Inherit the Wind (1999)

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.

Director:

Daniel Petrie (as Daniel Petrie Sr.)

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, Lane Smith

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Henry Drummond
George C. Scott	...	Matthew Harrison Brady
Lane Smith	...	Reverend Jeremiah Brown
Tom Everett Scott	...	Bertram Cates
Kathryn Morris	...	Rachel Brown
John Cullum	...	Judge Merle Coffey
Brad Greenquist	...	Tom Davenport
David Wells	...	Mayor Carter
Peter Mackenzie	...	Jesse Dunlap
Dennis Cockrum	...	Meeker
Steve Monroe	...	Howard
Jim Meskimen	...	Sauber
Royce D. Applegate	...	George Sillers
Amzie Strickland	...	Mrs. Krebs
Ronnie Claire Edwards	...	Mrs. Haley

Storyline

This is another re-enactment of the play about the trial in 1925 of a school teacher who dared to teach Darwinian theory in his classroom. He did this as a consequence of one of his student's request to know... The student was a lad named 'Stebbins', and the trial (dubbed the 'Monkey Trial') pitted the great attorney of the day, Clarence Darrow, against the often running presidential candidate, and famous orator, William Jennings Bryan.

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Plot Keywords:

william jennings bryan | clarence darrow | religion versus science | reference to charles darwin | scopes monkey trial | 

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Taglines:

The Landmark Trial That Forever Changed A Nation.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and thematic material

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ereditare il vento

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita Studios - 25135 Anza Drive, Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

MGM Television,Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Last film of George C. Scott.

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Connections

Featured in Penn & Teller: Bullshit!: Creationism (2003)

User Reviews

How do you improve a great film? You don't.

How do you improve a great film? You don't. Showtime tried, with George C Scott and Jack Lemmon as the opponents in the 1925 Scopes Monkey trials story, but just as Kirk Douglas and Jason Robards Jr failed to so in 1988, this version doesn't come close to the brilliance of the Fredric March-Spencer Tracy version on 1960.

Scott doesn't seem to know how he wants to play Matthew Harrison Brady, the Biblical prosecutor of heavenly Hillsboro. He doesn't seem emotional at the right times. Lemmon, on the other doesn't try to be Tracy and thus his performance as Henry Drummond is more believable than Scott's. The two best performances are by Beau Bridges as EK Hornbeck and by John Cullum as the judge.

The biggest sins are committed by the secondary leads, Tom Everett Scott as Bertram Cates and Lane Smith as Reverand Brown can't find the fire displayed by Dick York, and Claude Akins in the Stanley Kramer Classic. And despite the fact that Donna Anderson was weak as Rachel Brown in the original, Kathryn Morris in this version, was weaker, in fact one can't feel any sympathy for Rachel after watching Ms Morris.

Still, it's tough to ruin a great story. Inherit The Wind is a classic that is successful despite subpar acting and a directing job that virtually duplicates Stanley Kramer's film, scene for scene.

The question is, why bother?