| The Judge | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | David Dobkin |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Janusz Kamiński |
| Edited by | Mark Livolsi |
| Music by | Thomas Newman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 141 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45–50 million |
| Box office | $84.4 million |
The Judge is a 2014 Americanlegal drama film directed byDavid Dobkin.[2] The film starsRobert Downey Jr. andRobert Duvall withVera Farmiga,Vincent D'Onofrio,Jeremy Strong,Dax Shepard andBilly Bob Thornton in supporting roles.[2]
The film was released in the United States on October 10, 2014 byWarner Bros. Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics, but was praised for the performances of Duvall and Downey andThomas Newman's score. The film grossed $84.4 million against a $45–50 million budget. Duvall received multiple award nominations for his performance as Judge Joseph Palmer, including theAcademy Award,Golden Globe Award,Screen Actors Guild Award andSatellite Award for Best Supporting Actor.Thomas Newman received aSatellite Award nomination forBest Original Score.
Hank Palmer is a trial lawyer inChicago, acerbic and notorious for defending powerful clients he knows to be guilty. Before returning to his rural hometown of Carlinville,Illinois to attend his mother's funeral, he argues with his wife, Lisa, whom he is divorcing for infidelity.
In Carlinville, Hank reunites with his older brother Glen, a tire shop owner, and his younger brother Dale, anintellectually disabled amateur filmmaker. Hank's father is Judge Joseph Palmer of Carlinville's criminal court, whom he calls "Judge". The two have been estranged due to the Judge's harsh treatment of Hank in his youth: When Hank was a teenager, he got into a car accident and Glen was injured, losing a chance for a baseball career. Because of this, the Judge sent Hank tojuvenile detention.
Hank stops by the courthouse to watch his father preside over a case. During the proceedings, the Judge is unable to recall his long-timebailiff's name. The morning after the funeral, Hank notices that the Judge's Cadillac is damaged and accuses his father, a recovered alcoholic, of driving intoxicated. The Judge reacts defensively, having no memory of an accident. They argue and Hank leaves for the airport, vowing never to return to Carlinville. Just before his flight is to take off, Glen calls to say that their father is a suspect in a fatalhit-and-run incident. The victim, Mark Blackwell, was a recently released ex-convict whom the Judge had sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend; Blackwell had killed her by drowning after the Judge had given him a light sentence of 30 days for shooting up the girl's house.
The Judge isindicted after police forensics confirm that Blackwell's blood is on his car. Given his personal history with the victim, he is charged withfirst-degree murder. The Judge initially rejects Hank's legal help, but when his hired local attorney proves ineffective at the preliminary hearing, he allows Hank to take over as lead counsel. While preparing for trial, Hank learns that his father is secretly undergoingchemotherapy for terminal cancer, which hasaffected his mental acuity for months. Hank wants to use this information to get his fatheracquitted, but fearing it will compromise his past adjudications and tarnish his legacy, the Judge refuses, frustrating Hank. During his prolonged stay, Hank and his father continue to get into personal clashes. Hank's strained family relationship is further complicated by his former girlfriend, Sam Powell, who owns the local diner. He comes to believe that he may be the father of Sam's daughter Carla, a law student. During this time, Hank's own daughter Lauren arrives for a visit, meeting her grandfather for the first time and bonding with him.
After a medical emergency puts him in the hospital, the Judge insists on testifying at the trial. During cross-examination he scuttles his defense by saying that he cannot remember the hit-and-run but believes he may have killed Blackwell intentionally, shocking the court. Taking over on redirect, Hank pushes the Judge until he admits to his terminal cancer treatment; the Judge further reveals that Blackwell hadinsulted his late wife on the fateful night, and that he gave Blackwell a light sentence for his first offense because Blackwell's circumstances had reminded the Judge of Hank. Hank closes by demonstrating that, as before, the Judge cannot remember his own bailiff's name. As they await the jury's verdict, Sam informs Hank that his brother Glen is Carla's father but does not know; Sam slept with him after Hank left town twenty years before. Hank is angered by the revelation, but the two reaffirm their love for each other and embrace. When the court reconvenes, the Judge is acquitted of first-degree murder but convicted ofvoluntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in theIndiana State Prison.
Seven months later, Hank returns as his father has been granted acompassionate release, requested by the prosecutor, to allow him to die at home. Fishing on a lake, Hank and the Judge appear to have buried their mutual animosity. After praising Hank as a lawyer, the Judge peacefully dies on the boat. The courthouse flag is flown at half-staff to honor him. Hank visits the courthouse and spins his father's chair; it stops, facing him.
The script was originally written byNick Schenk. In March 2011, the script was to be rewritten byDavid Seidler.[3] In April 2013,Bill Dubuque was enlisted to rewrite it.[4] The casting ofRobert Duvall,Vincent D'Onofrio,[5] Vera Farmiga,[6] andDax Shepard was reported in March 2013.[7] The studios had expressed an interest inJack Nicholson playing Joseph, but Nicholson turned down the role and it was given to Duvall.[8][9][10]Leighton Meester joined the cast in April 2013.[11]
Principal photography started on May 31, 2013, inShelburne Falls, Massachusetts.[12] Shooting also took place inAttleboro,Belmont,Dedham,Milton,Sunderland, andWaltham, Massachusetts. Scenes were also filmed inWorcester, Massachusetts, includingWorcester Regional Airport, as well as locations inPennsylvania.[13][14] The film is set in the fictional town of Carlinville,Indiana.[15]
On February 27, 2014,Thomas Newman was hired to compose the music for the film.[16]WaterTower Music released a soundtrack album on October 7, 2014.[17] The film's closing titles featureWillie Nelson's version of theColdplay song "The Scientist", andBon Iver's song "Holocene" is also featured prominently in the film.
The film was shown at the opening night of the2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2014.[18] It was premiered inLos Angeles on October 1, 2014, at theBeverly Hills'Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[19] The film was released on October 10, 2014, in the United States. and was released onDVD andBlu-ray on January 27, 2015.[20]
The Judge grossed $13.1 million in its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, where it went on to earn $47.1 million, adding $37.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $84.4 million, against a budget of $45–$50 million.[21][22]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 49% of 198 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Solidly cast and beautifully filmed but thoroughly clichéd,The Judge seems destined to preside over a large jurisdiction of the basic cable afternoon-viewing circuit."[23]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 48 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[24]
Film criticRichard Roeper gave the film a "C" rating, saying that it was "surprising how little we care about these characters."[25]
Geoffrey Macnab ofThe Independent wrote, "For all its contrivances and occasional lapses intoOn Golden Pond-style mawkishness, this is a richly crafted yarn that boasts barnstorming, if very showy performances from Duvall and Downey Jr."[26]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian gave a mixed to positive review, writing, "There are plenty of emotional fireworks in this big, soupy but entertaining picture, which is obvious Oscar bait."[27]Entertainment Weekly critic Chris Nashawaty gave the film a "B" rating, and stated, "I don't expectThe Judge to usher in a new era of legal thrillers, but I'm happy to see Downey leave theMarvel universe andBaker Street behind."[28]
| Year | Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Score – Feature Film | Thomas Newman | Nominated |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | Best U.S. Feature Film | The Judge (David Dobkin) | 2nd Place | |
| Heartland Film Festival | Truly Moving Picture | Won | ||
| 18th Hollywood Film Awards | Supporting Actor of the Year | Robert Duvall | Won | |
| 2015 | ||||
| 87th Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| 72nd Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | ||
| 20th Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| 19th Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score | Thomas Newman | Nominated |
