WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Robin ‘Stormy’ Weathers (Judd Nelson) is fresh out of law school and in a good job at a successful firm. However, as a newbie first year, he’s relegated to paperwork and research, not even close to getting inside an actual courtroom, let alone trying a case. So, being the go-getter (ahem conniving and manipulative) type he is, comes up with a clever plan to get noticed, one that some may twist as just a wee bit unethical because, well, it is. No worried. It works and suddenly, just like that, he’s a full fledged junior partner. What could go wrong?
The death penalty. That’s what. Now that’s made a big name out of himself, he’s given a new case – a big one – defending a well-respected university professor named Douglas Benoit (John Hurt), who is accused of brutal murder with the sharp end of a claw hammer. The problem is, it really seems like the guy did it, but Weathers, feeling pressure to right his past wrongs, thinks he can get the acquittal. But at what cost?
REVIEW: Directed and co-written by Bob Clark – who to this point was best known for directing the teen sex romp Porky’s and the Sylvester Stallone oddity Rhinestone – this mix of comedy and drama from 1987 is itself a strange brew, never all that convincing as an authentic jury story yet undeniably infectious due to its sharp script (Fun fact, the other writer of this is David E. Kelley, the guy behind LA Law, The Practice, and Ally McBeal).
This is one of those films that works hard to appear complicated in its machinations of the characters and plot but is in fact quite simple, leading to a “gotcha” moment that is, let’s be honest, more than a little transparent, but nonetheless super satisfying. It’s a movie written around its big reveal and as such, feels slightly padded, especially in the prolonged first act that establishes Weathers as a do-anything-for-attention lawyer hungry for fame and advancement. Here’s a guy with an arc so rigid, you could drive a truck over it. Either way, as entertainment, most particularly from the era it’s in, this is good stuff.
WHAT WORKS: Great script aside, none of this would hold up at all if it weren’t for the cast, which includes not only Nelson’s finely-tuned bravado, but strong support from the likes of Darren McGavin (of A Christmas Story fame), playing a senior partner exacerbated by Weathers over-the-top shenanigans and Elizabeth Perkins as Weather’s tried and true girlfriend, who is very good as the woman behind the man thing. These are thankless roles but given just the right amount of spin to color the corners with some flare.
However, special attention goes both Ray Walston (best known maybe for his work in Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and Hurt, who both elevate the whole film. Walston plays the first judge and is genuinely funny as a man worn down by decades of boring courtroom nonsense frazzled to a breaking point by Weathers’ ridiculous antics in front of a jury. He’s one of the best character actors of his time and does the film a great service in punching up the first act with a flurry of creative outbursts.
Hurt is perhaps the most memorable though, appearing nearly at the halfway point, his creased face and slimy demeanor making him a terrific questionable villain whose whole function for existing is to put Weathers to the test after we learn just how the young upstart lawyer got himself into the limelight. He’s absolutely riveting throughout, at least three rungs higher on the thespian ladder than anyone else. You almost wish this were a different movie where comedy was off the table … leading to …
WHAT DOESN’T WORK: The balance between humor and drama doesn’t always keep things on the edge it thinks its on. Weathers is too much of an obvious silly frat-boy party boy type, his two lackey fellow lawyer pals (David Alan Grier and Dan Monahan – from the Porky’s films) going out of their way incessantly to make almost everything they do juvenile. It really sucks the punch out of the more impressive dramatic moments that earn their way.
That tonal seesawing tends to weaken the joints here and there where we want to get invested in Weathers and his plight but find our hands slipping on the grip when a forced gag or record scratch-esque one-liner pops into view. Doesn’t work.
REWIND: If you’re a fan of courtroom movies, comedy or otherwise, From the Hip is a solid entry, the last act a pretty intense battle between the prosecution and defense and more so between Weathers and the mess he’s gotten himself into. It’s highly theatrical and as such, gets really fun once we’re on Benoit’s case, making this well-designed and executed, following the underdog-out-his-element formula to a near letter perfect ‘T’. It’s currently streaming on AppleTV.