The Judge (2014)
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A high-powered defense attorney must navigate a fractured past and a complex legal battle when his estranged father is accused of a hit-and-run.
The story
Hank Palmer is a trial lawyer in Chicago, known for defending powerful clients he knows to be guilty. When he returns to his rural hometown of Carlinville, Indiana, to attend his mother's funeral, he is forced to confront his estranged father, a local judge. The situation escalates when the Judge is accused of involvement in a fatal hit-and-run incident involving a recently released ex-convict. Despite their long history of animosity and the Judge's refusal to seek help, Hank is eventually forced to take over as the Judge's lead counsel, navigating a tense legal defense while dealing with the complexities of their fractured family dynamic.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Hank Palmer, a cynical Chicago trial lawyer, returns to his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana, for his mother's funeral. He is estranged from his father, a local judge known as 'the Judge,' due to a past accident that ruined his brother's career. Following the funeral, the Judge is accused of a hit-and-run involving a convict he had previously sentenced lightly. Although the Judge initially refuses Hank's help, he eventually accepts it when his local counsel fails. During the trial, Hank discovers his father is undergoing treatment for terminal cancer. The defense becomes complicated by the Judge's erratic behavior and the presence of Hank's former girlfriend, Sam, who reveals a secret about their children. During cross-examination, the Judge admits he may have killed the victim intentionally. Hank manages to get the Judge acquitted of first-degree murder but convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Seven months later, the Judge is released on compassionate grounds to die at home, and the two men finally reconcile before the Judge passes away.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 141
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Dobkin
- Writers
- Nick Schenk · screenplay; Bill Dubuque · screenplay; Nick Schenk · story; David Dobkin · story
- Cast and characters
- Robert Downey Jr. · Hank Palmer; Robert Duvall · Judge; Vera Farmiga; Vincent D'Onofrio; Jeremy Strong; Dax Shepard; Billy Bob Thornton
- Genres
- legal drama; crime drama; crime thriller; psychological thriller
- Themes
- family dysfunction; father-son relationships; redemption; legal ethics
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; legal thriller; family drama
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was praised for the performances of Duvall and Downey and Thomas Newman's score.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 49% · scale: percentage · review count: 198
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Screen Actors Guild Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Satellite Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Satellite Award · Best Original Score · nomination
- Production trivia
- The studio initially wanted Jack Nicholson for the role of the Judge.; Robert Duvall was initially hesitant to star in the film due to the explicit and emotionally tested scenes.; The film's score was composed by Thomas Newman.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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