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The Pelican Brief

  • 1993
  • PG-13
  • 2h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
91K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,350
1,101
Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaMystery

A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.

  • Director
    • Alan J. Pakula
  • Writers
    • John Grisham
    • Alan J. Pakula
  • Stars
    • Julia Roberts
    • Denzel Washington
    • Sam Shepard
  • See production, box office & company info
    • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    91K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,350
    1,101
    • Director
      • Alan J. Pakula
    • Writers
      • John Grisham
      • Alan J. Pakula
    • Stars
      • Julia Roberts
      • Denzel Washington
      • Sam Shepard
    • 151User reviews
    • 58Critic reviews
    • 50Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations

    Videos1

    The Pelican Brief
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch The Pelican Brief

    Photos106

    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Kyra Sedgwick, and Haley Aull in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)
    Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Julia Roberts
    Julia Roberts
    • Darby Shaw
    Denzel Washington
    Denzel Washington
    • Gray Grantham
    Sam Shepard
    Sam Shepard
    • Thomas Callahan
    John Heard
    John Heard
    • Gavin Verheek
    Tony Goldwyn
    Tony Goldwyn
    • Fletcher Coal
    James Sikking
    James Sikking
    • FBI Director Denton Voyles
    • (as James B. Sikking)
    William Atherton
    William Atherton
    • Bob Gminski
    Robert Culp
    Robert Culp
    • President
    Stanley Tucci
    Stanley Tucci
    • Khamel
    Hume Cronyn
    Hume Cronyn
    • Justice Rosenberg
    John Lithgow
    John Lithgow
    • Smith Keen
    Anthony Heald
    Anthony Heald
    • Marty Velmano
    Nicholas Woodeson
    Nicholas Woodeson
    • Stump
    Stanley Anderson
    Stanley Anderson
    • Edwin Sneller
    John Finn
    John Finn
    • Matthew Barr
    Cynthia Nixon
    Cynthia Nixon
    • Alice Stark
    Jake Weber
    Jake Weber
    • Charles Morgan…
    Casey Biggs
    Casey Biggs
    • Eric East
    • Director
      • Alan J. Pakula
    • Writers
      • John Grisham
      • Alan J. Pakula
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    7.2
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    Double Jeopardy
    6.5
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For the scenes inside the White House, the sets created for "Dave (1993)" were used.
    • Goofs
      Justice Jensen is killed by Khamel using a rope to strangle him. It takes him no more than a second to kill him. It seems highly unlikely that one could strangle a person in just one second. However, the strangulation is not shown, but judging by Khamel's quick yank and the sound Jensen made, it seems likely that he successfully dislocated or crushed a vertebra in his neck, which would quickly cause suffocation.
    • Quotes

      Gray Grantham: Do you want to talk about the brief?

      Darby Shaw: Everyone I have told about the brief is dead.

      Gray Grantham: I take my chances.

    • Alternate versions
      The Blu-ray release plastered the opening Warner Bros. Pictures logo with the silent version of the 2003 variant.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Schindler's List/Geronimo: An American Legend/Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit/Wayne's World 2/Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Blues For Carol
      Written and Performed by Clarence Hollimon
      Courtesy of Black Top Records

    User reviews151

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Rewatching in 2021 and it's still a great film
    Love it. It's an enjoyable story and Julia & Denzel are a deligt to see.
    helpful•42
    3
    • sacdielbandhoesing
    • Mar 20, 2021

    Top picks

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    FAQ7

    • What is "The Pelican Brief" about?
    • Is "The Pelican Brief" based on a book?
    • How did Darby know to get out of the rental car before it blew up?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hồ Sơ Bồ Nông
    • Filming locations
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $45,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $100,768,056
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $16,864,404
      • Dec 19, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $195,268,056
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 21 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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