Barnard Hughes, James Stephens, Jan Sterling

Judicial debate gets a lively cinematic treatment in First Monday in October, starring the odd couple pairing of Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh. When a justice of the Supreme Court dies, h...( read more  read more... )is appointed replacement is a witty but deeply conservative woman, Ruth Loomis (Clayburgh, An Unmarried Woman, Silver Streak). Loomis immediately raises the hackles of Dan Snow (Matthau, The Bad News Bears, California Suite), a fervent liberal in the minority on the bench. For a while, First Monday in October succeeds in making Loomis and Snow's debates about pornography and censorship lucid and engaging, aided greatly by the actors' obvious intelligence and grasp of the issues. But the movie gets sidetracked by an aimless corporate conspiracy plot and what can only be described as an intellectual romance between the two leads, which never quite catches fire. Still, an interesting effort. --Bret Fetzer

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44% liked it

100 ratings

R, 98 min.

Directed by: Ronald Neame

Release Date: August 21, 1981

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DVD Release Date: July 6, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (31)


  • June 4, 2008
    An uneven story and pairing of two great actors slows the pace of what is at times a funny film about the judicial system. Fans of Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh will be more enthralled than others. Still, funny one liners and comedic debates between the two stars will make th...( read more)is a fun film to watch!!!!!!!
  • March 15, 2008
    Amazing dialog. Hysterical and thought provoking film about learning to respect your idealogical adversaries. (T)
  • September 2, 2007
    A Walter Matthau movie about a supreme court judge dealing with the first woman judge to join the group.
  • July 6, 2007
    I know I loved this! I cannot summon a memory!
  • December 10, 2006
    Pretty bad, pretty terrible, pretty horrible. Do I need to say anymore then that?

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