Sparks Fly Between Two Great Actors, But ‘The Judge’ Is Over-Stuffed

Sparks Fly Between Two Great Actors, But ‘The Judge’ Is Over-Stuffed

Editor’s note: This review originally appeared in the Belleville News-Democrat on Oct. 10, 2010. We are running this review because of its resurgence streaming on Netflix.

By Lynn Venhaus
For the News-Democrat

What It’s About: In a clash of acting titans, two powerhouses go mano a mano in “The Judge,” an over-stuffed yet unpredictable dysfunctional family-legal drama.

Oscar winner Robert Duvall (“Tender Mercies”) is a respected judge who squares off with his estranged son Hank, played by Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. (“Tropic Thunder”), who reluctantly oversees his defense during a murder trial.

Hank is a slick Chicago lawyer who reunites with his small-town Indiana family after his mother dies. His older brother Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) was a promising ball player whose career prospects were cut short after an accident. His younger brother Dale (Jeremy Strong) is a developmentally disabled adult living at home.

The tension is thick, underlining simmering resentments and long ago cold shoulders. You’ll find out why when we head into the courtroom, when the cantankerous dad is accused of a hit-and-run accident he doesn’t remember.

Performances: The joy of watching Robert Duvall create an authentic senior citizen to add to his august body of work is reason enough to see this relentlessly hyped film. Add the always electric Robert Downey Jr. and sparks fly.

Since “Iron Man” in 2008, Downey has spent considerable time being action hero Tony Stark, a great screen presence with his jocular manner and rapid-fire verbal riffs. He carries off sarcastic humor like few can, and you know he will make you laugh.

But the guy has serious acting chops. Since his first Oscar nomination for “Chaplin” in 1992, he left the Brat Pack movies behind, and has delivered interesting work (“Zodiac,” “The Soloist,” “Wonder Boys”), fulfilling the promise of his breakout “Less Than Zero” (1987).

So, “The Judge” is one of his smart roles, a touch of scoundrel, but also a smidgeon of the lost boy. The only drawback is that he talks so fast during frequent motor-mouth deliveries that he can’t always be understood.

They are joined by always intriguing Billy Bob Thornton as smug prosecutor Dwight Dickham, noteworthy Vincent D’Onofrio (“Law and Order: Criminal Intent”) and Vera Farmiga, under-utilized as the girl who got away. There is also a surprising turn from Dax Shepard (“Parenthood”) as a bumbling, inexperienced trial lawyer.

What Works: While the characters each have dense backstories, this story is too sprawling. The film is at its best when focusing on the complexities of father and son relationships.

Janusz Kaminski’s cinematography has a nostalgic feel to it, warmly lit to evoke memories of days past. The score by Thomas Newman is appropriately wholesome, with the surprise of Willie Nelson singing Coldplay’s “The Scientist” over the credits

What Doesn’t Work: Director David Dobkin (“The Wedding Crashers”) is in over his head. He is heavy-handed, cramming way too much in multiple story threads, and then under-serving the genuine moments. He needed to pick a tone and stick with it, and his pacing was poor. There is no value whatsoever in being more than two hours’ long.

Vera Farmiga, as Hank’s ex-girlfriend who runs the local diner, seems to be a contrived convenience, and was extraneous to the plot.

Dobkin is responsible for the story that the screenplay by Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque (“Gran Torino”) is based on, and felt the need to insert tornado-like weather as a metaphor. Oh boy.

Substituting picturesque Massachusetts for bucolic Indiana wouldn’t have been that jarring had it not been for the green mountains on view. Say what? Filmmakers might have researched topography of Indiana.

“The Judge” is the kind of film that is entertaining despite being emotionally manipulative. And the performances keep you watching.

Stars: Two and a half
Director: David Dobkin
Starring: Robert Duvall, Robert Downey Jr., Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, Leighton Meester
Rated: R for language including some sexual references
Length: 2:21

’12 Mighty Orphans’ Is Satisfying But Not Quite Mighty Sports Drama

’12 Mighty Orphans’ Is Satisfying But Not Quite Mighty Sports Drama

By Alex McPherson
An uplifting, inspiring, though unremarkable sports drama, director Ty Roberts’ new film, “12 Mighty Orphans,” meets expectations without going the extra mile.

