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      The Judge

      2014, Drama, 2h 21m

      201 Reviews 25,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      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. Read critic reviews

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      The Judge  Photos

      Movie Info

      Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant but shady attorney, returns to his Indiana hometown after learning that his mother has passed away. His arrival triggers renewed tension between himself and his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who makes no secret of his disapproval of Hank's morally ambiguous career. As the lawyer prepares to depart, his father is arrested for a hit-and-run death. Hank takes on his father's defense, despite the objections of the resentful old man.

      • Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language)

      • Genre: Drama

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: David Dobkin

      • Producer: Susan Downey, David Dobkin, David Gambino

      • Writer: Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $2.7M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

      • Production Co: Big Kid Pictures, Team Downey

      • Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital

      • Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

      Cast & Crew

      Robert Duvall
      Vera Farmiga
      Billy Bob Thornton
      Jeremy Strong
      Dax Shepard
      Ken Howard
      Emma Tremblay
      Balthazar Getty
      Grace Zabriskie
      Denis O'Hare
      Matt Riedy
      Mark Kiely
      Lucien Spelman
      Frank Ridley
      Nick Schenk
      Bill Dubuque
      Bruce Berman
      Steven Mnuchin
      Herb Gains
      Robert Downey Jr.
      Jeff Kleeman
      Janusz Kaminski
      Mark Ricker
      Mark Livolsi
      Marlene Stewart
      Thomas Newman
      David Swayze
      Rena DeAngelo

      News & Interviews for The Judge

      Critic Reviews for The Judge

      Audience Reviews for The Judge

      • Oct 07, 2016

        The court and family drama is carried by two outstanding performances by RDJ and Duvall. Their chemistry and the excellent support cast make for a thoroughly entertaining film with just the right amount of humor and rural American atmosphere. Overall really well done even if the ending falls a bit short.

        Super Reviewer
      • Aug 24, 2016

        Wow! The first 10 minutes of the film has about every cliche you could possibly throw into a film, then proceeds to hit every Blake Snyder beat right on time. Only of note for the talented actors involved, who do their best to uplift the material.

        Super Reviewer
      • May 09, 2016

        John Grisham, the former lawyer turned novelist, has become known for his action packed, courtroom conspiracies. These films are always full of twists and unlikely heroes, but in his latest film, The Judge, Grisham takes a step back. The lawyers he creates have always been young and smart, but inexperienced and in over their heads, this time, it's just the opposite. Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) has left his small town upbringing behind and has become one of the biggest criminal defense attorneys in the country. Law has always been in his family, as his father, Joseph (Robert Duvall) has been a judge in that small town for nearly fifty years. Hank is home for a rare visit, when he starts to notice his father is deteriorating, but does little about it. One night, The Judge goes out to the store and hits someone with his car, his son contends, it was a simple accident, but the district attorney thinks it's something more, due to the Judge's former connection with the victim. Despite them never seeing eye to eye, and despite the Judge's stubbornness, he sees no choice but to let his big shot son defend him. Both actors in this film are terrific, few are as good as Robert Duvall, but the chemistry in this film is a bit of a problem. Robert Duvall is always this humble soft spoken guy, that pulls at the heart strings, but Robert Downey Jr. has a personality that's bigger than life itself. While Duvall was amazing, Downey Jr. always seemed to overpower him in their scenes together. The combination made for a few good laughs, but overall, Downey's personality overshadows the empathy the crowd had for Duvall. The bottom line, The Judge may not be John Grisham's most thrilling work, but it does pose some interesting questions of law and explores the necessity of a father/son relationship, even when the two parties don't really get along.

        Super Reviewer
      • Dec 05, 2015

        "The Judge" is an exciting/amazing drama film. "The Judge" has got incredible acting from "Robert Downey Jr" and "Robert Duvall". "The Judge" has got a great plot to it and the characters changes are great. The music in this film is very emotional and fits in perfectly with the scenes. "The Judge" is directed extremely well by "David Dobkin". The dialogue is great at showing the audience the damaged relation ship between "Hank Palmer" and his father. I highly recommend you watch "The Judge" if you enjoy dramatic films and I give it an 8.5/10.

        Super Reviewer

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