The Pelican Brief (1993)

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

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

John Grisham (book), Alan J. Pakula (screenplay)

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Roberts	...	Darby Shaw
Denzel Washington	...	Gray Grantham
Sam Shepard	...	Thomas Callahan
John Heard	...	Gavin Vereek
Tony Goldwyn	...	Fletcher Coal
James Sikking	...	FBI Director Denton Voyles (as James B. Sikking)
William Atherton	...	Bob Gminski
Robert Culp	...	President
Stanley Tucci	...	Khamel
Hume Cronyn	...	Justice Rosenberg
John Lithgow	...	Smith Keen
Anthony Heald	...	Marty Velmano
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Stump
Stanley Anderson	...	Edwin Sneller
John Finn	...	Matthew Barr

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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

aerial camera shot | murderess | swiss bank account | college lecture | hotel room | 

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Taglines:

From the author of "The Firm" and "The Client" and the director of "Presumed Innocent" and "All The President's Men."

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Alan J. Pakula pulled a prank on the set, involving the then-couple Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett. Roberts was filming a scene where she is supposed to talk on the phone with the character played by John Heard. Pakula sent Heard's lines to Lovett (who was touring and away from where the film was being made), allowing him to speak to his wife. Roberts played the scene normally, though she didn't recognized the voice over the phone. It was only after Pakula yelled "Cut!" that she learned that it was Lovett who was acting with her.

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Goofs

In every scene when Gray is speaking on the phone, land lines at that time, he has the bottom part of the phone pressed up against the bottom of his chin. The party of the other end of the line would not be able to hear him.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Justice Rosenberg: Any of those signs got my name on 'em?
Gray Grantham: Quite a few.
Justice Rosenberg: What do they say?
Gray Grantham: The usual: Death to Rosenberg, Retire Rosenberg, Cut off the oxygen.
Justice Rosenberg: [laughs] That's my favorite. Of course you, Mr Grantham, did pretty good by me your last time out: Rosenberg equals the government over business, the individual over government, the environment over everything. And the Indians? Oh, give 'em whatever they want.
Gray Grantham: Well with all due respects sir, that wasn't my line, that was a quote.
Justice Rosenberg: From one of your ...

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Connections

Referenced in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995)

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Soundtracks

Wiggle
Written by Mike Darby
Performed by Irene and The Mikes

User Reviews

Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington team-up in this crime thriller

RELEASED IN 1993 and directed by Alan J. Pakula from John Grisham's novel, "The Pelican Brief" is a political drama/thriller about a law student (Julia Roberts) who researches the murders of two supreme court justices and shares her theory with her college professor (Sam Shepard) who, in turn, gives it to an FBI friend on a lark. The brief hits a nerve because people start dying one-by-one. Denzel Washington plays a DC reporter who teams-up with the student while Robert Culp appears as the president.

While I prefer "The Firm" (1993), which was also written by Grisham, this one is along the same lines, albeit with a totally different story (naturally). "Pelican" has more action, but the plot/characters aren't quite as interesting IMHO. Still, if you liked one, you'll probably appreciate the other.

THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hours, 21 minutes and was shot in New Orleans and Washington DC/Maryland. ADDITIONAL CAST: John Heard plays an FBI agent, Stanley Tucci a hitman and John Lithgow an editor.

GRADE: B/B-

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'affaire Pélican

Filming Locations:

Spanish Plaza, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,864,404, 19 December 1993

Gross USA:

$100,768,056

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$195,268,056

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1