What To Watch: Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts in ‘The Pelican Brief’

Back in 1849, French novelist and social critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,” which of course means, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And that’s just what you might be feeling while watching director Alan J. Pakula‘s 1993 thriller The Pelican Brief, a gripping bit of suspense that has plenty of corruptive politics in its story along with a terrific plot involving conspiracies and investigation.

As near violent protests surge outside the supreme court, Justice Rosenberg (Hume Cronyn) sits in poor health, many on the streets outside calling for his resignation … or worse. What he doesn’t know is in fact, an assassin has already been given his address, along with the whereabouts of another controversial justice. By morning, they are both dead, leaving the President (Robert Culp) forced to face the nation about a tragedy while conversely given the opportunity to affect his legacy in choosing who gets to the bench next.

Meanwhile, down in Tulane University, law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) writes a brief detailing her theory on why the judges were killed. She gives it to her lover Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepard), who happens to be her professor, and he hands it off to a friend, special counsel to the Director of the FBI (John Heard). However, soon after, Callahan is killed and Shaw is targeted. Ducking into hiding, she eventually contacts Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), who has himself a lead into what is happening.

Pakula, who died in a car accident in 1998, is behind several highly-acclaimed films, including All The President’s Men, Klute, and Sophie’s Choice. With The Pelican Brief, he adapts for the screen the runaway bestselling book of the same name by prolific author John Grisham, delivering a tightly-crafted thriller that reaches from the back alleys of New Orleans to the Oval Office itself.

At its heart is a massive cover-up in which those in high authority ask those under them to do things questionable in the service of keeping power. It feels close to a lot that crowds headlines these days, but the film isn’t saturated in the machinations of Washington in and outs, instead, keeping the story focused on the clever investigation and consequential dangers that it ruffles up at the forefront.

While the movie features two strong performances from Roberts and Washington, who both make this as impactful as it is, the cast is a surprising collection of great actors, including Heard, Tony Goldwyn, William Atherton, John Lithgow, Cynthia Nixon, and Stanley Tucci to name a few. It’s an impressive list and the each give this some significant weight. While some of the story is of course condensed and a few on the run moments are sort of forced to happen without much authenticity, it doesn’t take away from the overall fluidity of the momentum that keeps this easily one of the best in the genre.

Best of all, it avoids some of the more obvious trappings of many like it, especially in keeping a protracted romance out the runtime, something that at the time, some felt kept the film from being even more of a success than it was. It also steers clear of big flashy special effects-driven stunt sequences, keeping it always about the characters and the situations they are in. A riveting scene where one meets another in a crowded park is truly nerve-racking. It’s a smart, harrowing moment that hasn’t a single punch, jump, or kick, and nothing in slow-motion. Imagine that.

Along with a memorable score by James Horner, The Pelican Brief is a film that has aged incredibly well, still potent and timely, a good look back at a different time in filmmaking and smart entry into anyone’s list for a first look-see. It’s currently streaming on Netflix. Highly recommended.