There’s something incredibly captivating about the world of legal dramas, especially when they spotlight powerful women in the role of lawyers. From battling courtroom injustices to overcoming personal struggles, movies about lawyers women offer a rich tapestry of stories that inspire, challenge, and entertain. The portrayal of women lawyers in cinema has evolved significantly over the years. From trailblazing courtroom dramas to thrilling legal mysteries, these films not only entertain but also inspire and highlight the immense contributions of female attorneys. Here, we delve into some of the most compelling movies featuring women lawyers, showcasing their brilliance, resilience, and determination.
The best movies about lawyers women
Erin Brockovich (2000)
The 2000 biographical legal drama film Erin Brockovich was written and directed by Susannah Grant. It is based on the accurate tale of Erin Brockovich, a single mother of three who fights the influential Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) after learning that the company is tainting a tiny California town’s water supply. Julia Roberts plays Erin Brockovich in the movie, and Albert Finney plays her lawyer, Ed Masry. For her work, Roberts was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress. In addition, the movie received positive reviews and made over $256 million at the box office. The moving and inspirational tale of Erin Brockovich chronicles one woman’s struggle for justice. Fans of true stories and legal dramas should not miss it.
Directed by | Steven Soderbergh |
Written by | Susannah Grant |
Produced by | Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher |
Starring | Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart |
Cinematography | Ed Lachman |
Edited by | Anne V. Coates |
Music by | Thomas Newman |
Production companies | Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Jersey Films |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures (North America), Columbia Pictures (through Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International; International) |
Release date | March 17, 2000 |
Running time | 130 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $52 million |
Box office | $256.3 million |
On the Basis of Sex (2018)
The 2018 biographical legal drama film On the Basis of Sex was written and directed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s nephew, Daniel Stiepleman. It chronicles the early life and legal career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones), who would become the second woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. The film focuses on a specific case, Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which Ginsburg argued in 1970. This case, though seemingly narrow, became a springboard to challenge gender discrimination throughout the legal system.
Directed by | Mimi Leder |
Written by | Daniel Stiepleman |
Produced by | Robert W. Cort |
Starring | Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, Kathy Bates |
Cinematography | Michael Grady |
Edited by | Michelle Tesoro |
Music by | Mychael Danna |
Production companies | Focus Features, Participant Media, Robert Cort Productions, Alibaba Pictures |
Distributed by | Focus Features |
Release dates | November 8, 2018 (AFI Fest), December 25, 2018 (United States) |
Running time | 120 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $20 million |
Box office | $38.8 million |
Miss Sloane (2016)
Jessica Chastain stars as Elizabeth Sloane, a cutthroat lobbyist who takes on the seemingly impossible task of taking down the gun industry. This fast-paced legal thriller showcases Sloane’s strategic brilliance and ruthless ambition.
Directed by | John Madden |
Written by | Jonathan Perera |
Produced by | Ariel Zeitoun, Ben Browning, Kris Thykier |
Starring | Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alison Pill, Jake Lacy, John Lithgow, Sam Waterston |
Cinematography | Sebastian Blenkov |
Edited by | Alexander Berner |
Music by | Max Richter |
Production companies | EuropaCorp, FilmNation Entertainment, Archery Pictures, France 2 Cinema, Canal+, Ciné+, France Télévisions |
Distributed by | EuropaCorp. Distribution (France), Relativity EuropaCorp Distribution (United States) |
Release dates | November 11, 2016 (AFI Fest), November 25, 2016 (United States), March 8, 2017 (France) |
Running time | 132 minutes |
Countries | France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada |
Language | English |
Budget | $13–18 million |
Box office | $9.1 million |
A Few Good Men (1992)
Demi Moore portrays Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, a U.S. Navy lawyer who defends two Marines accused of murder. It is a classic legal thriller with a courtroom showdown.
Directed by | Rob Reiner |
Screenplay by | Aaron Sorkin |
Based on | A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin |
Produced by | Rob Reiner, David Brown, Andrew Scheinman |
Starring | Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, J. T. Walsh, Kiefer Sutherland |
Cinematography | Robert Richardson |
Edited by | Robert Leighton |
Music by | Marc Shaiman |
Production company | Castle Rock Entertainment |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates | December 9, 1992 (Westwood, Los Angeles), December 11, 1992 (United States) |
Running time | 138 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $33–40 million |
Box office | $243.2 million |
The Accused (1988)
Kelly McGillis plays a prosecutor determined to get justice for a young woman who was brutally gang-raped. “The Accused” (1988) is a film that broke barriers and set a new standard for legal dramas in Hollywood. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan and starring Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis, the film is not just a compelling courtroom drama but also a powerful commentary on the legal system’s handling of sexual assault cases. This blog article explores the concepts, influence, and legacy of “The Accused,” going deep into its subtleties.
