The Pelican Brief Details

When this was made, John Grisham's stock in Hollywood was so high that one of his shopping lists could probably have spawned a blockbuster movie. If it had done, it would undoubtedly have followed the formula consolidated by this, the second of the big screen Grisham dramatisations: dense plotting, lots of legalese, two charismatic leads and a cavalcade of stars in small roles. Here, Julia Roberts plays the aspiring young legal eagle who stumbles across a massive conspiracy that reaches right to the Oval Office; her only ally is Denzel Washington's sceptical reporter, who finds himself investigating the scoop of a lifetime. The two leads are fine, but the real coup is the depth of talent in the supporting cast — Sam Shepard and John Heard are among those delivering killer cameos, but everyone is eclipsed by Robert Culp's witty portrayal of a shifty president. The plot combines legal thriller with conspiracy movie, so it's no surprise that the film's director is Alan J Pakula — whose previous work includes Presumed Innocent and The Parallax View — who weaves his way adeptly through the myriad characters and subplots.

Mundane chase movie, a paranoid thriller that rarely rings true and mainly consists of Julia Roberts being chased but not caught. Her fans may enjoy it.