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The Paper Chase (1973)

 -  Comedy | Drama  -  16 October 1973 (USA)
7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 3,975 users  
Reviews: 62 user | 13 critic

A first-year law student struggles with balancing his coursework and his relationship with the daughter of a stern professor.

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Title: The Paper Chase (1973)

The Paper Chase (1973) on IMDb 7.1/10

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
Kevin Brooks
...
...
Robert Lydiard ...
O'Connor (as Bob Lydiard)
Lenny Baker ...
William Moss, Tutor
...
Toombs
Regina Baff ...
Irma Hurley ...
Mrs. Weasal
Bill Moher ...
Philip
...
Miss Farranti
Richard Whelan ...
Pruit
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Storyline

Hart is a first year law student, desperately trying to impress his sternest professor, Kingsfield. Hart is overwhelmed with the pressure, the work, and his fear of failure. He meets Susan and begins an affair with her, discovering that she is Kingsfield's daughter. Not really love story as much as it is a becoming an adult tale. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

You have to choose between the girl you love and the diploma you've worked for all your life. You have 30 seconds.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

16 October 1973 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Vida de un estudiante  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Average Shot Length = ~8.7 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~8.1 seconds. See more »

Goofs

The airplane Hart makes from the envelope and the one that he throws from the rocks are two different planes. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Professor Kingsfield: Mr. Hart, would you recite for us the facts of Hawkins versus McGee?
[looks up]
Professor Kingsfield: I do have you name right? You are "Mr. Hart"?
Hart: [mumbles] Yes, my name's Hart.
Professor Kingsfield: You're not speaking loud enough, Mr. Hart. Will you speak up?
Hart: Yes, my name's Hart.
Professor Kingsfield: Mr. Hart, you're still not speaking loud enough. Will you stand?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Mary and Rhoda (2000) See more »

Soundtracks

"THE 'LITTLE FUGUE' IN G-"
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
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User Reviews

Can You Dig It?
16 October 2000 | by See all my reviews

I saw this on an early VHS video transfer that was just awful. I then saw it years later on TCM in widescreen DVD format and was blown away by all I'd missed on that c****y video version. This is a first rate drama of a harried Harvard law student. Make sure you see this in widescreen so you can get the full effect of the wonderful scenes like the one where Hart and his buddy sneak into the upstairs library with the glass lighted floor to sneak a peek at Kingsfield's law student notes. I especially liked the way director James Bridges reflected the lighted floor off of Hart's glasses. A very nice touch from an underrated director. No car chases, no action sequences, no over the top plots, just a simple character driven story set in the beautiful Harvard law school. This is what great filmmaking is all about.


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