Book Review: Reel Justice: the Courtroom Goes to the Movies - Paul Bergman and Michael Asimow. Andrews Mcneel Publishing Llc 2006, Second Edition, 361 Pages

• Publication year: 2021
• Pages: 313

Connecticut Bar Journal Volume 81.

81 CBJ 313. BOOK REVIEW: Reel Justice: The Courtroom Goes to the Movies - Paul Bergman and Michael Asimow. Andrews McNeel Publishing LLC 2006, Second Edition, 361 pages

Connecticut Bar Journal
Volume 81, No. 3, Pg. 313
September 2007

BOOK REVIEW: Reel Justice: The Courtroom Goes to the Movies - Paul Bergman and Michael Asimow. Andrews McNeel Publishing LLC 2006, Second Edition, 361 pages.

First published a decade ago,(fn1)REEL JUSTICE is not your everyday, ordinary, legal-movie guidebook. It could be used thusly, certainly, as it chronicles more than 150 movies released in the last 78 years, all of which have, as either their centerpiece or as a strong focal point, a courtroom battle. It even provides a handy rating system by which fans of the genre can determine which movies were the best of the best (including an "index by number of gavels" awarded by the authors: 4 gavels represents a classic; 3 is good; 2 is just okay; and 1 means "ask for a new trial"). But this book offers a more detailed analysis than your average movie review, considering its subject matter not just from an entertainment standpoint, but also as a true-to-life depiction of the justice system.

The book is organized thematically, with each chapter dedicated to a different sub-type of the courtroom drama genre, such as "Courtroom Heroes" and "Military Justice." The major movies reviewed(fn2) all get the same basic treatment: a listing of credits (key actors, director, running time, awards, etc.), followed by a synopsis of the story the movie tells and then a legal analysis of the issues presented by that story. The legal analysis focuses primarily on how well the legal issues have been presented by the storytellers, ferreting out the mistakes and embellishments, as well as complimenting the films where the legal process is depicted fairly and accurately. Examples of some points of interest in the legal analyses include a discussion of plea bargains in the Jodie Foster classic The Accused, societal response to obscenity and pornography in The People vs. Larry Flynt, and federal constitutional law in Inherit the Wind. Many of the analyses end with

FN1 The first volume of this book was reviewed in the Bar Journal soon after its initial publication. See 70 CONN. B.J. 157 (1996)

FN2 In addition to the 70 full-length features reviewed, the second edition has supplemented each chapter with a listing of...