Julia RobertsThe Pelican Brief [Blu-ray]

Pelican Brief 1993 Denzel Washington as Bob Woodward-style investigative reporter for Washington Herald, Julia Roberts as Tulane law student Darby Shaw studying constitutional law under professor Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepard) former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Abraham Rosenberg (Hume Cronyn) "never fails to amaze me what a man will do to get an oval office."Callahan provides a classroom discussion in 1993 of actual Supreme Court case Bowers vs Hardwick 1986: when we substitute threat and intimidation for argument, substitute violence for principle, we allow passion to overcome our capacity for reason. Passion and self interest are threats to liberty. Justice Harry Blackmun's dissent: That certain, but by no means all, religious groups condemn the behavior at issue gives the State no license to impose their judgments on the entire citizenry. The legitimacy of secular legislation depends, instead, on whether the State can advance some justification for its law beyond its conformity to religious doctrine.That night Justice Rosenberg and Justice Jensen are assassinated. Everyone speculates why. Darby spends a week researching linkages between the two justices who were dissimilar in all aspects except one.Callahan's MCI mild cognitive impairment adolescent sexuality from alcohol abuse, reasserts itself in Darby's week long library research absence.Years ago a young lawyer for the Green Fund prosecuted a case against oil drilling in the wildlife refuge of the nearly extinct Louisiana marshlands brown pelican. The young lawyer is jubilant: It was the case I was born to win. Just before he is to appear in court he is found dead of gsw gunshot wound sitting among his computer and notes for the case. His parents and doctor deny it was suicide. Police close the case. PBS Frontline does an investigative documentary on the young lawyer and questions how and why he died.Darby Shaw throws away her Pelican Brief detailing the research behind the common thread which binds the two murdered Supreme Court Justices. Callahan rescues, reads the Pelican Brief and shares it with former classmate Gavin Verheek, Chief Counsel to FBI Director Voyles after the Rosenberg Memorial. Verheek shows the brief to FBI Director Voyles, who shows Pelican Brief to the President (Robert Culp) and CIA Director Bob Gminski.The White House oval office built for 1993 comedy Dave with Kevin Kline Sigourney Weaver was used for Pelican Brief. Dave is a must see comedy for light hearted balance, politicians newscasters media personalities portraying themselves, with behind the scenes fixer spin doctor (Michael Clayton DVD George Clooney 2007) Chief of Staff (Frank Langella) identical in personality to Chief of Staff Fletcher Coal in Pelican Brief.The National Cathedral is the site of the memorial for Justice Jensen, the streets of New Orleans form the colorful musical opening scenes (Aretha Franklin), the New Orleans trolley to the Riverwalk carries Darby to someone she hopes can help her, New Britain Museum of American Art CT, the National Monument provide the background for dirty tricks Unit agents sent to derail Darby, the NOPD New Orleans Police Department provides Law and Order. The Bob Gminski's CIA is shadowy since it is illegal for the CIA to be involved in domestic surveillance.Pelican Brief is an exciting rapidly paced investigative journalism thriller based on John Grisham's book of the same name and is another energetic mystery like the 6 part BBC series State of Play with Bill Nighy David Morrissey Kelly Macdonald about newspaper investigative reporters who discover evidence of murder in a seemingly accidental death involving the House Energy Select Committee investigations into oil and gas political control of the government, their lobbyists Warner Schloss, and the Chair of the House Energy Select committee.Pelican Brief is a 27 year old, two sided dvd Warner video, must flip over midway through the action, subtitles and CC closed captions available in English Spanish French, for bonus features must click "menu" to access.5* adrenalin pumping Stanley Tucci mimics real life assassin Abu Nidal, John Lithgow is newspaper editor Smith Keen, Edwin Newman portrays himself interviewing news journalist Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) early after the assassinations and at the close.SPOILER ALERT to assist with understanding4 separate teams pursue the Supreme Court Justices, Darby and Gray Grantham:A. Victor Mattiece hires Marty Velmano and Sims Wakefield lawyer partners at White Blazevich.Sims Wakefield uses the alias Mr Snellen to hire Khamel (Stanley Tucci) who uses multiple wigs, facial hair, foreign accents, boats to evade immigrationB. The President (Robert Culp) and Chief of Staff Fletcher Coal have a dirty tricks Unit led by Matthew Barr, whose team includes Stump a car bomber, and Anne a female assassin. Chief of Staff Fletcher Coal distrusts FBI Director Voyles to ignore the Pelican Brief connections to the White House.C. FBI Director Voyles does not trust the President but agrees to The President's request to delay the Pelican investigation if The President will deter Fletcher Coal from pillorying Voyles to the press.D. Chief of Staff Fletcher Coal encourages the President to ask CIA Director Bob Gminski to investigate the Pelican Brief, prove it is false in order to remove FBI Director Voyles from the Pelican investigation. Rupert is a CIA irregular hired ad libitum as needed prn for CIA extracurricular work.Keeping all the teams in view and separated as distinct entities simultaneously is a challenge

Great movie, disc plays fine.

Watched it ! I Love Them Together ! It gave Drama Suspense & Action ! This What U Need When UR watching a movie !

Happy

The movie is great, in new condition but is double sided , had to turn dvd over to continue watching

Just replacing DVD copy with Blu Ray copy of a movie I enjoyed. Great cast, Great movie.

Classic thriller that has been a favorite of mine for years!

One of my favorite movies! Even though it's made in the 1990's, it stands up to today's political arena including the Supreme Court. The story is so intriguing that you sit on the edge of the chair and get amazed how it progresses. Denzel Washington & Julia Roberts knocked this out of the ballpark and should have gotten Oscar nominations. It's such a great thriller! I've watched this so many times but ended up buying the DVD as I'll never tire of it. Update 10/5/24 DVD went dark after 1/2 way through - checked out and there is no recording the the last 1/2. Took too long to watch & find the problem so I ate the cost and have now ordered another from a different seller on Amazonl. UPDATE 10/15/24The reason it stopped playing is that the rest of it is on the back of the disk (nothing was mentioned in the ad). A whole lot of people wrote about this same issue not knowing it's two sided - shame on the seller as I ordered another from a different seller when I didn't need to.