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A clearly disturbed Kirkland takes on Judge Fleming's case, which Judge Rayford and a jury will hear in court. Arthur acquires evidence from another client, Carl, incriminating photographs that show Fleming in [[BDSM]] acts with a [[prostitute]]. Gail warns him not to betray a client. He shows the pictures to Fleming, who then freely admits that he is guilty of the rape.
A clearly disturbed Kirkland takes on Judge Fleming's case, which Judge Rayford and a jury will hear in court. Arthur acquires evidence from another client, Carl, incriminating photographs that show Fleming in [[BDSM]] acts with a [[prostitute]]. Gail warns him not to betray a client. He shows the pictures to Fleming, who then freely admits that he is guilty of the rape.


Disgusted with his situation, Kirkland goes to trial. Fleming makes a sleazy remark to Kirkland about wanting to rape the victim again, which finally pushes Kirkland to the breaking point. In his opening statement, Arthur begins by mocking the case of the prosecuting attorney ([[Craig T. Nelson]]) while speaking of the ultimate objective of the American legal system. He appears to be making a strong case to exonerate Fleming. But unexpectedly, he bursts out and says that prosecution is not going to get Fleming, because ''he'' is going to get him. Kirkland tells the jury, "My client, The Honorable Henry T. Fleming, should go right to fucking jail; the son of a bitch is guilty!!!"
Disgusted with his situation, Kirkland goes to trial. Fleming makes a sleazy remark to Kirkland about wanting to rape the victim again, which finally pushes Kirkland to the breaking point. In his opening statement, Arthur begins by mocking the case of the prosecuting attorney ([[Craig T. Nelson]]) while speaking of the ultimate objective of the American legal system. He appears to be making a strong case to exonerate Fleming. But unexpectedly, he bursts out and says that prosecution is not going to get Fleming, because ''he'' is going to get him. Kirkland tells the jury, "My client, The Honorable Henry T. Fleming, should go ''right to fucking jail! '''The son of a bitch is guilty!'''''"


The courtroom erupts and the presiding judge Rayford, the prosecution, and the others in the court room are enraged and flabbergasted at the turn of events, including Gail. The judge calls Kirkland "out of order," bangs his gavel to bring the court to order. Arthur replies, "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial's out of order!" Arthur is dragged away, continuing to shout his rage all the way out the door and to criticize Fleming for his and the legal system's abuse of law and order that cost the lives of his two clients and let true criminals like Fleming go free to commit more crimes. As the courtroom spectators cheer for Arthur, Fleming sits down in defeat, and a fed-up Rayford walks out of his stand.
The courtroom erupts and the presiding judge Rayford, the prosecution, and the others in the court room are enraged and flabbergasted at the turn of events, including Gail. The judge calls Kirkland "out of order," bangs his gavel to bring the court to order. Arthur replies, "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial's out of order!" Arthur is dragged away, continuing to shout his rage all the way out the door and to criticize Fleming for his and the legal system's abuse of law and order that cost the lives of his two clients and let true criminals like Fleming go free to commit more crimes. As the courtroom spectators cheer for Arthur, Fleming sits down in defeat, and a fed-up Rayford walks out of his stand.

Revision as of 13:49, 17 August 2012

...And Justice For All
original movie poster
Directed byNorman Jewison
Written byValerie Curtin
Barry Levinson
Produced byNorman Jewison
Patrick J. Palmer
StarringAl Pacino
John Forsythe
Christine Lahti
Jack Warden
Lee Strasberg
CinematographyVictor J. Kemper
Edited byJohn F. Burnett
Music byDave Grusin
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • June 29, 1979 (1979-06-29)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million
Box office$33,300,000[1]

For the Metallica album, see And Justice for All

...And Justice For All is a 1979 courtroom drama film, directed by Norman Jewison. The movie stars Al Pacino, John Forsythe, Jack Warden, Lee Strasberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Lahti, Craig T. Nelson and Thomas G. Waites. It was also 75-year-old character actor Sam Levene's final film.[2] The Oscar-nominated screenplay was written by Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson.[3]

The film includes a well-known scene in which Pacino's character, Kirkland, shouts, "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They're out of order!"[4] The closing courtroom scene was filmed on the first take.[2] The film shows many scenes of downtown Baltimore, including the courthouse area, a scene running around the Washington Monument/Mount Vernon Place, and Fort McHenry.[5]

...And Justice For All received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Actor in a Leading role (Pacino) and for Best Original Screenplay (Curtin and Levinson).[6] Pacino also received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.[6] The film represents the second time Pacino was nominated for these awards in a movie in which he acted alongside his famed acting teacher, Lee Strasberg, the other being The Godfather Part II.[7][8]

The title is the last four words of the Pledge of Allegiance.[9]

Plot

Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino) is a hotheaded but idealistic young defense attorney in Baltimore. As the film opens, he is in jail on a charge of contempt of court for having thrown a punch at judge Henry T. Fleming (John Forsythe) while arguing the case of an innocent defendant, Jeff McCullaugh (Thomas G. Waites).

