COURTROOM SCENE JUDGING CRITERIA
Now this will be really fun.
- I don't expect everyone to be boning up on the Federal Rules of Evidence here and it's not like I've argued in front of the SCOTUS 20 times or even once.
However, scenes that are somewhat grounded in realism (from the perspective of anyone who's ever been in a courtroom, which I figure most people have in one form or another, even just to argue a traffic ticket) will score highly. Realism means (for example) that witnesses are not being cross-examined to (literal) death on the stand; the judge is not interjecting with jokes; counsel are not screaming long monologues at one another while the judge haplessly bangs a gavel; and no one is breaking into song, firing a weapon, etc., to interrupt the proceedings.
- However, dramatic license is still cool. Since it's already been selected, I can mention that there are a few things about Cruise's final interrogation of Nicholson in "A Few Good Men" that are not terribly realistic from a litigation standpoint, but nothing is over the top ridiculous or stupid in a "that would never happen" sort of sense.
- Top scores in the category will go to anyone who can find a scene that is tight, realistic, and well-written. For example, again using "A Few Good Men" as an example, one of the most clever courtroom sequences in that movie only lasts a few seconds and is a bit of a throwaway, but it's awesome because it could actually happen. This is when Cruise takes the Marine Corps manual right out of Bacon's hand after direct and cross-examines Noah Wyle by asking Wyle to show him, using the manual, where the mess hall at Gitmo is located. I've actually seen something like that happen, just as fast and unscripted, and it was frigging brilliant. Anyway, anyone who actually breaks down a courtroom scene and unearths some gem like that will score really high marks, but honestly, just saying the name of the movie and linking the specific scene is fine too. ("A Few Good Men" will score highly unless some people really step up to the plate and knock it down.)
- The entire movie does not have to take place in a courtroom or revolve around the courtroom proceedings, but if the courtroom scene(s) is/are not the central focus of the movie, there could be trouble unless the courtroom scene is well done.
- Finally, reference to TV Land might help, and it won't offer any spoilers. "L.A. Law" had fantastic courtroom scenes on a regular basis. "Law & Order" featured mostly very good courtroom scenes. "The Good Wife" (yeah, I'm forced to watch it) has, for the most part, atrocious courtroom scenes. Just throwing that out there.
PM me with questions or bribes.
Broken clock is right twice a day. At least we can be Park Chan-wook bros?
