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The Pelican Brief ()


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A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.

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Cast verified as complete

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Darby Shaw
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Gray Grantham
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Thomas Callahan
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Gavin Verheek
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Fletcher Coal
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FBI Director Denton Voyles (as James B. Sikking)
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Bob Gminski
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President
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Khamel
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Justice Rosenberg
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Smith Keen
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Marty Velmano
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Stump
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Edwin Sneller
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Matthew Barr
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Alice Stark
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Charles Morgan / Garcia
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Eric East
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Rupert
Sonny Jim Gaines ...
Sarge
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K.O. Lewis
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Song and Dance Man from Bar (as Joseph Chrest)
Richard Bauer ...
Managing Editor
Michelle O'Neill ...
Sara Ann Morgan
Peter Carlin ...
Edward Linney
Ralph Cosham ...
Justice Jensen
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Rosenberg's Nurse (as Terrence P. Currier)
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Self
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Federal Clerk
Howard Shalwitz ...
Washington Herald Journalist
Kyle Prue ...
News Desk Reporter
Jewell Robinson ...
Senior Washington Herald Editor
Kim Peter Kovac ...
Senior Washington Herald Editor
Norman Aronovic ...
Senior Washington Herald Editor
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Cop in Cowboy Boots
Carol Sutton ...
New Orleans Policewoman
Scott Michael Jefferson ...
Lt. Olsen (as Scott Jefferson)
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Hooten (as Daniel Kamin)
Mark McLaughlin ...
CIA Agent in Hotel Room
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CIA Agent in Hotel Room
Magee Hickey ...
Self
Constance Yelverton ...
Clerk at Sheraton Hotel
Kim Kettle ...
Gavin Verheek's Wife
Ellie K. Wang ...
Reporter at National Cathedral
Franchelle Stewart Dorn ...
University Registrar (as Fran Dorn)
Karen Bralove ...
University Placement Clerk
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Male University Student
Carey Varner ...
Female University Student
Sandra Quarterman ...
Laura Kass (as Saundra Quarterman)
Cynthia Hood ...
Parklane Receptionist
Alan Wade ...
Parklane Administrator
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Parklane Security Officer (as Harold J. Surratt)
Paul Morella ...
White & Blazevich Attorney
Ed Johnson ...
White & Blazevich Security Guard
Jurian Hughes ...
White & Blazevich Receptionist
Dick Stilwell ...
White & Blazevich Security
Tom Quinn ...
Sara Ann Morgan's Father
Beverly Brigham ...
Safe Deposit Teller
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Female Pursuer with Gun (as Liza Sweeney Coleman)
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Male Pursuer with Gun (as Douglas R. Coleman)
Michael Port ...
Tulane Law Student
Shanna Connell ...
Tulane Law Student
Gene Babb ...
Reporter
Kyle Duvall ...
Reporter (as Kyle D. Duvall)
Karl Warren ...
Reporter
Carrie Boren ...
Reporter
James Earl Reed ...
Reporter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Deborah Ben-Eliezer ...
Marie Halliburton - Protester (uncredited)
Catherine Boyd ...
Protester (uncredited)
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Agent (uncredited)
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Eyewitness (uncredited)
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Runner (uncredited) (voice)
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Mardi Gras Party Patron (uncredited)
Kelly Lynn Richards ...
Protester (uncredited)
Kimberley Roper ...
French Quarter Prostitute (uncredited)
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Man Partying in Quarter (uncredited)
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Office Worker (uncredited)
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Teen Bicyclist (uncredited)
John A. Taylor ...
Law School Administrator (uncredited)
Greta Valenti ...
Kid at Parade (uncredited)
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Assistant Coach Luther Horatio Van Dam in Coach (uncredited) (archiveFootage)

Directed by

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Alan J. Pakula

Written by

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John Grisham ... (book)
 
Alan J. Pakula ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Pieter Jan Brugge ... producer
Donald Laventhall ... associate producer
Alan J. Pakula ... producer

Music by

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James Horner

Cinematography by

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Stephen Goldblatt ... director of photography

