Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Pelican Brief

Play trailer Poster for The Pelican Brief PG-13 1993 2h 21m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
56% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Taut thriller about a young law student whose legal brief about the assassination of two Supreme Court justices causes her to be targeted by killers. She realizes just how accurate her accusations have been when her lover and mentor is murdered. Forced to go on the run in New Orleans, she is aided by a journalist who helps her unravel a conspiracy involving senior government figures.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Pelican Brief

The Pelican Brief

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington are a compelling team in the overlong Pelican Brief, a pulpy thriller that doesn't quite justify the intellectual remove of Alan J. Pakula's direction.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
David Ansen Newsweek 05/03/2018
Pakula's always had a cool style, tending toward solemnity, but let's face it, All the President's Men this movie is not. You wish he'd have a little more fun with the pulpy material. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 03/30/2009
It's too bad that Pakula allows this 1993 movie to dawdle after its climax, but prior to that he's adept at suggesting unseen menace and keeping things in motion. Go to Full Review
Brian Lowry Variety 11/05/2008
Pakula has improved on Grisham's book by excising much of the detritus, crafting a taut, intelligent thriller that succeeds on almost every level. Go to Full Review
John Ferguson Radio Times 01/25/2024
4/5
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. Go to Full Review
Quentin Crisp Christopher Street 05/26/2022
The movie has a foolish ending, but it is worth seeing. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal 06/24/2019
3/4
Not on par with Alan J. Pakula's preeminent paranoid cinema. But depicting a POTUS at odds with his FBI director and creating obstruction of justice concerns aligns it with Pakula's other preternaturally predictive potboilers. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Armando B @Knightowl_1991 2d I had to rewatch this film because i forgot about it, that being said now I know why this movie was forgettable, the movie drags to long and some moments take too long to develop, I really like this type of murders mystery movies but this one couldn't deliver. I've seen better movies than this, don't get me wrong some scenes were good and it had its moments, actually the best part of the movie was every time Stanley Tucci was on screen, he was really good in here and it suited him that type of role he was playing, I really thought he was going to last the entire movie. Julia Roberts is beautiful to see on screen and Denzel was great as well, but the movie fails to deliver for me, The Pelican Brief is one of those movies that could have been better. That being said, I give " The Pelican Brief" a solid D- just because the murder scenes of Stanly Tucci were well made, he was really creepy, I liked his character a lot. See more David G @Brutalelder Apr 26 Very much a 90s movie, in a good way. It leans more on the acting than the mystery, which isn’t too hard to figure out, but it’s still really entertaining and easy to watch. Denzel Washington is great as always, and Julia Roberts does a solid job too. The whole cast delivers. If you like classic 90s thrillers, this is a good one. Nothing too complicated, just a really enjoyable watch. See more Joel H @RT47793553 Jan 9 It’s been a long time since I watched The Pelican Brief. It was a fun reminder of how enjoyable these John Grisham film adaptations can be. However, there are better Grisham movies. This one seems to get a little lost in the weeds, and it’s not always clear who is doing what and why. Both Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington do great jobs with their respective performances. They are relatable and vulnerable in a way that keeps you engaged, even if all the legal jargon and politicking go over your head. So while The Pelican Brief may not be the strongest cinematic case Grisham’s got, it has some pluck. See more Joy B. @9mr_0 Dec 21 فيلم جميل وقصة رائعه اداء رائع من الممثلين ولو حسيت دنزل اداءه خجول في هذا الفيلم تصوير جيد المخرج عبقري اعطى القصه و الممثلين الرئيسين و الثانوين حقهم See more thiago s @Thiagostone Nov 21 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Darren C @RT26505387 Sep 10 Old school government 'conspiracy thriller movie 101'. - Exploding cars. Check - Chase scene through a hotel kitchen tipping over serving trays to slow down the bad guys. Check - Panic scene with crowds of people in famous landmark area. Check - Dodgy US President (how relevant!). Check - Awkwardly weird romantic style ending. Check - Great actors being a bit average and overly dramatic. Check check check! See more Read all reviews
The Pelican Brief

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
The Client 78% 68% The Client Watchlist The Net 44% 44% The Net Watchlist Deceived 38% 46% Deceived Watchlist The Real McCoy 25% 32% The Real McCoy Watchlist Firewall 19% 37% Firewall Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Taut thriller about a young law student whose legal brief about the assassination of two Supreme Court justices causes her to be targeted by killers. She realizes just how accurate her accusations have been when her lover and mentor is murdered. Forced to go on the run in New Orleans, she is aided by a journalist who helps her unravel a conspiracy involving senior government figures.
Director
Alan J. Pakula
Producer
Pieter Jan Brugge
Production Co
Warner Bros.
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 17, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 28, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$100.7M
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo