Law on the silver screen

So following on from my post about my favourite law-centric TV shows, I thought I'd post about my favourite movies that take place in the courtroom.

1. Legally Blonde
You may laugh, but Legally Blonde is a legal classic. I was 10 when the original was released and can't quite remember if I was able to see it in the theatre. I definitely saw the sequel with some friends at the movies. I loved Legally Blonde. Elle was everything a young girl wanted to be... she was a Barbie doll! As the story progressed we learn that Elle is also intelligent and it shatters the perception that pretty girly-girls are dumb. In addition, it encourages us to have a healthy interest in things outside of the law; Elle would not have been successful in court if she didn't have the interest in hair and beauty.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird
Yes, no list of legal movies would be complete without this classic. I couldn't tell you exactly when I first read the book,  but I believe I was 9 or 10. I loved it and seeing the movie made me love the story even more. In high school we studied the book (and movie) and I loved it a whole lot more. While I understood that book as a child, I had a better grasp of the finer points. I'm sure every law student has seen the movie and been inspired by the courtroom scene. While it wasn't the reason I chose to study law, the movie certainly inspires me and Atticus is the type of lawyer I want to be, if I can't be Elle Woods!

3. The Castle
I'm not sure whether this movie was released outside of Australia, but it is most definitely a classic. A man's home is his castle, and the Kerrigan family wanted to protect their castle. Not only is it a great Australian film, there are many references to fundamental Australian constitutional law cases throughout the movie as the family fought to save their home. In my first year when we had to watch some sort of movie or TV show that centered on the law, I picked The Castle. I didn't really pick up on many of the references, but on watching it last year I realised how it would have been a great study tool for constitutional law!

4. Kramer vs Kramer
I have a list of movies that I have always wanted to see, most of them 'classics'. Kramer vs Kramer is one of these. For those who haven't seen the film, the film shows the course of a couple's divorce and the impact on those in their lives, particularly their young son. The custody battle is central and actually inspired me to consider taking the family law elective which I had previously maintained I would never take. It is a great movie and extremely heartwarming.

5. Miracle on 34th Street
I was 5 years old when Mara Wilson starred in Matilda, the movie based on Roald Dahl's book. I loved it and I saw myself in her. We had a similar haircut and she was young, just like me. Her remake of the Natalie Wood classic was released two years earlier than Matilda, but I hadn't seen it until afterwards. It was undoubtedly the first time I had ever seen the law in a movie or TV show and was heartwarming. While the movie hints that Santa is a construct of modern society (something with which I disagree... he still leaves me presents under the tree), as a young child I did not see this and rather just enjoyed the idea that a young girl got to hang out with Santa Claus! In more recent years I saw the original and loved it so much. Definitely a legal classic!