FILM 1944: HOT COFFEE

FILM 1944: HOT COFFEE 

How the infamous McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit and similar cases were exploited as part of a right wing crusade to weaken civil justice.

FILM 1783: CRIMINAL LAW

FILM 1783: CRIMINAL LAW

TRIVIA: First use of an American accent in a cinema movie by English actor Gary Oldman.

In 1992, real Canadian serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka changed their legal name to "Teale" after the serial killer in this film.

One of three cinema movies featuring Gary Oldman and Kevin Bacon. The movies are Criminal Law (1988), JFK (1991), and Murder in the First (1995).

According to the Turner Classic Movies website, the "film was released in one city [for (only) one day] in the USA (on) November 11, 1988".

FILM 1749: REGARDING HENRY

FILM 1749: REGARDING HENRY 

TRIVIA: Harrison Ford nearly turned down the role of Henry because the character was a trial lawyer. He had just played one in Presumed Innocent (1990), and was afraid of being typecast. He took the role when he realized that Henry would only be functioning as a lawyer for the first ten minutes of the film.

According to John Leguizamo in his autobiography, the crew urinated in Mike Nichols's cappuccino machine.

Written by J.J. Abrams (who also makes a cameo appearance). Abrams and Harrison Ford would work together again 24 years later on Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).

CAMEO: J.J. Abrams: food delivery boy.

FILM 1627: THE LINCOLN LAWYER

TRIVIA: Michael Connelly wanted Matthew McConaughey for the role of Mickey based on his performance in Tropic Thunder (2008).

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei; and two Oscar nominees: William H. Macy and Bryan Cranston.

FILM 1448: THE JUDGE

TRIVIA: Someone rhetorically mentions Atticus Finch. A reference to To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which was Robert Duvall's screen debut, playing Boo Radley.

The screenplay for this film was featured in the 2012 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year.

First feature release from "Team Downey", Robert Downey Jr. and wife Susan Downey's production company.

Vera Farmiga and Robert Downey Jr. play characters who are supposed to be the same age but she is 8 years younger than him. Leighton Meester who plays Farmiga's daughter is just 13 younger than Farmiga while Sarah Lancaster who plays Downey's wife is 15 younger than him.

FILM 1418: THE ACCUSED

TRIVIA: Upon seeing a pre-screening of the film, Jodie Foster thought her performance as Sarah Tobias was so awful that she immediately began preparing for and taking the GRE's for graduate school. She was prepared to leave her film career behind and focus on academia...until she won the Academy Award for her performance.

Kelly McGillis was offered the role of Sarah Tobias, but having survived a violent sexual assault in 1982 by two men who broke into her apartment, she declined the role and instead fought for the part of Kathryn Murphy.

According Jodie Foster in her interview in Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters (2006), producer Stanley R. Jaffe felt she was "not sexy enough" for the role and wanted to cast another actress. He felt that 24-year-old Jodie Foster did not have the right talent for the role.

Brad Pitt auditioned for a role.

This is the first film since Two Women (1960) to win the Best Actress Academy Award without being nominated in any other category.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was considered for the role of Sarah Tobias, but was later discarded because she was "too nice" for the part.

Brian De Palma was originally assigned to direct the movie.

In their separate careers several years after the release of The Accused (1988), both leading ladies, Kelly McGillis and Jodie Foster, publicly and proudly acknowledged their homosexuality. McGillis came out in 2009, and Foster in 2013.

FILM 1401: A TIME TO KILL

TRIVIA: Kevin Costner was considered for the role of Jake Brigance, but wanted complete control of the project. Author John Grisham objected and Costner passed on the project.

Paul Newman turned down the role of Lucien Wilbanks because he found the film's message distasteful.

This was the second movie in which Keifer and his father Donald both had roles.