The Pelican Brief
Tags: mystery, suspenseful, humor, murder

Plot synopsis:
The story begins with the double assassinations of two ideologically divergent Supreme Court Justices. Both murders are committed by Khamel, one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. Justice Rosenberg, a liberal, is killed at his home while the conservative Justice Jensen is killed inside a gay movie theater in Washington. The circumstances surrounding their deaths, as well as the deaths themselves, shock and confuse a politically divided nation.
Darby Shaw, a Tulane University Law School student, conducts research on Rosenberg and Jensen's records, as well as cases pending before the Supreme Court. She suspects that the real motive might be simple greed, not politics and writes a legal brief speculating the circumstances. She shows the brief to Thomas Callahan, her law professor and lover, who in turn shows it to an FBI lawyer, Gavin Verheek. Soon afterwards Callahan is killed by a car bomb, while Darby, who witnesses his death, is contacted on the scene by some suspicious people. Afraid that she will become the next target, Darby goes on the run. She contacts Verheek and after a series of phone calls they agree to meet personally, but Khamel murders Verheek and impersonates him when they meet. He is just about to kill Darby when he is shot by an unknown perpetrator and Darby manages to escape again.
Meanwhile, Gray Grantham, a reporter for the Washington Post is contacted by an anonymous lawyer who calls himself "Garcia." He claims that he might have seen something in his office that is related to the assassination of the two justices, but he is unsure if he should tell it, as he is afraid of some of his co-workers who probably suspect he knows something. He eventually backs off without revealing any details.
Darby also decides to contact Grantham and shows him her findings. She thinks that the assassinations were committed on behalf of Victor Mattiece, an oil tycoon with a pre-existing business relationship with the President of the United States, who seeks to drill on Louisiana marshland which is a major habitat of an endangered species of pelican. A court case on appeal, filed on Mattiece's behalf to gain access to the land, is expected to make its way to the Supreme Court. The two slain justices had a history of environmentalism — their only common view — and thus Darby surmises that Mattiece hoped to turn the case in his favor by eliminating them, thus leaving the president in a position to appoint new justices more likely to rule in his favor. Grantham believes her story and sets out to help her prove that the Pelican Brief is correct.
Meanwhile, the president and his Chief of Staff, Fletcher Coal, try to cover up the White House's connection to Mattiece, afraid that it might endanger the president's re-election the next year. The president orders FBI chief F. Denton Voyles to temporarily stop working on the Pelican Brief and asks the more trusted CIA head Bob Gminski to conduct the investigation instead. They also send an agent to Mattiece to find out whether the statements in the brief are true, but Mattiece, who became practically insane in the past years, has the agent killed.
Darby and Grantham eventually manage to track down Curtis Morgan, aka "Garcia," an employee of the White and Blazevich law firm which worked for Mattiece, only to find out that he died some days before, seemingly in a street accident. They manage to contact his widow who tells them that her husband hired a new bank safe a few days before his death. In the safe, they find Morgan's written and videotaped testimony, which reveals that some time before the justices' assassination, he accidentally had a look at an internal correspondence in the office and reached the conclusion that some of his co-workers were involved in the murders. Although there is no direct proof that he has seen it, he was afraid that he himself might be killed and decided to record his testimony.
With the evidence, Grantham and Darby approach the Post's chief editor. Voyles also appears in the editorial office and reveals that he has a tape recording of the conversation with the president ordering to stop working on the Pelican Brief, which he would make public if necessary, and that the CIA agents were investigating Mattiece and one of them killed Khamel to save Darby's life. He also arranges a plane for Darby to flee the country.
The story prominently appears in the Post's next day edition, despite the objections from White and Blazevich and the president himself. One of the involved lawyers commits suicide. The president will not run for re-election next year. Mattiece disappears. Darby settles on an island in the Caribbean and is joined by Grantham, who agrees to stay for at least a month.

Review: DENZEL WASHINGTON is the investigative reporter who sees some merit in her theory and reluctantly decides to offer his help in tracking down the bad guys.It's based on a terrific John Grisham thriller and given a well crafted script, good performances and taut direction from Alan J.
I'm not a fan of either Roherts or Washington, so for me to praise this movie shows you how suspenseful and entertaining it is as a thriller.The overrated Julia Roberts is a huge box-office star who never once appealed to me despite her enormous popularity and Denzel Washington is a competent actor who sometimes does extra fine work--but neither one would win a popularity poll with me.So, with that personal bias showing, I still give THE PELICAN BRIEF a respectable rating because it does what it sets out to do--it keeps you hooked until the ending after a few unexpected plot twists totally in keeping with this kind of story where the heroine is in peril because she knows too much.Well worth a view..