McCullaugh was stopped for a minor traffic offense, but then mistaken for a killer of the same name and convicted. He has already endured year and a half in jail, as Kirkland continues his efforts to have the case reviewed against Fleming's resistance. Though there is strong new evidence that the convicted man was innocent, Judge Fleming refused Kirkland's appeal due to a minor technicality and leaves McCullaugh in prison.

Kirkland takes another case, that of meek, gentle transgender Ralph Agee (Robert Christian), who is guilty of a small crime and becomes a victim of the legal system. Kirkland also pays regular nursing home visits to his beloved Grandfather Sam (Lee Strasberg), who is becoming senile. It is revealed that Arthur was abandoned by his parents at a young age and it was Sam who raised him and put him through law school. Arthur also begins a romance with a legal ethics committee member, Gail Packer (Christine Lahti).

One day, Kirkland is shocked to find himself requested to defend Judge Fleming, who to everyone's surprise has been accused of rape. The two loathe each other, but Fleming feels everyone will believe he is innocent if the person publicly known to hate him also argues his innocence. Fleming uses blackmail, telling Kirkland an old violation of lawyer-client confidentiality will be reviewed by the ethics committee and Arthur likely will be disbarred if he refuses to represent Fleming. Gail confirms this off the record.

An eccentric judge named Rayford (Jack Warden), who has a friendly relationship with Kirkland, takes him for a hair-raising ride in his personal Bell 47 helicopter over the harbor and Fort McHenry, laughing as he tests how far they can possibly go without running out of fuel, while Arthur, his terrified passenger, begs him to land the helicopter immediately. Rayford, a veteran of the Korean War, is possibly suicidal, and keeps a rifle in his chambers at the courthouse, a 1911 pistol in his shoulder holster at all times and eats his lunch out on the ledge outside his window, four stories up.

Kirkland's friend and partner, Jay Porter (Jeffrey Tambor), is also unstable. He feels guilt from gaining acquittals for defendants who were truly guilty of violent crimes and goes berserk when one commits another murder. After a breakdown at the courthouse, Jay is taken to a hospital accompanied by Kirkland. Before leaving in the ambulance, a distracted Arthur calls on another lawyer friend, Warren Fresnell (Larry Bryggman), to handle Ralph's court hearing in his absence. Arthur gives Warren a corrected version of Ralph's probation report, and stresses the fact that Warren must show the corrections to the judge so that Ralph will get probation rather than being sent to jail. Unfortunately, Warren forgets to appear on time, fails to show the judge the corrected report, and Ralph is sentenced to jail where he commits suicide through hanging off-screen.

Kirkland is livid, and attacks Warren's car with his briefcase in retaliation and to get his attention. Warren argues that Ralph's trial was nothing but "nickels and dimes" and beneath him, before Kirkland sternly reminds him "they're people" and then informing of Ralph's suicide (causing Warren to feel remorse later). His other client, McCullaugh, abused by fellow prisoners (including multiple rape), snaps one day and takes two hostages. Arthur pleads with him to surrender, promising to get him out, but the police shoot and kill McCullaugh after he stands up, providing a shot for a police sharpshooter, as Arthur looks on in horror.

A clearly disturbed Kirkland takes on Judge Fleming's case, which Judge Rayford and a jury will hear in court. Arthur acquires evidence from another client, Carl, incriminating photographs that show Fleming in BDSM acts with a prostitute. Gail warns him not to betray a client. He shows the pictures to Fleming, who then freely admits that he is guilty of the rape.

Disgusted with his situation, Kirkland goes to trial. Fleming makes a sleazy remark to Kirkland about wanting to rape the victim again, which finally pushes Kirkland to the breaking point. In his opening statement, Arthur begins by mocking the case of the prosecuting attorney (Craig T. Nelson) while speaking of the ultimate objective of the American legal system. He appears to be making a strong case to exonerate Fleming. But unexpectedly, he bursts out and says that prosecution is not going to get Fleming, because he is going to get him. Kirkland tells the jury, "My client, The Honorable Henry T. Fleming, should go right to fucking jail! The son of a bitch is guilty!"

