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
- Writers
- John Grisham(book)
- Alan J. Pakula(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- John Grisham(book)
- Alan J. Pakula(screenplay)
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations
Videos1
James Sikking
- FBI Director Denton Voylesas FBI Director Denton Voyles
- (as James B. Sikking)
- Director
- Writers
- John Grisham(book)
- Alan J. Pakula(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Two Supreme Court Justices have been killed. Now a college professor, who clerked for one of the two men and who is also having an affair with one of his students, is given a brief by her that states who probably wanted to see these two men dead. He then gives it to one of his friends, who works for the FBI. When the FBI director reads it, he is fascinated by it. One of the president's men who read it is afraid that if it ever got out, the president could be smeared. So he advises the president to tell the director to drop it, which he does. But later the professor and the girl were out and he was drunk and when he refused to give her the keys, she stepped out of the car. When he started it, it blew up. She then discovers that her place has been burglarized and what was taken were her computer and her disks. Obviously, her brief has someone agitated. She then turns to her boyfriend's friend at the FBI. He agrees to come meet her but before he does, someone shoots him and takes his place. At the meeting, he was about to kill her when someone shoots him. She then decides to turn to Gray Grantham, an investigative reporter, who was contacted by someone who says he has info on the killings but backed out at the last minute. He then meets her and tells her what her brief is, and basically, the man she suspects is a good friend of the president, and is trying to manipulate the outcome of a trial that is now before the Supreme Court. Grantham tells her that her brief can harm the president and although all they have are theories, he asks her to help him, but she wants to leave the country. Then Grantham's editor tells him that they have nothing, that he should drop cause the man she implicated is extremely powerful. Grantham is about to drop it when she says that she will help him. But can they stay alive? —rcs0411@yahoo.com
- Taglines
- Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. One lone law student has stumbled upon the truth. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead.
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated PG-13 for momentary language and some violence
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed in sequence.
- GoofsJustice 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.
- SoundtracksBlues For Carol
Written and Performed by Clarence Hollimon
Courtesy of Black Top Records
Top review
Good Suspense -- For the Intelligent Movie-Goer
I enjoyed this film very much. It is well acted, and has plenty of star power, with great performances from Roberts and Washington. The story is compelling, and the cinematography lends itself to excellent suspense. However, many moviegoers (including myself) will find elements of the plot confusing and hard to follow. There are a great number of characters, and it is often difficult to tell who is who -- most of the "bad guys" dress alike and have similar hair, so distinguishing them becomes challenging. This may be a minor flaw in either casting or costume, making the characters somewhat undistinguishable. However, it also makes the plot quite intriguing, as the intelligent moviegoer becomes entangled at guessing just exactly who is associated with who, and so on. Still an excellent suspense movie -- if you like other Grisham movies (The Firm, the Rainmaker, etc.) you will like The Pelican Brief. But be warned: watch the film in an attentive state, and be prepared to think a lot. If you are a lazy, sit-back-and-relax type of viewer, this may not be the film for you.
helpful•10928
- KCS82
- Jul 25, 2000
Details
Box office
- 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
- Runtime2 hours 21 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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