Pakula (Sophie's Choice, All the President's Men. To Kill a Mockingbird), and add Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington as the leads, and you have a movie that is worthy of 141 minutes of your life.I love political films.
This is Grisham, the modern-day master of legal and political conspiracy and intrigue.This movie centers on one thing: the chemistry between the on-screen duo of Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.
There is not one scene, not one bit of dialogue, verbal or non-verbal, that doesn't make be believe everything they say, and that is a testament to the acting abilities of Roberts and Washington, two of Hollywood's best.For pretty much the entire second half of the movie, Denzel and Julia's characters work together to find proof of the conspiracy that resulted in the assassination of two Supreme Court judges, while at the same time dodging unscrupulous lawyers, heavies and an international hitman.In their final scene together, when Darby is taking the FBI director's private plane out of the country, the bond that has grown between her and Gray is extremely noticeable.
No words are spoken throughout the entire scene, they are not necessary.Having read many of Grisham's books and seen all of the movies adapted from those books, I wondered how "The Pelican Brief" would stack up against all the others in the long run.
"Eager beaver" Louisiana law student Julia Roberts does some home research trying to connect the backgrounds of two Washington, D.C. Supreme Court Justices who were murdered; her theories regarding the two men--who wanted them dead and why--turns out to be scarily accurate.
Sure the conspiracy was a little far fetched and hard to believe but that is what makes it fun,, Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington star as our two main leads,, countless other actors and actresses make this a great movie,, there are so many I can't even think to list them all, but they were great nonetheless.
Supreme Court judges are getting offed by someone ,, and our junior law clerk,, played by Miss Roberts has to figure out who done it,,because she is writing a paper on it for class, Mr. Washington plays a local reporter for the newspaper, and eventually she contacts him,, brings him up to speed and the two team up and try to solve the murders of the Supreme Court Judges,, along the way they are almost blown up,, shot at , and numerous attempts on their lives,, as the bad guys who are responsible will stop at nothing to keep this from going public,, excellent crime thriller that really shouldn't be missed..
Let me start to say that i never read the John Grisham's book this movie is based on, so i'm judging only the motion picture.When "The Pelican Brief" came out in '93 it was a major box office hit everywhere, partly due to the casting of Julia Roberts as Darby Shaw (still riding on the "Pretty Woman" success which made her being cast in almost every greenlighted project around that time, from the average potboiler, "Sleeping with the Enemy" to the trite / corny, "Dying Young" and Spielberg's misstep, "Hook", all undeserved blockbusters...) and for being the second Grisham's work adapted to the big screen, after the vastly superior "The Firm" directed by Sidney Pollack and starring Tom Cruise, which opened earlier in that year with good reviews and millions earned at the box office.The veteran Alan J.
offered him the chance to helm "The Pelican Brief", which he also produce and provided the screenplay.The story itself, even if it was standard, became confusing since the start due to badly edited sequences and the lack of information that was given to the viewer about what is happening on screen and who are those people involved in that situations, with Pakula assuming that every moviegoer read the book.
Scenes were randomly happening, characters appear and disappear without proper development or explanation and the way Darby uncovers the truth, surpassing the F.B.I., it's too far-fetched.It didn't help that the pace is sluggish and the movie didn't involve, amaze or even dare, it's in fact dull and boring mostly of its length and feels like Pakula condensed half the book in some key scenes to get the storyline moving and the rest was just for showing the imposed by the Studio, Julia Roberts in every scene and camera angle possible and imaginary (and always with the same irritating expression).
A bored looking Denzel was cast in a role that asked for a rich white man, playing here second fiddle to a troubled protagonist (like he did in "Philadelphia" the very same year, but he was much better in that) and refused the interracial love affair with Roberts like the characters in the book, which was a good decision not because of the skin color, but for the lack of on-screen chemistry between the two.The brilliant supporting cast are wasted here: the late great Sam Shepard was given almost nothing to do; John Heard & Stanley Tucci failed to leave an impression; Robert Culp played his part too goofy to be the President of United States and only Tony Goldwin (still in "Ghost" mode) showed some signs of being awake.In short, "The Pelican Brief" is a lifeless film directed by an once big name director, far away from his glory days, that feels more like a Julia Roberts' vehicle than an exciting political thriller.
John Grisham novels will generally make for a reasonably solid if unspectacular film, with just sufficient meat for serious actors to get their teeth into, and the Pelican Brief is no exception to this rule.When two senior judges are murdered, twenty-four year old law student Darby Shaw (Roberts) looks into the case and her suspicions somehow make their way to the FBI – suspicions that prove potentially damaging to the US government.
