Duvall's testimony was as good a courtroom scene as has ever been filmed, and technically accurate, too. (I say this from 32 years as a trial lawyer.) Beautifully directed. I am biased in favor of Duvall, but I think both he and Downey are in the running for an Oscar for this must-not-miss movie. The movie itself might even be nominated for the Best Movie Oscar. For those who think this was a tearjerker, reflect on how profoundly life-changing it is to grow into adulthood without your father's approval -- or worse, with his active disapproval. The complexities of the sibling relationships is honest and painful and, in the case of the youngest brother, tender. The cherry on top is Downey's parting observation in the men's room to the federal prosecutor about the "miracle" of 12 average people coming together and doing justice. This is a true thing and is part of how the American justice system has managed to survive.
Review of The Judge
