It is set in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1941 and is "based on" one of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's early civil rights cases when he was a practicing lawyer.
Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) is a young NAACP staff lawyer sent to Greenwich, Connecticut, to defend Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) against the charge of raping and attempting to kill his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). He was said to have raped her, then bound her, and thrown her off a bridge. However, she managed to swim to shore and then reported the rape. Since Marshall came from out-of-state, he needed a local lawyer to be part of the case. Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) was a Jewish lawyer who only handled civil, not criminal, cases. He was initially reluctant to take the case. The movie depicts Judge Foster (James Cromwell) as biased and the prosecutor, Loris Willis) as an Ivy League snob. The Judge allows Marshall to sit the second chair but not to make arguments or question witnesses, so Marshall coaches Friedman throughout the trial.
The movie then details the trial with flashbacks to illustrate Eleanor Strubing's story and later illustrates Joseph Spell's claim that the sex was consensual, that he had initially approached her for money, and that she had invited the sex. He said that Strubing only panicked after the fact and jumped off the bridge of her own volition. Friedman manages to raise doubt based on gaps and contradictions in Strubing's story, and the jury ultimately finds Spell not guilty.
This was quite a famous trial when it took place in early 1941. It was a front-page story in the New York Times when the incident happened (the story is in the December 12, 1940 issue of the Times.). Contrary to the film, Sam Friedman and Thurgood Marshall were much more equal than portrayed in the film. Friedman was a bit older and already had a reputation for theatrical performance in courts. He had been hired by the NAACP before Marshall got to town. Indeed, Friedman did act as the lead defense lawyer in the trial. Again contrary to the film, Joseph Spell had admitted from the beginning that he had sex with Eleanor Strubing but always insisted it was consensual. Strubing's contradictory story included a ransom note that was never found and a rope said to have bound her hands that were never found. There were actual doubts about her story from the beginning. Nonetheless, it was a remarkable success story for the NAACP.
This is an interesting film. The relationship between Marshall and Friedman includes humor and Friedman's sensibilities arising from his own Jewish background. Chadwick Boseman is excellent as a self-confident black lawyer. Josh Gad is a good complement to the Marshall character.
Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) is a young NAACP staff lawyer sent to Greenwich, Connecticut, to defend Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) against the charge of raping and attempting to kill his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). He was said to have raped her, then bound her, and thrown her off a bridge. However, she managed to swim to shore and then reported the rape. Since Marshall came from out-of-state, he needed a local lawyer to be part of the case. Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) was a Jewish lawyer who only handled civil, not criminal, cases. He was initially reluctant to take the case. The movie depicts Judge Foster (James Cromwell) as biased and the prosecutor, Loris Willis) as an Ivy League snob. The Judge allows Marshall to sit the second chair but not to make arguments or question witnesses, so Marshall coaches Friedman throughout the trial.
The movie then details the trial with flashbacks to illustrate Eleanor Strubing's story and later illustrates Joseph Spell's claim that the sex was consensual, that he had initially approached her for money, and that she had invited the sex. He said that Strubing only panicked after the fact and jumped off the bridge of her own volition. Friedman manages to raise doubt based on gaps and contradictions in Strubing's story, and the jury ultimately finds Spell not guilty.
This was quite a famous trial when it took place in early 1941. It was a front-page story in the New York Times when the incident happened (the story is in the December 12, 1940 issue of the Times.). Contrary to the film, Sam Friedman and Thurgood Marshall were much more equal than portrayed in the film. Friedman was a bit older and already had a reputation for theatrical performance in courts. He had been hired by the NAACP before Marshall got to town. Indeed, Friedman did act as the lead defense lawyer in the trial. Again contrary to the film, Joseph Spell had admitted from the beginning that he had sex with Eleanor Strubing but always insisted it was consensual. Strubing's contradictory story included a ransom note that was never found and a rope said to have bound her hands that were never found. There were actual doubts about her story from the beginning. Nonetheless, it was a remarkable success story for the NAACP.
This is an interesting film. The relationship between Marshall and Friedman includes humor and Friedman's sensibilities arising from his own Jewish background. Chadwick Boseman is excellent as a self-confident black lawyer. Josh Gad is a good complement to the Marshall character.