Now she and journalist Gray Grantham (Washington) must try to stay alive long enough to ensure what they have uncovered is told to the world.Few do distress-turned-determination better than Julia Roberts, but after a slow start followed by a great deal of panicked running and hiding, interest wanes somewhat.
There is little of the slickness, the grit and pace characteristic of later John Grisham adaptations such as Runaway Jury.Legal thrillers about corrupt government prepared to kill to save their own position have been done so often (and so often much better) that little feels fresh about this Grisham adaptation, to the extent that were it not for the presence of A-listers Roberts and Washington this film would have long been forgotten.
Some of things I really appreciated from this political thriller was (1) no sappy romance taking away from the suspense and story; (2) very little profanity; (3) a number of interesting scenes that kept your attention for the full 141 minutes; (4) solid acting by the two leads, Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts; (5) nice visuals and nice sound.What I didn't appreciate was the usual Hollywood screen versions of the John Grisham novels, which means a fair amount of Liberal agendas, some subtle, some not so subtle.
THE PELICAN BRIEF Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)Sound format: Dolby DigitalDuring a bitterly contested election year, a young law student (Julia Roberts) writes an uncannily accurate thesis on the recent murders of two Supreme Court judges and joins forces with a skeptical journalist (Denzel Washington) when she's targeted for elimination by agencies attached to the White House...It's difficult to believe this ho-hum thriller - based on John Grisham's novel - was directed by Alan J.
Yet, perhaps inspired by one another, they both give strong performances that carry the movie and make this definitely worth watching.Julia Roberts plays a Tulane law student who gets an idea about who assassinated two Supreme Court justices and why, and she writes a brief about it, the "Pelican Brief." We see her deep in the stacks at the library doing research, sporting several hair-dos at a little table under various lighting changes, so that we know its daytime and then night, etc., a clear device about as original as the pages flying off a calender.
Well, the guy that gets Julia Roberts sure as heck can't be wishy washy about his love for her, we know that.We are also scratching our head because Denzel Washington, the ace of spades of leading men, an actor of power and accomplishment, is usually found in more serious venues, a guy who's played Steve Biko, apartheid victim and martyr in Cry Freedom (1987) and Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992).
For me, a major problem was not caring an iota for ANY of the characters (lead or minor, good-guy of bad- in the supporting cast).But seeing it again at this time in our history, viewing Robert Culp's thoroughly-inept,, unintelligent, vacuous President {(ring any bells????), and his devious aide, Tony Goldwyn, (ring the bell again?)} - and all of the completely smarmy government operatives abounding - well, it seems that our current reality is imitating art.The present goings-on, and the past several years with the Iraq fiasco, may have a different scenario than this flick, but the current cast of real characters in D.
Now, in conclusion, if you are a fan of Julia Roberts or Denzel Washington, or you enjoyed John Grisham's title novel, I highly recommend this movie.
Pakula did manage to make this film suspenseful, but the lack of continuity within the plot brought the mounting tension to peaks of unintentional humor.At one point the reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) is running from the very man he's desperately searching for.
"The Pelican Brief" is one of the lesser Grisham adaptations, with a bland story but a great cast - Roberts is perfect as Darby Shaw, and Washington portrays Grantham excellently.
Why Grisham went out of his way in the book to identify the reporter as a white man and his role is played by Denzel Washington in the movie, only Hollywood can explain..
Roberts is at the center as a law student who puts together a theory, the Pelican brief, about who had two Supreme Court justices assassinated and then becomes involved with newsman Washington as they both go on the run and on the trail of the proof needed to unravel the conspiracy and get the bad guys.
This time they are Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.Pelican Brief is the story of corruption in the highest levels of authority that leads to assassinations of two Supreme Court judges.
The only person who can help her is a reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington).I consider this movie as well-made thrilling investigation politic law story.
Based on John Grisham's book of the same name, this movie is about the murder of 2 Supreme Court justices, and how a law student gets embroiled in the conspiracy.
This was an intelligent, cloak and dagger type movie rooted in conspiracy, conspiracy, and more conspiracy.Roberts plays Darby Shaw an astute law student that came up with a brilliant theory behind the murder of two Supreme Court Justices.
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 Pelican Brief, based on another in an interminable series of dull John Grisham novels, is a perfect snapshot of what to do if you want to make a zillion bucks with a high-star-power, breathless, clichéd blob of pablum.I use pablum because baby food is, to adults, flavorless and filling, much like TPB, which kneels down to all the sacred cows of Grisham/Pakula liberalism.Evil, Nixonian, weak, Bush-41, courageous newspaper reporter, living Constitution, environmentalist mush.But, hey, it's got Denzel Washington, back before we found out he has one character, and Julia Roberts, all girlnextdoorish, frail but tough, and with, I swear, 13 pounds of hair on her noggin.
