Legal Thrills & Summer Block Busters (JULY 21- 27)

HOLLYWOOD BRIEFING

By Cindy Gaber

Your weekly report of entertainment that focuses on the legal profession and pure R&R for the legally minded

QUICK INTERROGATION: PEDRO PASCAL, The Fantastic Four

Hollywood’s hottest sex symbol is a 50-year-old man who admits to very humble beginnings that have a legal bent. “Early on, I remember always being cast as a killer. I did all of the ‘Law & Order’ shows. I was so used to being in those interrogation rooms confessing it all,” says Pedro Pascal with a hearty laugh. 

I caught up with him last Sunday morning in LA where the bit player has turned into every bit the superhero movie star. He  stars in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer season. Pascal plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic who teams up with Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/ Human Torch) and Julia Gardner (Silver Surfer). 

The latest Marvel outing, based on a comic book series dating back to 1961, is set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world where Marvel’s First Family dwells. They must balance life as heroes, deal with family issues and defend Earth from a ravenous space creature called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer. 

In black pants, a white shirt and nerd glasses, Pascal didn’t mind a quick interrogation. 

Q: Describe Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic. 

Pascal: “At the core, Reed is incredibly co-dependent. His identity is linked to his family. He needs to find a way to express what burdens him, but he’s perplexed at why the people around him aren’t catching up as quickly. His mind works so fast that he will see a thing and think, “OK, I have to explain it to you.’” 

Q: How does a lemonade stand figure into your casting? 

Pascal: “Acting is a lot of waiting. I was waiting to see if I got this role when I went on a walk with a friend that changed the course of my life in a very sudden way. This charming little girl very aggressively started to sell me lemonade from a lemonade stand. I was so charmed when I heard this voice saying, ‘What are you doing here?’ I look up and it’s Matt Shakman (‘Fantastic Four’ director). This was his daughter! This was literally the Sunday after he and I had met to talk about the project.’ I left there and my friend said, ‘I think you’re doing this movie.’” 

Q: Is it hard to live up to a name like Mr. Fantastic? 

Pascal: “Things aren’t always so fantastic for him. He must deal with being a first-time Dad.  He’s super smart, but not so savvy when it comes to human interactions. Like so many of us, he reads the room incorrectly at first, but there is hopefully a second chance.”  

Q: Ever forget your lines? 

Pascal (laughing): “Many years ago, I did Shakespeare and forgot my line. It was a nightmare. I turned to the audience and said, ‘Whatever.’” ….”You can’t beat yourself up. Luckily, the next line came.” 

Q: Do you have a mantra or words of wisdom? 

Pascal: “Every day is a chance to change your life…And, you can’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.” 

WE DON’T OBJECT : 

Here is the latest and greatest in upcoming legal streaming shows and movies: 

Now Filming  . . . 

Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” garnered almost all positive reviews and was a ratings bonanza. Yet, no one expected the lawyer drama to make a mark as we head into Emmy season. The series received four nominations this week for actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard and Ruth Negga. 

Even better news is the series is getting a second season on Apple TV +…with a bit of a twist. Season 2 will be based on Jo Murray’s upcoming legal thriller, “Dissection of a Murder.” 

Rachel Brosnahan (“Superman”) will star as Lelia Reynolds, a defense attorney who has just been assigned her first murder case. She must defend Jack Milliam who is accused of murdering a judge. This shouldn’t be the kind of case she’s leading; it’s way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, is clear. He only wants her.  The twist: Her husband is the prosecutor with adds layers of both personal and professional tension. 

The story is new, but the creatives are the same from season one including showrunner David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams and Jake Gyllenhaal who will return for season 2. The show will debut in 2006 in conjunction with the release of Jo Murray’s novel. 

Now Streaming: 

The website Collider.com has released their list of the best legal thrillers. The top 10, drum roll please. . . . 

10: A Time to Kill (1996). It’s the Joel Schumacher drama starring newcomer Matthew McConaughey as a hungry lawyer defending a black man in Mississippi (Samuel L. Jackson) who kills the two white men who assaulted his 10-year-old daughter. 

9. Primal Fear (1996). Richard Gere is Martin Vail, a famous lawyer, who takes on a major murder case when the archbishop of Chicago is killed at the hands of an altar boy. Watch for Edward Norton in the performance that made him a star. 

8. The Firm (1993). Tom Cruise doesn’t miss a beat as a fresh, young lawyer, just out of law school, who lands his supposed dream job at a law firm in this John Grisham book-to-film. . Only problem: the place is run by the mob and is being investigated by the FBI.

7. The Rainmaker (1997). Matt Damon takes a major star turn in this film directed by Francis Ford Coppola in this John Grisham adaptation. Damon is Rudy Baylor, an inexperienced lawyer, who represents a young boy who is dying of leukemia after a corporation will not pay for his treatment. 

6. A Few Good Men (1994). Tom Cruise (again) steps up in a courtroom thriller for director Rob Reiner in a legal thriller about a JAG Corps Lieutenant who must legally defend two young Marines charged with killing a fellow soldier. He must interrogate Col Jessup (Jack Nicholson) who is part of the conspiracy.

5. Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Small-town lawyer Paul Biegler (Jimmy Stewart) steps up to defend an army officer who is on trial for murdering a man who might have assaulted his wife in this courtroom drama. 

4. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962). Iconic movie hero Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) brings Harper Lee’s 1960 novel to life. Set in the South during the Depression, Finch defends a black man falsely charged with rape. 

3. Anatomy of a Fall (2023). An Awards season darling, the film is beloved by both audiences and critics. It begins with the mysterious death of a man who dwelled in the French Alps with his family. His wife Sandra (Sandra Huller) becomes a suspect while the couple’s blind 11-year-old son is a witness. 

2. Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Director Billy Wilder brought Agatha Christie’s 1953 play to the big screen in a drama that remains ageless. The plot revolves around Sir Wilfred Robarts (Charles Laughton), a lawyer dealing with a recent heart attack, who represents a man accused of murdering a wealthy woman. What follows is a mix of lies and ethical questions. 

1. 12 Angry Men (1957). Dubbed a “masterpiece,” this courtroom drama directed by a young Sidney Lumet making his film feature debut is a thriller that thrills. There are 12 jurors who must come to terms after the trial of an 18-year-old who might – or might not have – stabbed his father. Eleven vote guilty. And then there is Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) who has a few questions. A cinematic classic. 

THROWBACK WATCH: 

It’s hot outside, which makes it the perfect time to sit in some nice air-conditioning and re-watch a legal classic. 

            This Week’s Verdict . . . “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.”

Legal Notes:  This 2016 miniseries from Ryan Murphy and the primo writing team ofScott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (who also executive produced), Brown plays prosecuting attorney Christopher Darden is a win despite knowing the outcome. 

The cast has industry veterans at the top of their individual games including Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Bruce Greenwood as Gil Garcetti, Nathan Lane as F. Lee Bailey, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran. 

Watch and re-watch Travolta especially trying to figure out in a boardroom how to get his friend OJ out of the slammer and watch with fascination as the highway chase plays out again. A must-see. 

Cindy Gaber is an award-winning journalist for the New York Times wire, Chicago Sun-Times and various other publications. She is also the author of the best-selling Ascenders YA book series and has ghost written over 50 books. You can reach her at [email protected]