The Pelican Brief (1993)

52% of critics liked it
(48 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(73,382 ratings)

Embroiled in an affair with Thomas Callahan (Sam Shephard), her alcoholic professor, precocious 24-year-old Tulane University law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) writes up an insightful theory about the recent murder of two Supreme Court justices, one of whom, Abraham Rosenberg (Hume Cronyn),… More Embroiled in an affair with Thomas Callahan (Sam Shephard), her alcoholic professor, precocious 24-year-old Tulane University law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) writes up an insightful theory about the recent murder of two Supreme Court justices, one of whom, Abraham Rosenberg (Hume Cronyn), served as Callahan's mentor. When Callahan shares this so-called "Pelican Brief" with buddy Gavin Verheek (John Heard), an FBI lawyer, the document makes its way to White House flack Fletcher Coal (Tony Goldwyn), who believes it could topple the current administration. When Callahan is murdered and the President (Robert Culp) convinces the FBI to hold off on investigating Darby's theory, the resourceful student must go into hiding, stalked by relentless assassin Khamel (Stanley Tucci). Her only hope of escaping Callahan's fate and proving her theory lies in Washington investigative reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), who's already had one confidential source back out of sharing information about the assassinations. This John Grisham adaptation is generally faithful to the best-selling novel. Fans of HBO's Sex and the City will notice one of its future stars, Cynthia Nixon, in a small role as one of Darby's New Orleans classmates. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Alan J. Pakula
Written By: Alan J. Pakula
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Dec 17, 1993 Wide
On DVD: Aug 27, 1997
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
It's too bad that Pakula allows this 1993 movie to dawdle after its climax, but prior to that he's adept at suggesting unseen menace and keeping things in motion.
Brian Lowry, Variety
Pakula has improved on Grisham's book by excising much of the detritus, crafting a taut, intelligent thriller that succeeds on almost every level.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
As the film piles on shovelfuls of further exposition, Mr. Washington and Ms. Roberts are left to look terrific and recite perfunctory lines.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
A brightly wrapped, ketchup-drenched mush-burger, it slides down the Zeitgeist esophagus like a slippery McPelican. You pay, you swallow, you drive home. You're left with nothing except, possibly, heartburn.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A clever device to take your mind off your problems for 141 minutes.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
An unnecessarily-long thriller that contains far more talking than action.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A routine thriller, curiosuly disappointing from Alan Pakula that even stars like Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts can't rescue
Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media
Talky political thriller won't engage kids.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
If I would still call it one of Pakula's very best films since the end of the 1970s, that says far more about the decline of his career than anything else.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
If only The Pelican Brief were purposefully controversial.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A shallow bore.
, Film4
This is a standard Grisham pot-boiler.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
You'd think that Pakula would be just the man to tease the intellectual and emotional depth out of a Grisham potboiler, but you'd be wrong. [Blu-ray]
Emanuel Levy, Screendaily
A curiously disappointing thriller from Alan Pakula, reaffirming the notion that John Gresham's best-selling novels are more fun to read (at the airport) than watch on the big screen, even if they star Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts.
JoBlo, JoBlo's Movie Emporium
Definitely an easy rental and a good way to drown a couple of hours if you're looking for a little suspense, some law stuff, lotsa secondary players and a couple of renowned leads delivering the goods.
Derek Adams, Time Out
An old hand at this sort of thing, Pakula goes through the motions, but not much more.
Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette
Julia good Denzel better.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Good, albeit overlong Grisham thriller

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

Not all that enthralling. Probably only of interest to Julia Roberts fans. Over long and hard to follow (or maybe just my attention kept drifting off). Wanted to like it, but just a bit dull.
Derek D

Made somewhere around the start of the mid-90's legal thriller craze (and most of those films were from John Grisham novels) The Pelican Brief is a film about a young law student's theory about the assassinations of two Supreme Court justices...and it just happens to… More
Made somewhere around the start of the mid-90's legal thriller craze (and most of those films were from John Grisham novels) The Pelican Brief is a film about a young law student's theory about the assassinations of two Supreme Court justices...and it just happens to actually be true. The paper reaches the president through a chain starting with her law professor - who she's also sleeping with - and uncovers a conspiracy involving the chief executive. Thus, the government does anything and everything to kill her, including murdering everyone she comes in contact with. Also coming into play in this is Denzel Washington, a Washington newspaper reporter who agrees to meet with her and becomes involved, no doubt because of the incredible attention and readership it would bring to him. The acting is superb, shifting from drama to action film almost effortlessly. I don't normally go for legal thrillers all that much, but this one is an exception to the rule.
Dean !