This is an intriguing political thriller where law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) writes a brief about a government conspiracy after two U.S. Supreme Court justices were assassinated.
Interestingly, about 13 years after the release of the original novel "The Pelican Brief" by John Grisham which centers around the investigations and theories involving the assassinations of two Supreme Court Justices, two Supreme Court Justices' careers also ended close to the same time.
The plot then becomes about whether Darby and Gray can confirm the theory of the brief before they are assassinated themselves, like the Supreme Court Justices.A very well-done and spot-on political thriller, all from the mind of John Grisham.
The resumes of the talent (Julia, Denzel, Sam Shepard, Alan Pakula, John Grisham) in this project portended a great movie.
"The Pelican Brief" is overall an above average film though as law student Julia Roberts uncovers the truth about the assassinations of two Supreme Court Justices.
Music is scored by James Horner and cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt.When two Supreme Court justices are assassinated, Tulane University Law School student Darby Shaw (Roberts) writes The Pelican Brief, her theory on what is behind the killings.
After showing it to her law professor lover Thomas Callahan (Shepard), it sets the wheels in motion for more murder and political intrigue, with Darby right in the middle of it and in fear for her life.Ah John Grisham, he was just like Michael Crichton, authors who for a while seemed the hip guys to read and therefore became ripe to have their works adapted into movies.
Denzel was fantabulous in the movie, of course, but it would be better to have cast a white guy as the reporter.Julia Roberts was fine, but she could have added more depth into Darby.
Plot in A Paragraph: Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) a law student writes a legal brief detailing her theory on why two Supreme Court justices were assassinated and under whose orders, and shows it to her law professor, and lover Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepard).
Before long Callaghan is dead and she reaches out to Verheek and Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) for help.Amazingly John Grisham wrote the part of Darby Shaw with Julia Roberts in mind.
Which made me really curious of the movie and what made me really wanna watch it is the presence of Denzel Washington & Julia Roberts.It's a good, racy thriller with oodles of suspense.
It's really better than "The Firm", also based on an excellent book by Grisham.Denzel Washington - a great actor, one of my favorites - is the perfect guy to embody the journalist Gray Grantham of the "Washington Post" ("Washington Herald" in the movie if you've noticed).
It has an excellent supporting cast featuring Robert Culp as the worried President (what President isn't?), with John Lithgow as Grantham's newspaper editor, British character actor Nicholas Woodeson as an assassin, and Stanley Tucci, who gave such a wonderfully chilling performance as Adolph Eichmann in the British TV production "Conspiracy", is equally pragmatically chilling here as a hit man.There is a muted chemistry between the two leads which, like the film, (although there is a little action), never quite gets, perhaps purposely, to boiling point.
It stars Julia Roberts in the role of young law student Darby Shaw and Denzel Washington as Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham together with Sam Shepard,Hume Cronyn,Stanley Tucci,John Heard,Cynthia Nixon,Jake Weber and James Sikking.It was directed by Alan J.
Her only hope of escaping Callahan's fate and proving her theory lies in Washington investigative reporter Gray Grantham,who's already had one confidential source back out of sharing information about the assassinations.This is the first great adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling novel.The film itself was fantastic as it was suspense-filled from beginning to end.Roberts' and Washington's performance makes the film absorbing and entertaining from beginning to end.It elevates the movie from a typical crime thriller and mystery.In summary,the movie succeeds into putting the great story of the novel into the big screen..
Julia Roberts is Darby Shaw, the kind of brilliant, beautiful and ambitious character that drive potboiler novels like "The Pelican Brief".
Basically two Supreme Court Justices have been killed, and young law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) has stumbled across a big conspiracy about it, and writes theory documents about it, that become known as The Pelican Brief.
The political conspiracy at the heart of the story makes this an ideal undertaking for director Alan J Pakula whose previous record of success with this type of material is highly impressive and the insidious way in which he builds up the threatening atmosphere of the piece is one of the movie's strongest qualities.Following the assassinations of a couple of Supreme Court Justices, brilliant law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) does some research into any possible similarities between the two men whose political allegiances were known to be very different.
They work well individually in this film, and especially in their joint scenes, chemistry of a fashion.Julia Roberts plays Darby Shaw, a smart law student who has stumbled upon a conspiracy that resulted in the murder of two Supreme Court justices.