Directed by | Jonathan Kaplan |
Written by | Tom Topor |
Produced by | Stanley R. Jaffe, Sherry Lansing |
Starring | Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster |
Cinematography | Ralf D. Bode |
Edited by | O. Nicholas Brown, Gerald B. Greenberg |
Music by | Brad Fiedel |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date | October 14, 1988 (United States) |
Running time | 111 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $13 million |
Box office | $32.1 million |
North Country (2005)
North Country (2005) is a drama film directed by Niki Caro and starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sean Bean, Richard Jenkins, Michelle Monaghan, Jeremy Renner, Woody Harrelson, and Sissy Spacek. The movie is a fictitious story of Jenson v. Eveleth Mines, the first significant successful sexual harassment case in American history. In this case, a woman who suffered various forms of abuse while working as a miner filed and prevailed in a historic 1984 lawsuit.
Directed by | Niki Caro |
Written by | Michael Seitzman |
Based on | Class Action by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler |
Produced by | Nick Wechsler |
Starring | Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sean Bean, Richard Jenkins, Jeremy Renner, Michelle Monaghan, Woody Harrelson, Sissy Spacek |
Cinematography | Chris Menges |
Edited by | David Coulson |
Music by | Gustavo Santaolalla |
Production companies | Participant Productions, Industry Entertainment, Nick Wechsler Productions |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates | September 12, 2005 (TIFF), October 21, 2005 |
Running time | 126 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $35 million |
Box office | $25.2 million |
Jagged Edge (1985)
Glenn Close stars as Teddy Stern, a brilliant defence attorney who takes on the case of a wealthy man accused of murdering his wife. Rich socialite Page Forrester (Nina Foch) is brutally murdered at her isolated beach villa in the first scene of the movie. Her husband, Jack Forrester (Michael Caine), claims he was knocked unconscious during a break-in but is quickly arrested as a suspect due to inheriting her entire fortune. Enter Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close), a high-profile lawyer who has sworn off criminal cases. Haunted by a past case gone wrong, she’s initially hesitant but eventually takes on Jack’s defence due to his insistence and intriguing details about the case.
Directed by | Richard Marquand |
Written by | Joe Eszterhas |
Produced by | Martin Ransohoff |
Starring | Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia |
Cinematography | Matthew F. Leonetti |
Edited by | Sean Barton, Conrad Buff |
Music by | John Barry |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date | October 4, 1985 |
Running time | 109 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $15 million (citation needed) |
Box office | $40.5 million |
The Client (1994)
Susan Sarandon portrays a lawyer who defends a young boy who witnessed a mob hit. Eleven-year-old Mark (Brad Renfro) and his younger brother stumble upon a lawyer (Royalty Wade) in the woods who has just committed suicide. Before taking his own life, the lawyer reveals to Mark that he witnessed a powerful politician’s murder and has hidden the murder weapon.
Directed by | Joel Schumacher |
Screenplay by | Akiva Goldsman, Robert Getchell |
Based on | The Client by John Grisham |
Produced by | Arnon Milchan, Steven Reuther |
Starring | Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, Anthony Edwards, Ossie Davis |
Cinematography | Tony Pierce-Roberts |
Edited by | Robert Brown |
Music by | Howard Shore |
Production companies | Regency Enterprises, Alcor Films |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date | July 20, 1994 |
Running time | 121 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $45 million |
Box office | $117.6 million |
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Sandra Bullock plays a lonely token collector who is mistaken for the fiancee of an unconscious man. She uses this opportunity to reconnect with his family and become a lawyer. It is a heartwarming romantic comedy with a legal twist.
Directed by | Jon Turteltaub |
Written by | Daniel G. Sullivan, Fredric Lebow |
Produced by | Roger Birnbaum, Joe Roth |
Starring | Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns, Jack Warden |
Cinematography | Phedon Papamichael, Jr. |
Edited by | Bruce Green |
Music by | Randy Edelman |
Production companies | Hollywood Pictures, Caravan Pictures |
Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. |
Release date | April 21, 1995 |
Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $17 million |
Box office | $182 million |
Legally Blonde (2001)
Reese Witherspoon stars as Elle Woods, a sorority girl who defies expectations and heads to law school to win back her ex-boyfriend. This movie is a fun and comedic take on the legal profession, but it also shows Elle’s intelligence and determination.
Directed by | Robert Luketic |
Screenplay by | Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith |
Based on | Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown |
Produced by | Marc Platt, Ric Kidney |
Starring | Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge |
Cinematography | Anthony B. Richmond |
Edited by | Anita Brandt-Burgoyne |
Music by | Rolfe Kent |
Production companies | Type A Films, Marc Platt Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Distributed by | MGM Distribution Co. (United States), 20th Century Fox (International) |
Release date | July 13, 2001 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $18 million |
Box office | $141.8 million |
Conclusion
Movies About Lawyers Women not only entertain but also inspire audiences by showcasing the strength, resilience, and passion of female legal professionals. Whether it’s fighting for justice in a courtroom or challenging societal norms, these films celebrate the multifaceted roles and impact of women in the legal world. From Erin Brockovich’s determined pursuit of corporate accountability to Elle Woods’ transformation from sorority girl to top attorney, these stories resonate with audiences worldwide, leaving a lasting impression of empowerment and possibility.