Strange Justice (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Ernest R. Dickerson

Writers (WGA):

Jane Mayer (book) &
Jill Abramson (book) ...

Release Date:

29 August 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Fact-based story about the sexual harassment suit filed by Anita Hill (Regina Taylor) during the appointment...

Plot Keywords:

Sexual Harassment | Supreme Court Nominee | Based On True Story | Based On Book

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Delroy Lindo	...	Clarence Thomas
Mandy Patinkin	...	Kenneth Duberstein
Regina Taylor	...	Anita Hill
Paul Winfield	...	Thurgood Marshall
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Vernon Jordan
Stephen Young	...	Sen. Danforth
Phillip Shepherd	...	Charles Goodman
Mimi Kuzyk	...	Marion Gray
Sherry Miller	...	Susan Deller Ross
Julie Khaner	...	Julie Desavia
Leila Johnson	...	Karen Hall
Janet Land	...	Ginni Lamp Thomas
Lisa Mende	...	Shirley Wiegand
Karen Glave	...	Sondra Norris
Barclay Hope	...	Tom Daniels

MPAA:

Rated R for some language.

Runtime:

95 min | Germany:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Germany:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In 1998 Rupert Murdoch ordered Fox Television to abandon its planned production of "Strange Justice," a drama based on the book of that title by the New York Times Jill Abramson and the New Yorker's Jane Mayer about the confirmation of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. (It was subsequently produced and shown by Showtime.) According to a New York Times report, Murdoch told an associate that Thomas was a friend of his and that he had been railroaded during his confirmation hearing.

Movie Connections:

References Beauty and the Beast (1982)

Could have been pretty good but flopped.

The acting was pretty good as was the casting and editing. There was some attempt at revising history but over all was fairly accurate. What was most distracting from the quality was the ill chosen transformation of Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill. During their testimony the light suddenly changed, their notes and microphone disappeared. Anita became almost demonic at one point. Clarence took off everything above his belt except his tie, approached the senate committee and ranted for five minutes. Then suddenly the lighting went back to normal, their notes and microphone reappeared and both witnesses went back to their normal selves. I have no idea what the director was trying to communicate other than his ability to not communicate. ???+