Inherit the Wind (1988) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

David Greene

Writers (WGA):

Jerome Lawrence (play) &
Robert E. Lee (play) ...

Release Date:

20 March 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Based on a real-life case in 1925, two great lawyers argue the case for and against a science teacher accused of the crime of teaching evolution.

Plot Keywords:

Scopes Monkey Trial | Clarence Darrow | Reference To Charles Darwin | Religion | Courtroom

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Matthew Harrison Brady
Jason Robards	...	Henry Drummond
Darren McGavin	...	E.K. Hornbeck
John Harkins	...	Judge
Megan Follows	...	Rachel Brown
Kyle Secor	...	Bertram Cates
Michael Ensign	...	Reverend Brown
Don Hood	...	Mayor
Jean Simmons	...	Lucy Brady
Josh Clark	...	Davenport
Scotch Byerley	...	Meeker
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Dunlap
Douglas Dirkson	...	Mr. Bannister
Richard Lineback	...	Sillers
Tom McCleister	...	Bailiff

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Jacksonville, Oregon, USA

Company:

Vincent Pictures

Trivia:

In publicity for the television film, Kirk Douglas told reporters: "We went into the transcript of the real trial and found a lot more stuff (that is) much more dramatic, and much more pertinent to what's happening today. At the time this actually took place, you didn't have all of today's TV evangelists. There's no doubt that there is a tremendous and strong fundamentalist force in this country today, and we wanted to present this fairly, in dramatic terms."

Quotes:

Matthew Harrison Brady: They laughed at me, Lucy. They laughed at me. God forbid I should fail here and now.
Lucy Brady: I know, darling. But, after all, it is just one teacher in Hillsboro.
Matthew Harrison Brady: One? One teacher is enough to bring this country back to where we were before. I tell you, Lucy, we've got to stop them now. Thank God there is still time. I'm drafting a closing argument that will bring the Henry Drummonds of this world to their knees. Listen, Lucy: "Religion isn't hostile to learning. But can we ever permit learning that encourages godlessness in our schools?"
[...]

Movie Connections:

Version of Inherit the Wind (1999) (TV)

See one of the other two versions instead.

Weakest of the three versions of the story of the Scopes Trial this version suffers from shortening, rewriting and worst of all commercials.

This isn't to say its bad, its not. The problem is that compared to the original Spencer Tracy film this film comes off as a good summer stock to the originals Broadway show case.

The cast is game. Kirk Douglas is perhaps a bit odd at first as the William Jennings Bryan character, but after a few minutes he slips into the groove and all is fine. Jason Robards' is excellent, unfortunately there is something about the way this was put together for TV that kills his momentum in the home stretch.

Seeing this with out commercials doesn't help since the pauses still are there.

If its on try it, but if you must see some version of this go for one of the other two.