Directed by:
Alan J. PakulaScreenplay:
Alan J. PakulaCinematography:
Stephen GoldblattComposer:
James HornerCast:
Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard, Tony Goldwyn, James Sikking, William Atherton, Stanley Tucci, Hume Cronyn, John Lithgow (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
In Alan J. Pakula's thriller THE PELICAN BRIEF Julia Roberts plays Tulane University law student Darby Shaw. After the consecutive murders of two Supreme Court Justices, she becomes intrigued with the case and assembles a brief on her theory of who committed the murders. However, things start to get tricky when those who've read her brief turn up as corpses, which prompts her to enlist help from Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington). Their further gathering of evidence to prove her hypothesis only results in moving their names up on the hit-list. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
![Julia Roberts](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/166/688/166688146_a52373.jpg)
Julia Roberts
USA
Best movies:
Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015) (concert)
Wonder (2017)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
![Denzel Washington](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/162/873/162873124_112c0f.jpg)
Denzel Washington
USA
Best movies:
American Gangster (2007)
Philadelphia (1993)
Man on Fire (2004)
![Sam Shepard](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/000/267/267639_8d5cd2.jpg)
Sam Shepard
USA
Best movies:
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Paris, Texas (1984)
The Notebook (2004)
![John Heard](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/163/141/163141723_834cdb.jpg)
John Heard
USA
Best movies:
Awakenings (1990)
Home Alone (1990)
Mindwalk (1990)
![Tony Goldwyn](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/169/106/169106800_jvy7zl.jpg)
Tony Goldwyn
USA
Best movies:
The Last Samurai (2003)
Oppenheimer (2023)
Tarzan (1999)
![James Sikking](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/162/377/162377261_71deea.png)
James Sikking
USA
Best movies:
The Name of the Game (1968) (series)
Brotherhood of the Rose (1989) (series)
Ordinary People (1980)
![William Atherton](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/000/267/267395_b1888a.jpg)
William Atherton
USA
Best movies:
Die Hard (1988)
The Last Samurai (2003)
Die Hard 2 (1990)
![Stanley Tucci](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/164/850/164850046_943b6f.jpg)
Stanley Tucci
USA
Best movies:
Road to Perdition (2002)
Conspiracy (2001) (TV movie)
Spotlight (2015)
![Hume Cronyn](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/163/789/163789612_31b5e0.jpg)
Hume Cronyn
Canada
Best movies:
Cleopatra (1963)
12 Angry Men (1997) (TV movie)
Brute Force (1947)
![John Lithgow](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/163/974/163974996_d34324.jpg)
John Lithgow
USA
Best movies:
Shrek (2001)
Interstellar (2014)
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC (2016) (theatrical recording)
![Anthony Heald](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/165/118/165118162_647f40.jpg)
Anthony Heald
USA
Best movies:
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The X Files: Closure (1999) (video compilation)
8MM (1999)
![Stanley Anderson](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/000/268/268862_932a04.jpg)
Stanley Anderson
USA
Best movies:
The Rock (1996)
The X Files: Closure (1999) (video compilation)
Primal Fear (1996)
![Cynthia Nixon](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/164/912/164912824_894b11.jpg)
Cynthia Nixon
USA
Best movies:
Amadeus (1984)
An Englishman in New York (2009)
Prince of the City (1981)
![Jake Weber](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/162/772/162772352_ee4250.jpg)
Jake Weber
UK
Best movies:
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Meet Joe Black (1998)
![Robert Culp](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/143/058/143058500_89308c.jpg)
Robert Culp
USA
Best movies:
Roots: The Next Generations (1979) (series)
Columbo (1971) (series)
Inside Out (1975)
Ed Johnson
Best movies:
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Betrayed (1988)
Sinful Obsession (1999)
![John Finn](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/162/529/162529137_24f7fc.png)
John Finn
USA
Best movies:
The X-Files ā File 9: Redux (1997) (video compilation)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Carlito's Way (1993)
Helen Carey
USA
Best movies:
The Next Three Days (2010)
Little Children (2006)
The Emperor's Club (2002)
![Nicholas Woodeson](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/161/192/161192001_51b7c2.jpg)
Nicholas Woodeson
UK
Best movies:
Conspiracy (2001) (TV movie)
Ripper Street (2012) (series)
Skyfall (2012)
![Joe Chrest](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/165/055/165055967_ee5681.jpg)
Joe Chrest
USA
Best movies:
Stranger Things (2016) (series)
Front of the Class (2008) (TV movie)
The Blind Side (2009)