The Pelican Brief

But the film's failure is ultimately the fault of Pakula, who lets too many scenes run on too long, never allows us to get to know any of the characters very well - especially Roberts! In fact, the movie of "The Pelican Brief" is quite faithful to the book, and therein lies a large portion of its problems: Too many characters, too much plotting and not enough suspense to keep it all moving. ... Full Review

Ultimately, probably the biggest problem with The Pelican Brief is.... ... Full Review

stellar work by writer-producer-director Alan J. Pakula that eliminates most of the novel's flaws.... ... Full Review

With the two deceased justices leaving seats absent on the Court, the President (Robert Culp) must appoint two new replacements favoring his agenda. Two justices of the US Supreme Court are murdered: the elderly, ailing, liberal Rosenberg (Hume Cronyn), shot dead in his bed along with his male nurse in his home, and Jensen, garroted in a theater frequented by homosexuals; the FBI's security having failed to protect them. ... Full Review

Pakula allows this 1993 movie to dawdle after its climax.... ... Full Review

Julia Roberts stars in this entertaining and sometimes suspenseful dark conspiracy thriller based on a bestseller by John Grisham.....The complex story is rather slow to start.... ... Full Review

Families that enjoy THE PELICAN BRIEF may want to check out The Firm , The Client , or The Rainmaker . The actors are well cast and effective. ... Full Review

While the Blu-Ray release of the film looks and sounds great, a lack of supplements keeps the release from being anything spectacular. Having nowhere else to turn, Ms. Shaw enlists the help of influential journalist Grey Grantham (Denzel Washington), who does his best to reveal the truth. ... Full Review