The Judge

I have had the past two days off for fall break and, strangely, I haven't gone anywhere.  I mean I went to South Dakota when I had one day off, so this is unusual!  It's been really nice to relax but by Friday night I decided that I should  get dressed get out of the house and do something!  I went to see the movie The Judge and I absolutely loved it.  This movie got mixed reviews and I did think it was long and very slow at times but I like a good character study and the performances of Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall are brilliant.  Hank Palmer (Downey, Jr.) is a slick defense attorney in Chicago who returns to his small hometown in Indiana for his mother's funeral.  His father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Duvall), is extremely hostile to him and Hank abruptly leaves after a quarrel, vowing never to return.  While waiting for the plane to take off he receives a call from his brother (Vincent D'Onofrio) telling him that his father has been accused of murder.  Hank eventually defends his father during his murder trial, not only dealing with the possibility of his father's guilt, but also the unresolved hostility between a strict father and rebellious son, issues of betrayal between a brother who left and a brother who stayed to pick up the pieces, and an old girlfriend (Vera Farmiga) still carrying a torch.  Add to the mix a district attorney from Evansville  (Billy Bob Thorton) who requests the case for a chance to spar with the cocky Hank and you have a movie filled with too many sub-plots.  However, there is one tender scene between Downey, Jr. and Duvall that literally had me sobbing my eyes out and another one where they fight with such ferocity that I had to look away.  And the scene where Hank cries after the verdict is read?  Forget about it!  While I wish the movie focused more on the father-son relationship rather than the peripheral ones, I recommend that you see this movie for the performances!

Note:  The ending evoked a flood of tears.  Just when I had myself under control, the end credits featured a cover by Willie Nelson of Cold Play's "The Scientist" and the water works started again!  Sheesh!  I don't even particularly like Willie Nelson...