Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight

A worthy and earnest look at the Supreme Court decision on whether Ali's reasons in avoiding the draft were legally sound because of his religious beliefs.

The court did not want to create a precedent where everyone could claim to be a conscientious objector by claiming to be an islamic minister.

Director Stephen Frears wisely opts for archive footage of Ali to be used as the Supreme Court decides on the issue.

Set in the early 1970s, it is a time of great change in America. The judges in this drama talk about the thorny issue of abortion in Roe v Wade which is due to come up. They have to view pornography as that is another matter they need to ponder on.

Frank Langella plays Chief Justice Burger. A conservative appointee and a puppet of the Nixon presidency. They may be experienced lawyers but these people are political appointees. The judge who vacillates is Justice Harlan (Christopher Plummer) another conservative but more wily and nuanced. He senses that the times are changing and the Supreme Court might be in danger of being out of step.

The drama is framed by Frears through one of Harlan's clerks. Kevin Connolly (Benjamin Walker) who finds a precedent and brings it to Harlan's attention. Connolly is a plucky outsider in the Supreme Court where the other clerks are from top universities and do not want to make waves.

The surprise was Thurgood Marshall (Danny Glover) the Supreme Court's first black judge. He was against Ali because he viewed him as a segregationist.

It was a good drama but at times it felt flat footed. You sense why this was suited as a made for cable television production rather than as a cinema release. The fictional character of Connolly was just too determined like a good boy scout who believed in Ali's case. It was like those legal dramas, where the one person believes the accused is innocent and will bang heads to get others to their way of thinking.