A very good political conspiracy thriller with an outstanding cast. Based on the John Grisham novel. This is a entertaining film with a deep plot, it can be a little slow at times and light on action but overall an enjoyable well made film.
Cassandra M

Based on John Grisham's best-selling novel. Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) is a law student at Tulane who writes her own theory about who arranged for the assassination of two Supreme Court justices and why. The unfortunate thing is, her theory is right on the money, and once it… More
Based on John Grisham's best-selling novel. Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) is a law student at Tulane who writes her own theory about who arranged for the assassination of two Supreme Court justices and why. The unfortunate thing is, her theory is right on the money, and once it starts circulating it results in a number of deaths. Investigative reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) turns out to be the one person she can trust and rely on. "The Pelican Brief" is a solid and entertaining (if lengthy) political / newspaper / legal thriller from the director of "All The President's Men". It keeps its grip thanks to genuinely good film-making and an excellent cast. The climax is reasonably suspenseful. To screenwriter / director Alan J. Pakula's credit, the villain of the movie - a stereotypically greedy and maniacal tycoon - is deliberately made mysterious and gets no actual screen time - except for an appearance in a key photograph. I've seen a couple of the big-screen Grisham adaptations, and they have all been pretty good. His novels do make for good movie material. I can't decide which one is the best, though...that's kind of tough. Hmmm I tooke ?A time to kill? and ?The Pelican brief?
Candy R

Good actors but poor plot. Hard to keep interested.
xGary X

Yet another dreary John Grisham legal thriller featuring a particularly uncharismatic Denzel who appears even more on autopilot than usual, and Julia Roberts running around corridors for reasons it's difficult to care about.
danny d

this is really a great film. i heard a lot of people say that it was boring but i couldnt disagree more, i was into this film every step of the way. the scene in the parking garage towards the end was stupid and there is a slight flaw in the way parts of the story were constructed,… More
this is really a great film. i heard a lot of people say that it was boring but i couldnt disagree more, i was into this film every step of the way. the scene in the parking garage towards the end was stupid and there is a slight flaw in the way parts of the story were constructed, but it was a great flick. normally i would rave about denzel, and he is great in this flick, but julia roberts was amazing in this film. she pulled emotions, facial expressions, and reactions that were great. she played the heck out of this role. really good movie.
Daniel P

A crash course on how to ruin a pretty good novel.
jay n

dull and indifferently acted
Jason S

Good legal thriller
Dean M

Brilliant suspenseful adaptation of the bestselling novel by John Grisham. Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington are the perfect pairs by finding the truth behind the killings of two Supreme Courts justices.
Steve B

Gets an extra 1/2 star for John Lithgow's performance ("Unfortunately olfactory perception is not admissible in court."), but otherwise a COMPLETE waste of time.
Deb S

Law student Julia Roberts uncovers the truth about the assassinations of two Supreme Court Judges,a government conspiracy involving the White House, FBI, etc. She shares this info with her lover and professor, Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepherd) but when he is killed in a car bomb… More
Law student Julia Roberts uncovers the truth about the assassinations of two Supreme Court Judges,a government conspiracy involving the White House, FBI, etc. She shares this info with her lover and professor, Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepherd) but when he is killed in a car bomb explosion, Roberts is fearful for her life because everyone who knows about The Pelican Brief (Roberts' novel title for her thesis) dies suddenly and violently. Her justified paranoia is intense and suspenseful and you can really feel her fear and desperation. Denzel Washington is superb as the ace newspaper reporter Roberts contact for help. He comes to her aid and shows his versatility well as a journalist, detective, friend and protector. I wished the pace of the movie could have been faster but there were plenty of suspenseful moments and top grade performances from Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.
Joseph E

