Featured Audience Ratings

• Jim H

  
  A Harvard law student dates his imperious professor's daughter. I've thought about <i>The Paper Chase</i> a lot. One of my colleagues did his dissertation on educators in film, and his construct suggests that teachers are always portrayed as being exemplars of… More
  A Harvard law student dates his imperious professor's daughter. I've thought about <i>The Paper Chase</i> a lot. One of my colleagues did his dissertation on educators in film, and his construct suggests that teachers are always portrayed as being exemplars of either "tough love" or "nurturing love." He contends that Kingsfield is an example of a "tough love" prof, but I argue that Kingsfield, in fact, defies his construct and is "no love." This is refreshing because I don't love my students; that means they won't make a movie about me. We argued about this for the past couple days, but it's the only interesting aspect of the film. There is a romantic story here, but the lead may be the shittiest female character ever written in film. I have no idea why she sleeps with Hart; their meeting scene is the definition of banal. I have no idea why she gets back together with him. I have no idea why she hides her identity from him; the scene in which she explains herself makes no sense. I have no idea why she does anything. She seems to pop up whenever Hart needs someone to whine to or whenever the filmmakers remember that they're paying an actress. I don't see her as a real character. Instead, she's a flat character, and you shouldn't make "Romantic Lead A" a flat character; maybe "Romantic Leads B" can be, but not A. There is also some truly banal connective tissue. There is one scene composed only of Hart getting unremarkable breakfast at an unremarkable cafeteria with an unremarkable look on his face, and this lasts for a remarkably long minute before he sits with another character and starts the story again. Overall, there is no doubt John Houseman gives a fantastic performance as the imperious Kingsfield and the characterization of the professor is good fodder for debate, but everything about the film's story construction and the banality of the characters makes this film a chore to watch.

• Ken S

  
  Great little film about being a first year law student at Harvard. Great Gordon Willis cinematography to boot!

• Cassie H

  
  A funny & very odd movie. This movie had a really odd ending.

• Randy T

  
  Better than I remembered it to be (perhaps that's because I was 11 years old the first time?). Dated only by its score and its sense of fashion, <i>The Paper Chase</i> is still identifiably relevant to anyone who has ever sat in a college classroom or crammed for a… More
  Better than I remembered it to be (perhaps that's because I was 11 years old the first time?). Dated only by its score and its sense of fashion, <i>The Paper Chase</i> is still identifiably relevant to anyone who has ever sat in a college classroom or crammed for a final exam. Just watching it gave me test anxiety. :)

• jay n

  
  The story had an interesting aspect but execution was wanting. Unappealing characters and choppy, disjointed presentation keeps viewer at a distance.

• Lanning :

  
  Kingsfield: Mr. Hart, here is a dime. Call your mother. Tell her there is serious doubt about your becoming lawyer. <p> Hart: You . . . are a son of a bitch, Kingsfield! <p> Kingsfield: Mr. Hart! That is the most intelligent thing you've said today. You may… More
  Kingsfield: Mr. Hart, here is a dime. Call your mother. Tell her there is serious doubt about your becoming lawyer. <p> Hart: You . . . are a son of a bitch, Kingsfield! <p> Kingsfield: Mr. Hart! That is the most intelligent thing you've said today. You may take your seat. <p> I have been fascinated with this movie for many years. Everyone who aspires, even peripherally, to the study of the law, should watch this. No, I've never contemplated approaching the bar, much less passing it, so that's not the source of my fascination. <p> No, it's John Houseman. The entire cast is fantastic, but Houseman dominates this brilliant group of actors like a 1000 pound gavel cutting dead the noise of a disorderly courtroom. It's not as if he hadn't paid his dues either. Among his many credits is assistant to Orson Welles on <i>Citizen Kane</i>. But he seemingly burst on the scene like an overnight sensation, despite his lifetime of service to the acting profession and to theater in general. An amazing man. Very few actors playing very few roles have so commanded the screen with such an awesome presence. <p> It's interesting to see Bottoms in this and then as the alcoholic father in <i>Elephant</i>. Thirty years have passed, yet the talent remains solidly the same. And for those who want to see what gifted editing looks like, no movie ever made can surpass this one. <p>Mr. Houseman, you are missed.

• Sarah P

  
  A funny and meaningful film.

Read all 7 featured audience ratings