduate who gets a generous offer from a boutique law firm in Memphis. They set him up with a house and a car, and pay off his student debts, but in return, Mitch commits more and more hours to the firm. As he becomes closer to his mentor at the firm, Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman), he starts to learn about some dodgy dealings by the firm and has to decide where his morals lie as a lawyer and a person.
The Firm was the highest-grossing film adapted from a Grisham novel and features stellar performances by Cruise, Hackman, Ed Harris, and Holly Hunter.
The Pelican Brief (1993)
The second last Grisham adaptation on this list is The Pelican Brief. The story follows a law student, Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts), who writes a brief about why she thinks an assassin killed two Supreme Court justices. She soon learns that her theory was correct and subsequently gets followed by thugs who want to keep the theory quiet. Darby gets in touch with a reporter, Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), to uncover more about the story, and eventually, they get enmeshed in a dangerous situation due to greed and oil, i.e. the root of so many conflicts.
Adapted and directed by Alan J Pakula, The Pelican Brief is another solid Grisham adaptation with good performances by the leads and enough thrilling turns to keep viewers interested.
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
The People vs. Larry Flynt is a biographical drama based on the life of Larry Flynt (played in the film by Woody Harrelson). Flynt was the founder of Hustler magazine (starting out as a newsletter for a go-go club in Cincinnati) and finds himself defending his business from religious groups with the goal to protect freedom of speech. The movie follows 35 years of his life, from his upbringing in Kentucky to a memorable court case being brought against him by Reverend Jerry Falwell.
The film didn’t generate great financial success, but it did find success in the form of Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (Harrelson) and Best Director (Milos Forman). The film also features Courtney Love and Edward Norton - both putting in impressive performances - and was written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
The Rainmaker (1997)
What better way to round out the list than with the final Grisham adaptation? Directed and adapted by Francis Ford Coppola, The Rainmaker features the story of Rudy (played by Matt Damon), an inexperienced and down-and-out law school graduate who teams up with office paralegal Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito) to start a small practice. They agree to take on a case for a boy with leukemia against his insurance companies as they won’t pay for a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
The film has a great cast in Damon, DeVito, Claire Danes, and Jon Voight, and has great direction from Coppola. The storyline also steps above a single legal case and takes a look at the legal landscape more broadly as Rudy and Deck deal with the moral ambiguities of running a law firm as a business. It’s been rated as arguably the best of the Grisham adaptations so an apt way to cap off this list!