Editing by

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Tom Rolf
Trudy Ship

Editorial Department

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Andi Kasen Bergman ... assistant film editor (as Andi Kasen Van Kirk)
Jennifer Davidoff Cook ... assistant film editor (as Jennifer A. Davidoff)
John Scott Cook ... apprentice film editor
Armando Fente ... apprentice film editor (as Armando Fente Jr.)
Agnes Grandits ... assistant film editor (as Agnes C. Grandits)
Vicki Hiatt ... associate film editor
Heather Hughes ... apprentice film editor
Kelly Irvine ... first assistant film editor
Bob Kaiser ... color timer
Marty Levenstein ... associate film editor
John Marston ... apprentice film editor
Sheila Moloney ... assistant film editor
Anne O'Brien ... apprentice film editor
Harry Peck Bolles ... assistant film editor
Suzanne Pillsbury ... assistant film editor
David Pincus ... lightworks supervisor
Elizabeth Sherry ... assistant film editor
Adam Lee Freeman ... editing production aide (uncredited)
Joel Hirsch ... assistant editor (uncredited)

Casting By

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Alixe Gordin

Production Design by

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Philip Rosenberg

Art Direction by

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Robert Guerra

Set Decoration by

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Lisa Fischer
Rick Simpson

Costume Design by

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Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department

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Barbara Lacy ... makeup artist
Neal Martz ... special makeup artist
Bob Mills ... makeup artist
Kaye Pownall ... hair stylist
Edna Sheen ... makeup artist (as Edna M. Sheen)
Kenneth Walker ... hair stylist
Donna Spahn ... hair stylist (uncredited)
James Waterhouse ... makeup production assistant (uncredited)

Production Management

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Celia D. Costas ... unit production manager
Patricia Hess ... assistant unit production manager (as Patricia Anne Doherty)
Kerry Orent ... post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Trey Batchelor ... second second assistant director
Peter Kohn ... first assistant director
Michael Proscia Jr. ... additional second assistant director
John Rusk ... second assistant director

Art Department

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Eric Bart ... scenic charge
Richard Birnbaum ... labor foreman
E.W. Bradford ... construction coordinator: New Orleans (as E.W. 'Bill' Bradford)
Kelly Curley ... art department coordinator: New Orleans
Mark Fabert ... construction foreman: New Orleans
Jerry G. Henery ... construction foreman: New Orleans
Mike Higelmire ... lead man
Monroe Kelly ... set designer: New Orleans
William S. Maxwell III ... lead man
Michael McCombe ... greens foreman (as Michael J. McCombe)
Ben Morahan ... assistant art director
John E. Ovington ... scenic artist
Richard Reseigne ... construction coordinator
Olimpia T. Rinaldi ... art department coordinator (as Olimpia Rinaldi)
Michael Saccio ... assistant property master
Thomas Saccio ... property master (as Tom Saccio)
Siv Sandstrom ... art department coordinator
John A. Scott III ... lead man
Sarah Stollman ... set designer
Donna Swope Wieters ... scenic charge (as Donna Swope-Wieters)
Dick Tice ... assistant property master (as Richard Tice)
Robb W. Ward ... construction foreman (as Robb Ward)
Wayne A. Bilyard ... gang boss (uncredited)
Ted Boonthanakit ... storyboard artist (uncredited)
Carl Catanese ... set dresser (uncredited)
Kyung W. Chang ... assistant art director (uncredited)
Frank Hendrick ... set dresser (uncredited)
Michael Hendrick ... set dresser (uncredited)
Randy G. Herbert ... construction foreman (uncredited)
Deni Holl ... set painter (uncredited)
Dave Kelsey ... scenic painter (uncredited)
Robert A. Kennedy ... additional assistant property master (uncredited)
Ted Lubonovich II ... carpenter (uncredited)
Brick Mason ... storyboard artist (uncredited)
Silvija L. Moess ... scenic artist (uncredited)
Richard Salinas ... painter (uncredited)
Jeffrey Scott Taylor ... assistant props (uncredited)
Franz Wise ... carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Ron Bochar ... re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor
Michael J. Cerone ... re-recording mixer (as Mike Cerrone)
Marko A. Costanzo ... foley artist (as Marko Costanzo)
Rick Dior ... re-recording mixer
Harriet Fidlow ... adr editor
Chris Fielder ... assistant sound editor
Joan Franklin ... adr assistant
Robert Hein ... dialogue editor
Chris Houghton ... assistant sound editor
Frank Kern ... foley editor
Annette Kudrak ... adr assistant
Stuart Levy ... foley editor
Julie Lindner ... assistant sound editor
Marissa Littlefield ... dialogue editor
Eliza Paley ... foley editor
Richard Portman ... re-recording mixer
Bruce Pross ... foley supervisor
Nicholas Renbeck ... assistant sound editor
Fred Rosenberg ... sound editor (as Fredric Rosenberg)
James Sabat ... production sound mixer (as James J. Sabat)
Louis Sabat ... boom operator
Diane Schaub ... adr editor
Steven Visscher ... foley editor
Magdaline Volaitis ... dialogue editor
Deborah Wallach ... adr supervisor
Dale Bartlett ... sound designer: Guitar Productions Sound (uncredited)
Kay Denmark ... adr boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Connie Brink ... special effects (as Conrad Brink)
Jef Gums ... special effects technician (uncredited)
Steve Gums ... special effects assistant (uncredited)
Gerald Scaife ... special effects auditor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Jerome Chen ... lead animator: SPI
Jerome Desvignes ... lead animator: SPI
Allen Edwards ... animator modeler: SPI
Paul Lasaine ... matte painting supervisor: Buena Vista Visual Effects
George Merkert ... visual effects producer: SPI
John Nelson ... visual effects supervisor: SPI
Eric Peterson ... matte cameraman: Buena Vista Visual Effects
Wally Schaab ... digital compositor: Buena Vista Visual Effects
Lynda Thompson ... visual effects producer: Buena Vista Visual Effects (as Lynda Lemon)