The courtroom erupts and the presiding judge Rayford, the prosecution, and the others in the court room are enraged and flabbergasted at the turn of events, including Gail. The judge calls Kirkland "out of order," bangs his gavel to bring the court to order. Arthur replies, "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial's out of order!" Arthur is dragged away, continuing to shout his rage all the way out the door and to criticize Fleming for his and the legal system's abuse of law and order that cost the lives of his two clients and let true criminals like Fleming go free to commit more crimes. As the courtroom spectators cheer for Arthur, Fleming sits down in defeat, and a fed-up Rayford walks out of his stand.

In the end, Kirkland sits on the court's steps, all by himself, weary from his breakdown but satisfied, knowing his antics probably cost him his practice and career in law, but will presumably finally put Fleming in jail. His partner Jay, just released from the mental hospital, climbs up the long steps, tipping his toupee like a hat and greets him with a friendly "Hi, Arthur" and walks away and inside the court building.

Cast

Response

...And Justice for All opened to critical acclaim and box office success. Produced on a modest budget of $4 million, it grossed over $33.3 million in North America,[1] making it the 22nd highest grossing film of 1979. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, earning a 95% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[10]

The film's most famous line "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They're out of order!" has been parodied many times in popular media.[11] Homer's bedroom rant to Marge in The Simpsons episode "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" is a parody mishmash of four popular films: ...And Justice for All, A Few Good Men, Patton and Chinatown. He says: "Look, Marge, you don't know what it's like. I'm the one out there every day putting his ass on the line. And I'm not out of order! You're out of order. The whole freaking system is out of order. You want the truth? You want the truth?! You can't handle the truth! 'Cause when you reach over and put your hand into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do! Forget it, Marge, it's Chinatown!" All of which are lines from those films.[12][13][14]

In the film Casino Jack, Kevin Spacey plays infamous lobbyist Jack Abramoff who is depicted in one scene, while before a senate hearing, repeating Al Pacino's famous words in the movie.[15] Kevin Spacey also happens to be known for his impersonation of Al Pacino, among other Hollywood actors, which he showcased in a Saturday Night Live sketch and later in an interview on Inside the Actors Studio.[16]

In an episode of the popular sitcom Friends TOW the Butt, Joey, when offered a movie role to play Al Pacino's butt double, references this movie by saying the lines "I'm out of order? Pfeeeh. You're out of order! This whole courtroom's out of order!" .

In the final episode of the third season of the CBS sitcom Becker, Ted Danson's character, Dr. John Becker, is put on trial by one of his patients, claiming malpractice. When Becker is called to the stand, frustrated that he is not able to present his case, he becomes enraged. The Judge overseeing the trial says he is out of order, to which Becker responds, "No, you know something? You're out of order! This whole system's out of order!" The Judge responds, "OK, Pacino! I have had enough. You have no idea how much I hate that damn movie!"

The line is also referenced in an episode of the police procedural TV series The Mentalist entitled "Blood Money" (season 2, episode 19).[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Box Office Information for ...And Justice for All". The Numbers. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Trivia for ...And Justice for All". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. ^ "Full Cast and Crew for ...And Justice for All". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "Best Film Speeches and Monologues 1978-1979". AMC Filmsite.org. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  5. ^ "Movies Made In Maryland". DelMarWeb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Award wins and nominations for ...And Justice for All". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  7. ^ "Biography for Lee Strasberg". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  8. ^ "Award wins and nominations for The Godfather: Part II". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  9. ^ "Historical Documents, The Pledge of Allegiance". Ushistory.org. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  10. ^ "Movie Reviews for ...And Justice for All". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  11. ^ "Movie Connections for ...And Justice for All". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  12. ^ Richmond, Ray (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family. Harper Collins Publishers. p. 130. ISBN 0-00-638898-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "The Simpsons: Secrets of a Successful Marriage Movie Connections". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  14. ^ "Forget it, Marge, It's Chinatown!" at YouTube. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  15. ^ "Casino Jack - Out of Order" at YouTube. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  16. ^ "Kevin Spacey does a great impression of Al Pacino" at YouTube. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  17. ^ "The Mentalist: Blood Money Movie Connections". IMDb. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  18. ^ "The Mentalist, You're Out of Order!" at YouTube. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
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