John Grishams Intense thriller of a book is turned into a Intense thrill Ride of a Movie. "Tense.Thrilling.Intense." "Suspenseful.Smart.Stupendous." "See it for yourself all ready, If you haven't yet seen it!" "Wasn't my review… More
John Grishams Intense thriller of a book is turned into a Intense thrill Ride of a Movie. "Tense.Thrilling.Intense." "Suspenseful.Smart.Stupendous." "See it for yourself all ready, If you haven't yet seen it!" "Wasn't my review self-explamatory, about how much I liked it, and How good it was?"
Daniel P

I love this movie. It's quite slow-burning (at least to begin with), which may put some viewers off. But this is an intelligent, cleverly-plotted and well acted suspense flick that was sadly Alan J Pakula's last film. It's quite fun playing spot-the-cameo as well… More
I love this movie. It's quite slow-burning (at least to begin with), which may put some viewers off. But this is an intelligent, cleverly-plotted and well acted suspense flick that was sadly Alan J Pakula's last film. It's quite fun playing spot-the-cameo as well (Cynthia Nixon, John Lithgow, John Heard etc.).
Brian R

Pakula told this story somewhat before and that was "The Parallax View". "The Pelican Brief" is told again in a 90's linear fashion with two great leads who have real on screen chemistry. To bad they get into a Watergate-like situation that is way over their… More
Pakula told this story somewhat before and that was "The Parallax View". "The Pelican Brief" is told again in a 90's linear fashion with two great leads who have real on screen chemistry. To bad they get into a Watergate-like situation that is way over their heads but then again there wouldn't be a movie to be told.
Marcus W

Two politicians are killed and so law student Julia Roberts spends one evening in a library and uncovers a plot that involves absolutely everyone including the President (as you do). She's then chased all over Washington and seemingly cannot be killed - not even by the same… More
Two politicians are killed and so law student Julia Roberts spends one evening in a library and uncovers a plot that involves absolutely everyone including the President (as you do). She's then chased all over Washington and seemingly cannot be killed - not even by the same assassin that killed the politicians. It's all very silly and a waste of time.
Sarah B

More could have been played on the Washington/Roberts relationship but otherwise this is a quality suspenseful thriller.
Sunil J

Well written and the best of the John Grisham based movies.
Doctor S

Fine direction from thriller pro Pakula keeps things tense and moving quickly, both leads do a fine job too.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Julia Roberts as Darby Shaw

            Denzel Washington as Gray Grantham

            Sam Shepard as Thomas Callahan

            John Heard as Gavin Verheek

            Tony Goldwyn as Fletcher Coal

            James B. Sikking as FBI Director F. Denton Voyles

            William Atherton as Bob Gminski

            Robert Culp as The President

            Stanley Tucci as Khamel

            Hume Cronyn as Justice Abraham Rosenberg

            John Lithgow as Smith Keen

            Stanley Anderson as Edwin Sneller

            Richard Bauer as Managing Editor

            Joseph Chrest as Song & Dance Man from Bar

            Ralph Cosham as Justice Jensen

            Terrence Currier as Rosenberg's Nurse

            John Finn as Matthew Barr

            Sonny Jim Gaines as Sarge

            Kevin Geer as K.O. Lewis

            Anthony Heald as Marty Velmano

            Edwin Newman as Himself

            Cynthia Nixon as Alice Stark

            Jake Weber as Charles Morgan/Garcia

            Nicholas Woodeson as Stump

            Casey Biggs as Eric East

            Ed Johnson as W & B Security Guard

            Christopher Murray as Rupert

            Tom Quinn as Sara Ann Morgan's Father

            Harold Surratt as Parklane Security Officer

            Alixe Gordin
            
            Carol Sutton as New Orleans Policewoman

            William Atherson
            
See full cast