Stunts

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Richard L. Blackwell ... stunts (as Richard L Blackwell)
Eric Chambers ... stunts
Doug Coleman ... stunt coordinator
David Efron ... stunts
Roy Farfel ... stunts
Tabby Hanson ... stunts
Herbert C. Hauls Jr. ... utility stunts (Uncredited)
Mick O'Rourke ... stunts
Daniel W. Barringer ... stunts (uncredited)
Blaise Corrigan ... stunts (uncredited)
Ned Corrigan ... utility stunts (uncredited)
Thomas J. Larsen ... stunts (uncredited)
Linda Perlin ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Colin J. Campbell ... chief lighting technician (as Colin Campbell)
Ted Churchill ... steadicam operator
Bill Gerardo ... second assistant camera
Vinnie Gerardo ... first assistant camera (as Vinny Gerardo)
Frank Graziadei ... cable video assist
Bill Heald ... camera loader
Dick Mingalone ... camera operator
David B. Nowell ... gyroscope camera operator: New Orleans (as David Nowell)
Billy Patsos ... best boy grip (as William Patsos)
George Patsos ... key grip
James Harold Pollard ... dolly grip (as James Pollard)
Ken Regan ... still photographer
Frank Scheidbach ... assistant chief lighting technician
John Shoemaker ... rigging gaffer (as John Brook Shoemaker)
Rick Whitfield ... video playback coordinator
Michael F. Burke ... electrician (uncredited)
Richard Brooks Burton ... aerial assistant camera (uncredited)
Joe Collins ... second assistant camera (uncredited)
Michael S. Endler ... first assistant Steadicam: New Orleans (uncredited)
Larry Huston ... steadicam focus puller (uncredited)
Michael Murray ... electrician (uncredited)
David Norris ... camera technician: Wescam camera (uncredited)
David Renken ... additional electrician (uncredited)
Frank Rinato ... second assistant camera (uncredited)
Ed Slater ... electrician (uncredited)
Douglas W. Smith ... lighting technician (uncredited)
Michael L. Smith ... grip: New Orleans (uncredited)
Wells A. Smith ... grip (uncredited)
Rick Strodel ... grip (uncredited)

