The ideal of nine legal experts sitting together to discuss some of the most important legal issues confronting our country is a facade. Most of the opinions are written by law clerks. The justices themselves hold up in their offices like kings and queens disconnected from the populace. Justice Roberts once made the comment that judges were nothing more than umpires who simply follow the rules. Author Toobin, however, rightfully points out that this is certainly not the case for the Supreme Court justices, whose decisions end up forming the rules.
The film itself is engaging, informative, and visually stunning. Josh narrates the film. He also emlists the help of numerous celebrities to help tell the story. He uses animation to help fill in the blanks.
Someone once said that a good story is one that makes you laugh and makes you cry. This film does that and moves you emotionally long after the film has ended. It’s an extraordinary film.
Students of film will find glimpses of lessons learned, as in don’t make the same mistakes that Stephen Verona makes. The author starts by talking about his background and growing up in Brooklyn and how the film is mostly autobiographical. He takes the reader from original idea to completed film, albeit via a circuitous route in which the reader is introduced to every individual the author has ever met in the past thirty years.
As bad as it is for innocent men and women to be wrongfully convicted, what happens afterwords is often even more tragic. For one, the people who made the mistakes that led to the wrongful convictions rarely admit to their errors. In fact, they go out of their way to suppress evidence, delay hearings, and whatever else it takes to keep the truth from getting out. Even when the truth is presented, they steadfastly hang on to their belief that the men are guilty.