The Pelican BriefSynopsis and Overview

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  • The Pelican Brief
  • Opened December 17, 1993
  • PG-13
  • Information for parents: Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+. Read More
  • Taut thriller about a young law student whose legal brief about the assassination of two Supreme Court justices causes her to be targeted by killers. She realizes just how accurate her accusations have been when her lover and mentor is murdered. Read More
  • Cast: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard, Tony Goldwyn
  • Director: Alan J. Pakula
  • Genres: Action Thriller, Political Thriller, Thriller, Paranoid Thriller

The Pelican Brief Critic Reviews

So-so Avg. Critic Score out of 100 Metascore ® based on all critic ratings.

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    Tilling some of the same conspiracy turf he explored in "All the President's...

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    By casting attractive stars in the leads, by finding the right visual look, by...

  • 70
    The New York Times | Elvis Mitchell

    The story, neatly compressed, unfolds in dependable and photogenic ways. And it...

  • 50
    Austin Chronicle | Marc Savlov

    Unfortunately, The Pelican Brief comes across as a prolonged bout with deja vu:...

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The Pelican Brief Movie Ratings + Reviews

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