Casting Department

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Benita Hofstetter ... casting: Washington D.C.
Ramsay King ... casting: New Orleans (as Ramsey King)
Rick Landry ... extras casting: New Orleans
Michele Ortlip ... casting associate (as Michelle Ortlip)
Kimberly Skyrme ... extras casting
David Rome ... extras casting assistant: New Orleans (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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William A. Campbell ... costumer: men (as Bill Campbell)
George L. Little ... costume supervisor
Carlane Passman ... costume supervisor
Fran Vega-Buck ... costumer: women (as Francis Vega-Buck)

Location Management

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Gary Huckabay ... location manager: New Orleans
Foongy Lee ... location manager
Charles Lum ... location manager-New York (as Charles M. Lum)
Michael Wallace ... location manager
Michael Anthony ... location scout (uncredited)
Kate Beall ... location scout (uncredited)
John Crowder ... location scout (uncredited)
Scott Allen Logan ... location scout: Mexico (uncredited)
David Westreich ... location assistant (uncredited)

Music Department

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Wade Culbreath ... musician: percussion
Don Davis ... orchestrator
Thomas S. Drescher ... music editor (as Tom Drescher)
Jim Henrikson ... supervising music editor
James Horner ... conductor
Anne McCabe ... assistant music editor
Shawn Murphy ... music mixer (as Sean Murphy) / music recordist (as Sean Murphy)
Thomas Pasatieri ... orchestrator (as Tom Pasatieri)
Joe E. Rand ... assistant music editor (as Joseph E. Rand)
Tom Brown ... music preparation (uncredited)
Daniel Gold ... music prep (uncredited)
Jim Hoffman ... music preparation (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Dianne Dreyer ... script supervisor
Susanna Lo ... script editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department

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Earl R. Hurst Sr. ... transportation captain: New Orleans
Tom Rebber ... transportation captain
George Williams Jr. ... transportation co-captain (as George Williams)
Bryce Guy Williams ... transportation coordinator (as Bryce G. Williams)
Rick Scheil ... transportation accountant (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Tom Ajar ... Projectionist
Edward Allen ... assistant accountant
Sallie Jones Arata ... production secretary: New Orleans (as Sallie Jones)
David M. Bernstein ... set production assistant (as David Bernstein)
Jason Berry ... production aide: New Orleans
Jamie D. Boscardin ... assistant: Pieter Jan Brugge
Shawn Boyachek ... office production aide
Sondra Dee Boyachek ... production office supervisor
Nick Corbett ... office production aide
Joey Delpo ... set production aide
Tutt Esquerre ... assistant: Julia Roberts
Gary Romolo Fiorelli ... set production aide (as Gary Fiorelli)
Bonnie Friedman ... production aide: New Orleans
James W. Gavin ... helicopter pilot: Washington D.C. (as Jim Gavin)
Adam Goodman ... set production aide
Michael R. Kern ... assistant accountant
Edith Dupré LeBlanc ... assistant production office coordinator: New Orleans
Monica Levinson ... production office secretary
Ian Lithgow ... set production aide
Patricia Serafina Madiedo ... production office coordinator: New Orleans
Lisa Mantoux ... office production aide
John McSweeney ... set production aide
Jeanmarie Murphy-Burke ... unit publicist
Evelyn Navarro ... production aide: New Orleans
Sharon Parbs ... production office secretary
Willie Radcliff ... craft service
Scott Robertson ... key set production aide
James Roque ... production aide: New Orleans (as James Roque Jr.)
Bo Ross ... assistant: Alan J. Pakula
Alison Sherman ... production office coordinator
Leslie Silvey ... office production aide
Shinique Smith ... production assistant
Catherine Solt ... assistant: Alan J. Pakula
Laurie Stevenson ... office production aide (as Lauren Stevenson)
Cheryl A. Stone ... production accountant
Hyle Talbott White ... assistant: Julia Roberts (as Hyle White)
Keith Werhan ... constitutional law consultant: New Orleans (as Professor Keith Werhan)
Gina White ... assistant: Denzel Washington (as Gina L. White)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc ... helicopter pilot: New Orleans / helicopter pilot: main title sequence
Scott August ... set production assistant (uncredited)
Rodney Barnes ... production assistant (uncredited)
Bill Daly ... post-production accountant (uncredited)
Anthony Michael Frederick ... stand-in (uncredited)
Melinda A. Grieger ... stand-in: Julia Roberts (uncredited)
Mark Gulbrandsen ... dailies projection technician: New Orleans (uncredited) / dailies projection technician: Washington D.C. (uncredited)
Jeff Johnson ... medic (uncredited)
Willis Baxter Johnson ... production assistant (uncredited)
Adrienne King ... looping voices (uncredited)
David H. Kramer ... adr loop group (uncredited)
Steven Kunes ... creative consultant (uncredited)
Kevin Law ... stand-in (uncredited)
Cynthia Lejeune ... assistant accountant (uncredited)
Dominic Marcus ... adr supporting artist (uncredited)
Jesse Merz ... market researcher (uncredited)
Kenny Rivenbark ... remote head technician (uncredited)
Danny Rose ... production assistant (uncredited)
Nick Spetsiotis ... production assistant (uncredited)
Bill Timoney ... adr voice group (uncredited)
Lindsay Lavine Webster ... shopper/buyer (uncredited)
Paige Wilbanks ... production assistant (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Two Supreme Court Justices have been killed. Now a college professor, who clerked for one of the two men and who is also having an affair with one of his students, is given a brief by her that states who probably wanted to see these two men dead. He then gives it to one of his friends, who works for the FBI. When the FBI director reads it, he is fascinated by it. One of the president's men who read it is afraid that if it ever got out, the president could be smeared. So he advises the president to tell the director to drop it, which he does. But later the professor and the girl were out and he was drunk and when he refused to give her the keys, she stepped out of the car. When he started it, it blew up. She then discovers that her place has been burglarized and what was taken were her computer and her disks. Obviously, her brief has someone agitated. She then turns to her boyfriend's friend at the FBI. He agrees to come meet her but before he does, someone shoots him and takes his place. At the meeting, he was about to kill her when someone shoots him. She then decides to turn to Gray Grantham, an investigative reporter, who was contacted by someone who says he has info on the killings but backed out at the last minute. He then meets her and tells her what her brief is, and basically, the man she suspects is a good friend of the president, and is trying to manipulate the outcome of a trial that is now before the Supreme Court. Grantham tells her that her brief can harm the president and although all they have are theories, he asks her to help him, but she wants to leave the country. Then Grantham's editor tells him that they have nothing, that he should drop cause the man she implicated is extremely powerful. Grantham is about to drop it when she says that she will help him. But can they stay alive? Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com

Plot Keywords
Taglines Two Supreme Court Justices have been assassinated. One lone law student has stumbled upon the truth. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • L'affaire Pélican (France)
  • Die Akte (Germany)
  • El informe Pelícano (Spain)
  • L'informe pelicà (Spain, Catalan title)
  • Hồ Sơ Bồ Nông (Vietnam)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 141 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $45,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States $16,600,000
Cumulative Worldwide Gross $195,268,056

Did You Know?

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Trivia John Grisham typically signs over the rights to his books and does not participate in film production decisions. For "The Pelican Brief," he campaigned to get Julia Roberts the role of Darby Shaw. See more »
Goofs Justice Jensen is killed by Khamel using a rope to strangle him. It takes him no more than a second to kill him. It seems highly unlikely that one could strangle a person in just one second. However, the strangulation is not shown, but judging by Khamel's quick yank and the sound Jensen made, it seems likely that he successfully dislocated or crushed a vertebra in his neck, which would quickly cause suffocation. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Schindler's List/Geronimo: An American Legend/Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit/Wayne's World 2/Six Degrees of Separation (1993). See more »
Soundtracks Blues For Carol See more »
Quotes FBI Director Denton Voyles: So you're the little lady who started this great brouhaha.
See more »

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