Robert Downey and his wife Susan Downey have hit a home run with this picture. They understand that most of the events in any life are accidental or arbitrary, especially the crucial ones, and we can exercise little conscious control over our destinies. They understand that the "Judge" and his lessons were about how to behave no matter what life brings; about how to wade into the unpredictable court of law and deal with whatever happens with grace, courage and honesty. It is the film's best achievement that it communicates that message with such feeling.
The relationships portrayed were superbly acted by all. At one point during the movie, while wiping away a tear, I looked around the theater and saw dozens of people around me doing the same.
This movie was a treasure for many reasons, but the best one, I think, is that I could believe it. I could believe in its major characters and their relationships, and in the things they felt for one another, and there were moments when the movie was witness to human growth and change. I left the theater feeling good and warm, and with a certain resolve to try to mend my own relationships and learn to start listening better . . . watching the movie, I felt I was witnessing something rare and valuable.
The relationships portrayed were superbly acted by all. At one point during the movie, while wiping away a tear, I looked around the theater and saw dozens of people around me doing the same.
This movie was a treasure for many reasons, but the best one, I think, is that I could believe it. I could believe in its major characters and their relationships, and in the things they felt for one another, and there were moments when the movie was witness to human growth and change. I left the theater feeling good and warm, and with a certain resolve to try to mend my own relationships and learn to start listening better . . . watching the movie, I felt I was witnessing something rare and valuable.