Based on Jim Dent’s novel of the same name and inspired from true events, the film transpires within the grimy, dust-swept landscape of Texas during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many orphaned children were sent to such places as Fort Worth’s Masonic Home until able to join the workforce.

Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson), an orphaned World War I veteran himself, begins teaching math and science there. He is accompanied by his wife, Juanita (Vinessa Shaw), who teaches English, and his young daughter. He also becomes the new football coach, with kind-hearted physician Doc Hall (Martin Sheen) taking on assistant duties. Rusty believes the sport can help give the teenaged players a sense of community despite their hardships. 

With the kids lacking shoes, protective gear, and footballs to practice with, Rusty immediately realizes the challenges ahead of him. Difficulties are exacerbated by the abusive treatment the boys receive from superintendent Frank Wynn (Wayne Knight), who forces the boys to operate an in-house printing press, as well as by the tempers of several players, including the mentally scarred Hardy Brown (Jake Austin Walker). Will they be able to overcome these challenges and acquire a renewed sense of purpose in their lives?

Offering neither surprises nor genuine thrills, “12 Mighty Orphans” rides on its crowd-pleasing cliches and likable performances to score touchdowns. While Rusty’s team pioneered innovations in football that became widely used later on, “12 Mighty Orphans” plays much more to tradition, for better and worse. Some viewers might be left underwhelmed, but Roberts’ film delivers a sentimental story of comradeship and hope during crushing times.

Luke Wilson as Rusty Russell

Indeed, “12 Mighty Orphans” offers a sense of comforting predictability that’s difficult to fault, even though there isn’t much to ponder once the credits roll. All the expected plot beats of the “inspirational sports film” genre are covered, including the value of perseverance and the true meaning of victory, with ample speechifying to boot. The cast of characters — especially Rusty, Hardy, and the other orphans on the team — are largely sympathetic and likable, with fine acting across the board. 

Wilson gives a fittingly sincere effort as Rusty, conveying a stubborn optimism that yields both frustration and life-affirming joy, belying deeper insecurities. Sheen is decent, swigging alcohol and providing dry-humored remarks, in addition to delivering the film’s simplistic narration. Less strong are Shaw, not given much to work with, and Knight — rendered a one-note antagonist whose subplot doesn’t meaningfully add to the themes being explored. Lane Garrison is amusingly over-the-top portraying a petty rival coach from a nearby, wealthy high school.

The true standouts are the kids themselves. Walker brings a shattered, tormented quality to his performance as Hardy, portraying an individual suffering from impossible grief thrust into a new environment. His arc over the course of the film, as he discovers a passion for football and gradually bonds with his teammates, is moving and heart-warming, albeit easy to foresee. Jacob Lofland is excellent as Snoggs, a lean sap with a penchant for immaturity who nevertheless deeply cares for his peers.

Although “12 Mighty Orphans” fails to delve into its time period or the inner-workings of the Masonic Home with much nuance, it’s easy to root for “The Mighty Mites” as they grow closer as a family unit and achieve national attention. Still, overdone narration sometimes breaks the flow, especially when Sheen bluntly explains themes near the end, as do some eye-rollingly trite bits of dialogue and abrupt flashbacks to Rusty’s wartime past. 

Fortunately, the film is so heartfelt in its ambitions, and ultimately affecting in its execution, that the numerous criticisms I have don’t detract much from the experience. Not everything needs to be an unforgettable, emotional powerhouse, and “12 Mighty Orphans” succeeds where it counts.

“12 Mighty Orphans” is a 2021 fact-based sports drama directed by Ty Roberts and starring Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Jacob Lofland and Lane Garrison. It is rated PG-13 for violence, language, some suggestive references, smoking and brief teen drinking, and the run time is 1 hour, 58 minutes. Alex’s Grade: B. The film is in theatres June 18.