Marshall (2017)

The story of Thurgood Marshall, the crusading lawyer who would become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.

Director:

Reginald Hudlin

Writers:

Michael Koskoff, Jacob Koskoff

Stars:

Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chadwick Boseman	...	Thurgood Marshall
Josh Gad	...	Sam Friedman
Kate Hudson	...	Eleanor Strubing
Sterling K. Brown	...	Joseph Spell
Dan Stevens	...	Loren Willis
James Cromwell	...	Judge Foster
Keesha Sharp	...	Buster Marshall
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Walter White
Derrick Baskin	...	Ted Lancaster
Barrett Doss	...	Bertha Lancaster
Zanete Shadwick	...	Irene Lancaster
John Magaro	...	Irwin Friedman
Ahna O'Reilly	...	Mrs. Richmond
Jussie Smollett	...	Langston Hughes
Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas	...	Zora Neale Hurston

Storyline

In 1940, Thurgood Marshall is a young lawyer for the NAACP who criss-crosses the country defending innocent African-Americans from unjust indictments in court. His latest case is in Bridgeport, Connecticut where an African-American chauffeur is accused of rape of a wealthy white society woman. To admit Marshall into the local Bar, insurance lawyer Sam Friedman is picked over his objections to do introductions in court. However, Friedman's commitment changes drastically when the racist judge forbids Marshall to speak in court, forcing Friedman to act as lead counsel. Now in an intolerable situation for the pair, Marshall must guide his new compatriot through this criminal trial even as Friedman endures not only this unfamiliar area of law, but also the bigoted pressure he now must share. However, the case proves more complex than either anticipates with unexpected twists and turns even as it becomes a vital one that would define two careers as well as the fight for justice in America.

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Plot Keywords:

1940s | lawyer | attorney | african american | jewish | 

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Taglines:

His Name Means Justice

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexuality, violence and some strong language.

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chadwick Boseman and Sterling K. Brown also starred together in Black Panther (2018).

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, Marshall drops some coins into a pay phone in Mississippi to call Friedman in Connecticut to find out the verdict in the case. He would've had to call the operator, who would've called a hub, which would have established a trunk line to New York City, and so on. Making that long-distance call could take all day.

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Quotes

Sam Friedman: You just travel around the country on this crusade? Putting out fires in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Bridgeport?
Thurgood Marshall: It's not really the fires I'm after, Sam. It's fire itself.

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Connections

Featured in Sky Midnight News: Episode dated 30 August 2020 (2020)

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Soundtracks

Eleanor's Testimony
(uncredited)
Written by Marcus Miller
Performed by Marcus Miller

User Reviews

Marshall

Marshall is a great movie that delivers on an old-fashioned courtroom drama. Great story with really good acting from the leads. Great cast overall. So far I have loved every role I have seen Chadwick Boseman play, he is a great actor and has this sort of swagger when acting. Sterling K Brown is great and one of the greatest actors in recent years. It was different but enjoyable seeing Josh Gad in a drama. I wish they would make more of these movies that follow Thurgood Marshall's journey. The only negative thing is that it felt a bit long.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA China Hong Kong

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Marshall

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,000,805, 15 October 2017

Gross USA:

$10,051,659

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,116,816

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chestnut Ridge Productions, China Wit Media, Starlight Culture Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1