Another successful Hollywood courtroom drama, solid all the way, but familiar in construction apart from the fact that the cross-bench protagonists are a father (Gene Hackman) and daughter (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). No matter how many times you tell it, though, the triumph of good over evil works with an audience as jury every time you try the case. All you need is a decent script (and this is more than that) and the little detail that unhinges the bad guys towards the end. In this instance, Hackman's the idealistic lawyer whose courtroom triumphs have to be set against his failure as a family man, alienating his daughter, now a smart corporate counsel. The case over which they clash concerns deaths caused by a faulty car, and entails such time-honoured elements as the records that go back years, double-dealing behind the scenes and - no surprise! - the final 'surprise witness'! It's expertly handled by director Michael Apted and a class cast. Pay up for this action and you won't be suing for your money back.

©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes