the judge 2014 movie review

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Director David Dobkin gave us “ Wedding Crashers ” nearly a decade ago, and we who hooted heartily at the disreputable acts abetted by the rite of holy matrimony will be forever grateful. We might even pardon any lingering counts against his twin crimes against comedy, “ Fred Claus ” and “ The Change-Up .”

Now here comes “The Judge,” an unabashedly adult drama and a steadfastly old-fashioned one. Robert Downey Jr. is jaded big-city defense attorney Hank Palmer, a specialist in getting unsavory white-collar clients off the hook. As he puts it, “Innocent people can’t afford me.” He is pitted against Robert Duvall as Hank’s estranged dad, Joseph, an upstanding small-town magistrate who suddenly finds himself facing a possible murder rap and relunctantly ends up relying on his hotshot son as his attorney.

You can fairly smell the passion behind this project wafting off the screen. Dobkin, whose father was a lawyer, spent a number of years in pursuit of this opportunity to prove himself as adept at serious subjects as silly ones. Studio types would look at the script and say, “But it’s not funny.” His 1998 breakout film, " Clay Pigeons ," was a dark and nasty crime comedy, as black and violent as they come. But it was still a comedy.

Dobkin’s persistence has paid off in certain ways, mainly because it provides both its leads with an arena in which to occasionally show off their strengths. Downey gets to engage in his trademark hyper-verbal glibness but with a black sheep’s injured sadness in his eyes. Duvall is the embodiment of grizzled authority but undercut by the grimace-inducing infirmities of old age.

Yet, there also are some less welcome elements and a certain dragginess to contend with as Dobkin overloads his plot with too many bits of business on the way to a John Grisham-lite finale. Actually, make that bits of Bit-O-Honey candy, one of the many repeated visual allusions to a past that tore these two men apart. As is often the case when an artist finally is allowed to achieve his dream, the director adds unnecessary clutter – there is much ado about hydrangeas as well as an old Metallica T-shirt -- as if he fears he will never get a chance to do a drama again.

Before "The Judge"’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, Dobkin told the audience that he always wanted to do the kind of movie that doesn’t get made anymore. In other words, a human story. And themes found in the specific examples he cited as his inspirations -- “Kramer vs Kramer,” “ Terms of Endearment ” and “ The Verdict ” – are duly reflected in "The Judge."

Downey copes with his disintegrating marriage while attempting to get closer to his dumpling-cheeked daughter as a potential custody battle looms, just as in “ Kramer vs. Kramer .” After his legal shark returns to the small Midwest pond of his youth for his mother’s funeral, he and a perpetually disapproving Duvall bob and weave around each other like a pair of emotionally battered heavyweights—not unlike Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine in “Terms of Endearment.” And there are plenty of “Verdict”-style legal entanglements as Hank is forced to represent his father while shaking out the potentially unpleasant truth behind a car accident that is considered a possible vehicular homicide.

Meanwhile, a chorus line of family skeletons shake and rattle at regular intervals, some involving middle-child Hank’s brothers. And if anything is emblematic of the strengths and weaknesses of The Judge, it is these two siblings. As eldest son, Glen, Vincent D’Onofrio carries the burden of regret and responsibility on his beefy shoulders as a former baseball prodigy whose sports career hopes were dashed by an injury. As an unexpected MVP, D’Onofrio solemnly provides the perfect surefooted counterweight between the clash of the titans escalating between Downey and Duvall.

Then there is slow-witted youngest son Dale, played by Jeremy Strong . His innocent questions often provide obtuse humor even if his near-childlike state goes unexplained. But too often Dale ends up being more of a device than a fully fleshed-out character as he shows new and old home movies shot on an vintage Super 8MM camera as a way of filling in the back story that haunts the Palmer clan.

Vera Farmiga , whose local diner owner was cruelly dumped by Hank when they were in high school, seems almost part of a different movie. One by Frank Capra . She primarily exists to provide a sympathetic ear for Downey and some undercooked romantic relief. In fact, a whole parade of colorful performers passes by, including Billy Bob Thornton as a slim and steely silver fox of a prosecutor who battles Hank; Ken Howard as the no-nonsense walrus-like judge presiding over Papa Palmer’s case; and Dax Shepard as an unseasoned rube litigator.

Ultimately, it is the core father-son relationship that is put on trial, and you have to wait until the end before Dobkin unclenches his need to control and just allows Downey and Duvall to fearlessly go at it together at full force.

Still, for almost every choice that rankles – using a raging tornado as a metaphor for the storm inside the Palmer homestead is so obvious, it hurts – there usually is something else that offers compensation. Probably my favorite scene, one that shows Dobkin still has it funny-wise: When Hank, looking to cherry-pick less than salt-of-the-earth types as potential jury members, decides to ask the candidates to reveal the bumper-sticker sayings on their cars. A woman with the word “Tolerance” spelled out with religious symbols gets a thumbs down. The guy whose saying is, “Wife and Dog Missing. Reward for Dog”? He gets a thumbs up. Way up.

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.

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The Judge (2014)

Rated R for language including some sexual references

141 minutes

Robert Downey Jr. as Henry "Hank" Palmer

Robert Duvall as Judge Joseph "Joe" Palmer

Vera Farmiga as Samantha

Vincent D'Onofrio as Glen Palmer

Jeremy Strong as Dale Palmer

Billy Bob Thornton as Dwight Dickham

David Krumholtz as Mike Kattan

Emma Tremblay as Lauren Palmer

Dax Shepard as C.P. Kennedy

Ken Howard as Judge Warren

Leighton Meester as Carla

Balthazar Getty as Deputy Hanson

Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. Blackwell

David Dobkin
Bill Dubuque
Nick Schenk

Original Music Composer

Thomas Newman

Cinematography

Janusz Kaminski

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The Judge Reviews

The familiarity of the story hurts what is Dobkin's otherwise pleasantly sincere and straightforward direction, and a number of fine performances.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 18, 2022

Robert Duvall gives a startlingly visceral performance in Robert Downey Jr's courtroom drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 26, 2021

The hardest working movie in show business. It's a film that wants to check all the boxes and tries just a little too hard.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 2, 2021

The supporting cast is a stellar assemblage of character actors, each offering a level of entertainment to compensate for lingering moments of overly sentimental reminiscence.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Dec 4, 2020

It vacillates between middlebrow familial melodrama, murder mystery, and half-baked courtroom drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Sep 6, 2019

It'll be great to watch while ironing your clothes one day.

Full Review | Aug 31, 2019

A surprisingly moving and compelling drama which, despite a lengthy running time, does not outstay its welcome and gives Downey Jr. scope to exhibit his considerable talents.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 31, 2019

There are the makings of a good, old-fashioned family drama here, but the film is bogged down by cliché and predictability that permeate the script.

Full Review | Mar 2, 2019

Robert Downey Jr. relishes this role, and it shows.

Full Review | Jan 30, 2019

A good example of talented actors taking mediocre material and making it passable entertainment.

Full Review | Jan 25, 2019

THE JUDGE is nothing more than an overwrought family film with a random appearance by Billy Bob Thornton and a few F-bombs for dramatic effect.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Dec 8, 2018

In the end, the absolutely brilliant performances of Downey and Duvall make the movie worth every minute, despite the shortcomings of the script.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 3, 2018

It's not particularly surprising, but I admit it was an agreeable and sometimes emotional experience [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 30, 2018

For a 140 minute movie, it's just painstakingly obvious that there is material here that should have been chopped out

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 2, 2017

This is a tale encapsulated simply enough within the deceptively simple parenthesis of a small-town family bonding saga. And of course, Downey and Duvall shine.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 11, 2017

The main issue with The Judge is that it's too long and schmaltzy, and the length makes the schmaltz worse because you have that much longer to be aware of it.

Full Review | Oct 18, 2017

Downey's Hank is basically Downey playing a character carefully calibrated for audience sympathies -- hey he's a smug jerk of a lawyer but he's a really good Dad to his loving young daughter.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Feb 28, 2017

It remains watchable to the very end, mostly thanks to a stolid cast that absolutely refuses to be sucked into the muddied tropes that make up the screenplay.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 14, 2016

One of those films that goes under the radar but has everything in it, making it a great film. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Apr 11, 2016

The main plot anchors itself with quite a lot of naturalism, an ironic half-smile, and that measured point of repulsion-attraction mastered by the great Luchini, expert on human toads that tie us with their tongues. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 7, 2016

Cast & crew
User reviews

Metacritic reviews

60 Variety Justin Chang Variety Justin Chang The Judge pivots on a simple yet inspired stroke of casting, pitting Duvall’s iconic gravitas against Downey’s razor-sharp wit, and then supplying no shortage of opportunities for both men to chew the scenery.
60 Time Out London Dave Calhoun Time Out London Dave Calhoun A charismatic performance from Downey Jr and the growling presence of Duvall makes up for a multitude of sins in this big and brash family drama that puts the heavy emphasis on drama over family.
50 The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy The Judge is well served by intense performances from stars Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, but is undercut by obvious note-hitting in the writing and a deliberate pace that drags things out about twenty minutes past their due date.
42 The Playlist Kevin Jagernauth The Playlist Kevin Jagernauth The Judge has the curious ability of straining too hard while managing to say nothing dramatically.
40 The Guardian Catherine Shoard The Guardian Catherine Shoard The Judge is a timeless film, in that it could have been made at almost any point over the past 80 years: rote plot, functional support, well-signalled twists. It’s a two-seater star vehicle offering little legroom for other passengers.
40 The Telegraph The Telegraph There are also moments of more sincere family dynamics, which elevate the production beyond a hackneyed made-for-television movie. But they are too few to prevent a guilty conviction for Dobkin: first-degree, low-grade schlock.
40 Village Voice Stephanie Zacharek Village Voice Stephanie Zacharek The Judge has its funny moments but is far more serious at heart, and much more of a slog, too.
38 McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore A bloated all-star melodrama with none of the lean, mean legalese of a John Grisham adaptation, it’s a showboat’s movie cast with a lot of actors each promised “a big, cool scene.”
33 Hitfix Drew McWeeny Hitfix Drew McWeeny The Judge is risible Hollywood dreck, a star vehicle with nothing genuine driving it, and at 142 minutes, it is nearly impossible to defend.
25 Film.com Jordan Hoffman Film.com Jordan Hoffman “Expendables 3” has fewer nauseating clichés than The Judge.
See all 39 reviews on Metacritic.com
See all external reviews for The Judge

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The Judge Is a Legal Thriller With No Drive or Urgency

In The Judge , a legal drama that builds to the requisite Hollywood Dark Night of the Soul, Robert Downey Jr. has a role so far inside his comfort zone that the movie has no drive, no urgency. You know what the character is; you know where he’s going. Downey plays Hank Palmer, an amoral, hugely successful defense attorney whose clients are all scumbags, because, he tells an indignant prosecutor, “Innocent people can’t afford me” (a great line, admittedly). He and his wife are divorcing because she had an affair when he wasn’t there for her and their daughter, because he only cares about winning because he had a traumatic childhood, etc. Then, on cue comes a turn that forces him to face his past and question his own integrity — to judge himself. His mom dies and he returns to his New England hometown, his two damaged brothers, and his estranged father (Robert Duvall), an esteemed judge who belittles what Hank does. When the judge is accused of a hit-and-run murder and the attorney is plainly incompetent, guess who feels compelled to take the case?

This is not by any means a bad movie. The script has its bright patches, the setting is picturesque, and the cast is full of actors you’ll want to see. The resolution of the murder case is unexpected (the victim was a murderous piece of trash), though it doesn’t upend the basic cornball formula. (Hydrangeas represent purity.) But the film is nearly two and a half hours, and director David Dobkin doesn’t rise above the level of a proficient TV hack. (Dobkin’s forte is comedy.) The biggest surprise is how few sparks pass between the two first-rate stars. Duvall’s role keeps him shut down, mulishy passive, and he and Downey don’t act as if they share a bloodline or fraught past. The younger actor seems suitably awed by his venerable co-star, but there’s no echo of Duvall’s craggy plainness or his sharp, avian profile in Downey’s bright-eyed glibness.

The other actors give solid, fat-paycheck performances — the sort that enable them to do projects they care about. Vera Farmiga has a salty waitress turn as the gal Hank bailed on (they don’t match up, either), Vincent D’Onofrio is the older brother whose baseball career Hank played a role in ruining, and Jeremy Strong wanders in and out of the action as the addled younger brother whose incessant videotaping of events looks to be a factor in the climax. (It isn’t, but it factors into the dark corners of the family’s past.) The showoff supporting performance is Billy Bob Thornton’s, as the prosecutor who comes from the big city, largely to humiliate Hank. Thornton is sleek and beady-eyed, his white hair swept back, his demeanor brrrrry cold. The character is more complex than he first appears, but for most of the film, he’s used as a slick villain to raise your blood pressure.

The thing to hang onto in The Judge is that small towns represent upright American values and that cities are where you go to toss away your moral compass. Also, that Robert Downey Jr. likes to play slippery hipsters who realize the full extent of their aloneness and resolve to slip no more. If he isn’t on some basic level boring the hell out of himself, he’s not the actor I think he is.

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Film Review: ‘The Judge’

Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall make a memorable duo in this uneven but entertaining dysfunctional-family legal drama.

By Justin Chang

Justin Chang

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Gavels are slammed, tempers are lost and bowels are evacuated with great force in David Dobkin ‘s “ The Judge ,” an engrossing, unwieldy hurricane of a movie that plays like a small-town courtroom thriller by way of a testosterone-fueled remake of “August: Osage County.” Some elements ring truer than others in this ambitious blend of dysfunctional-family melodrama and legal procedural, but all of them are just about held together by the ferocious onscreen chemistry between two Roberts (Duvall and Downey Jr.), playing an overbearing father and a black-sheep son who find their already tense relationship literally put on trial. Refreshing as it is to see Downey step out of the Iron Man suit for a spell, the jury’s still out on whether an impressive talent roster can draw enough grown-up eyeballs to this overlong, resolutely old-fashioned male weepie, set for release Oct. 10 by Warner Bros.

For all the creakily elaborate Tennessee Williams-meets-John Grisham machinations cooked up by screenwriters Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque (working from a story by Dobkin and Schenk), “The Judge” pivots on a simple yet inspired stroke of casting, pitting Duvall’s iconic gravitas against Downey’s razor-sharp wit, and then supplying no shortage of opportunities for both men to chew the scenery. Given that their characters are members of a legal profession that invites all manner of verbal pyrotechnics and rhetorical showmanship, the actors are all too happy to oblige.

A brilliant, unscrupulous Chicago defense attorney who excels at getting white-collar criminals off the hook, Hank Palmer (Downey) is preparing to end his marriage and sue for custody of his 7-year-old daughter, Lauren (Emma Tremblay), when he receives news of his mother’s passing. Reluctantly he heads home to Carlinville, the sleepy Indiana town he swore he’d never return to after falling out years ago with his dad, Judge Joseph Palmer (Duvall), an irascible old coot and pillar of moral rectitude who couldn’t be more disapproving of his son the slick big-city operator.

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Absence has not made either man’s heart grow fonder, and the tensions are laid on so thickly right at the outset — lawyer vs. judge, town vs. country, etc. — that viewers may feel ready to strap themselves in for a two-hour-plus marathon of familial misery. Yet Dobkin steers us entertainingly enough through the Palmers’ past resentments and present recriminations, and the script is quite effective at summing up years of embittered history with a single cutting exchange. Joseph’s grieving-widower status doesn’t stop him from seizing every opportunity to remind Hank what a disappointment he is, especially compared with his reliable older brother, family man Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio), and his mentally challenged younger brother, Dale (Jeremy Strong), a regrettable Boo Radley stereotype who wanders around filming everyone with an old movie camera.

The presence of D’Onofrio in the cast provides an early tipoff that things are about to veer into “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” territory. Just when it seems Hank is ready to leave Carlinville for good, Joseph gets arrested and charged with a hit-and-run murder — an allegation that becomes even more serious when it turns out the victim is Mark Blackwell (Mark Kiely), a criminal lowlife whom the judge had particular reason to loathe. Joseph, a self-described “recovered alcoholic,” claims to have no memory of the night Blackwell was killed, and Hank, knowing his father will need the best defense possible, decides to stick around. But Joseph scorns the tricks of Hank’s trade and instead retains the services of an ineffectual local attorney (a bumbling Dax Shepard), convinced that the truth will prevail on its own — even when notoriously tough prosecutor Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton) is brought in to try the case against him.

Much of the pleasure of “The Judge” derives from the way Joseph and Hank clash over the proper way to handle their defense, carefully negotiating the thorny legal and moral ramifications of the case, then weighing them against their own difficult history and the sad fate that could await Joseph in the few years (maybe months) he has left. And the two leads superbly convey the complicated dynamic of a father and son who, for all their differences, are united by their colossal stubbornness, fierce intelligence and unwillingness to suffer fools gladly.

Neither actor is really attempting a change of pace here, and the material plays to their strengths and distinct personas at every turn — whether it’s Duvall laying down the law, so to speak, or Downey letting loose with a withering takedown of Carlinville’s white-trash population. That makes it all the more affecting on those rare occasions when Joseph and Hank achieve an honest moment of emotional connection, informed by their dawning awareness of the indignities of old age and the inevitability of death. Duvall’s performance, his most memorable in some time, carries unmistakable echoes of the many broken-down, hard-drinking, hermit-like men he’s played in movies past, yet never before has the 83-year-old actor rendered so painfully honest a portrait of a man whose body and mind are slowly failing him.

In an ambitious departure from such aggressively raunchy studio comedies as “Wedding Crashers” and “The Change-Up” (although like that film, “The Judge” does feature a memorable excrement explosion), Dobkin displays a nice sense of dramatic modulation here, informed by a keen understanding of the way family tensions tend to gather, erupt and then dissipate. Still, the director tends to overplay his hand whenever a heated confrontation comes along, whether it’s an over-studied image of father and son going their separate ways across an open field, or an argument whose melodramatic intensity is matched only by the gale-force winds outside their window.

Once the final verdicts are rendered and the consequences are doled out, the film goes regrettably soft as it seeks to tie up the various loose ends, in the process bringing Joseph and Hank’s relationship to the most sentimental conclusion imaginable. Still, better all this father-son Sturm und Drang than a forgettable subplot involving Hank’s attempts to rekindle an old flame (Vera Farmiga) and his brief flirtation with a sexy young bartender (Leighton Meester) who’s studying law. Along with Hank’s cheatin’ wife (a blink-and-you-miss-it performance by Sarah Lancaster), that’s about as rich and complex as the female roles get — not a huge surprise for this simmering cauldron of wounded male egos and latent daddy issues, but a disappointment nonetheless.

D’Onofrio adds a welcome voice of sanity as the most likable and long-suffering of the three Palmer brothers, while Thornton, acting for the umpteenth time opposite Duvall (whom he directed in “Sling Blade” and “Jayne Mansfield’s Car”), makes Dickham a wily and formidable opponent without turning him into an exaggerated villain. Elsewhere, the always underexposed Grace Zabriskie is aces in a small but vivid role as the hit-and-run victim’s enraged mother.

Fitting Dobkin’s heightened ambitions, the technical contributions are considerably more accomplished than in the director’s prior efforts. Janusz Kaminski’s 35mm cinematography lends a depth of polish to the picture, lensed primarily in the historic Massachusetts village of Shelburne Falls, whose waterfalls provide lovely background distraction at certain moments. Thomas Newman’s score manages, not without strain, to accommodate the film’s gradual shift from glib comedy to brooding dramatics.

Reviewed at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Calif., Aug. 27, 2014. (In Toronto Film Festival — Gala Presentations, opener.) MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 141 MIN.

Production: A Warner Bros. release presented in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment of a Big Kid Pictures/Team Downey production. Produced by Susan Downey, David Dobkin, David Gambino. Executive producers, Bruce Berman, Steven Mnucin, Herbert W. Gains, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Kleeman.
Crew: Directed by David Dobkin. Screenplay, Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque; story, Dobkin, Schenk. Camera (Technicolor, 35mm/16mm, widescreen), Janusz Kaminski; editor, Mark Livolsi; music, Thomas Newman; production designer, Mark Ricker; costume designer, Marlene Stewart; sound (Dolby Digital/Datasat), Mark Ulano; sound designer/supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer, Tim Chau; special effects supervisor, Shane Gross; visual effects supervisor, Jim Rider; visual effects producer, Wendy Garfinkle; visual effects, Method Studios; stunt coordinator, Steven Ritzi; associate producer, Greg Garthe; assistant director, Mark Cotone; casting, Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee.
With: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Leighton Meester, Billy Bob Thornton, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Grace Zabriskie, Sarah Lancaster, Mark Kiely.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Mature legal drama is superbly acted but a bit predictable.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Forgiveness and redemption arrive when you least e

Of the three Palmer brothers, Dale is the sweetest

The story centers on a murder trial; a man is foun

A guy makes out with a much younger girl at a bar,

Frequent swearing, including "f--k," &qu

Some labels/products seen or mentioned, including

A fair bit of drinking. Adult brothers get buzzed

Positive Messages

Forgiveness and redemption arrive when you least expect them -- you just have to be open to them.

Positive Role Models

Of the three Palmer brothers, Dale is the sweetest and the one who truly acts without agenda. Hank is angry at his father but finds a way to tap into a well of empathy he didn't know existed.

Violence & Scariness

The story centers on a murder trial; a man is found dead by the side of the road, presumably hit by a car. A man backs an SUV into a garage, denting it. Lots of screaming fights, including a really mean one between a couple about to divorce. A fist fight nearly erupts at a bar after a group of men makes fun of a mentally disabled man. A criminal says something venomous to an officer of the court.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A guy makes out with a much younger girl at a bar, kissing her and groping her backside (they might be related). In another scene, old lovers make out and kiss passionately. A woman talks about pleasuring herself. Additional sexual references.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent swearing, including "f--k," "hell," "piss," "ass," "a--hole," "s--t," "d--k," "bullsh-t," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Some labels/products seen or mentioned, including Ford, Facebook, Kool-Aid, Cadillac, and GoreTex.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A fair bit of drinking. Adult brothers get buzzed at a bar. Additional social drinking. An alcoholic takes a swig of hard liquor after a long dry spell.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Judge -- which stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall -- is an engrossing drama/legal thriller that covers some fairly mature, emotionally taxing terrain, including family estrangement, murder, power struggles, divorce, the death of a parent, and the emotions of the mourning process. But it also has themes of forgiveness and redemption. Characters swear frequently (including "a--hole," "s--t," and "f--k") and drink a fair bit, sometimes going overboard. Parents argue in front of and with their grown children, and a plot line about a murder includes shots of a mangled car and discussions of how a crime might have taken place. There's also some kissing/groping and a scene in which a woman talks about pleasuring herself. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parents say (6)
Kids say (6)

Based on 6 parent reviews

Duvall and Downey, Jr...who can out act the other? It is rather fun to watch.

Reality is not always pleasant, what's the story.

Hank Palmer ( Robert Downey Jr. ) -- a highly successful but sometimes entirely too slick defense attorney -- would never dream of going back to his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana. But filial duty calls after his beloved mother passes away, calling for a face-to-face between Hank and his older brother, Glenn ( Vincent D'Onofrio ), a gifted athlete who wound up never leaving home; his developmentally disabled younger brother, Dale (Jeremy Strong), who's forever carrying around a Super 8 camera and recording every family moment, including the saddest ones; and their father, Joseph ( Robert Duvall ), the town judge, who seems to have a soft spot for everyone but Hank. Then, when a recently paroled criminal whom Joseph sent to jail is found dead by the side of the road, the magistrate winds up the main suspect, leaving Hank with no choice but to be his fearsome father's counsel and ultimately deal with his family's divisions.

Is It Any Good?

There's no doubt that Downey Jr. can deliver on pretty much any role he takes on. In THE JUDGE, he imbues Hank with a certain cynicism that only he could get away with without making the main character entirely unlikable. And likability is important here, because Hank wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. He's arrogant, cocksure, and difficult in his own right.

The fact that the film's characters are complicated actually heightens its appeal. But Downey -- and, by extension, the film, since his character is so central to it -- might feel just a little too slick. There's a knowing sheen here that points to a self consciousness about the movie being a type of crowd-pleasing thriller, one that milks all the right emotional notes. But there's no false note in Duvall's performance. He allows the titular judge to be difficult to like, at best. There's one particular scene in which his character is subjected to the indignities of age and illness, and Duvall goes to all the necessary dark corners. To watch him and Downey, who's best when he's paired with Duvall, is to witness a master acting class.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Judge 's messages. What is it saying about family bonds? Who do you think the film is intended to appeal to? How can you tell?

What is the movie saying about forgiveness, especially when it comes to family?

Talk about the idea of family and estrangement and how the judge deals with it differently or similarly to other movies in the same genre. How would you characterize the Palmers? Are they close to each other? Are they bonded?

Movie Details

In theaters : October 10, 2014
On DVD or streaming : January 27, 2015
Cast : Robert Downey Jr. , Robert Duvall , Vera Farmiga
Director : David Dobkin
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Drama
Topics : Brothers and Sisters
Run time : 141 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : language including some sexual references
Last updated : May 25, 2023

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Movie Review: The Judge (2014)

D.M. Behrendt
Movie Reviews
4 responses
--> October 9, 2014

The Judge (2014) by The Critical Movie Critics

Defending the patriarch.

The success of David Dobkin’s (“ Wedding Crashers ”) The Judge lies in its ability to sound just like every other story in which a successful prodigal son returns from “the big city” in the midst of personal turmoil to attend a parent’s funeral (“Elizabethtown,” “Garden State,” etc.) when summarized aloud, but play out on screen as more than that. Its failures, however, stem from just how much more. While the cast, featuring the talents of Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton and Leighton Meester, among others, would be capable of handling the myriad cliche complexities of The Judge in another context, the film’s script, editing, and especially its pacing, are not.

One of the biggest criticisms that’s been lobbed at The Judge so far is that it is too long. It is. A shorter run time and better editing would have significantly improved this film; worse than the parts that are bad is the inability of the production team to tell the difference between these parts and the good ones, and figure out how to balance them to make this story work.

In the first lines of The Judge it is established that neither Downey Jr.’s Hank Palmer and his professional associates — namely his current opposition in court, for whom David Krumholtz is an appropriately snarky fit — nor writers Bill Dubuque and Nick Schenk (“ Gran Turino ”) think their lead character is anything but trite. “The jaded lawyer with no respect for the law?,” a prosecutor says in the bathroom, after Palmer literally pisses on his competition, “how original.” Before you ask, Palmer sleeps just fine, in a sprawling modern home he is able to sustain because, in his words, “innocent people can’t afford me.”

Palmer returns to court only to receive word that his mother has died in the aforementioned Indiana town he so long ago fled. Palmer immediately flies back home — “just for the weekend,” of course — only to find himself trapped with his estranged, implacable father, the honorable Judge Joseph Palmer (Duvall, “ Jack Reacher ”), when, the night of the funeral, the Judge is involved in a car accident that leads to his being charged with the intentional murder of a man he once sentenced to twenty years in jail.

Also at home is Hank’s abrasive older brother Glen (D’Onofrio, “ Escape Plan ”), whose own tragic backstory we have also seen countless times, and camera-toting special needs younger brother, Dale (Jeremy Strong, “ Zero Dark Thirty ”), who manages to avoid caricature mostly by not having much screen time. While their relationships with the Judge appear to be okay, Hank’s broken connection with their father is marked by sour memories of a man who “issued canine calls to get our attention,” and “threw periodicals for sport.”

The cantankerous judge.

There are definitely parts of The Judge that I genuinely enjoyed. Downey Jr. is always a delight, even when forced to say lines like “the way he shakes my hand when he hugs everybody else, this family is a fucking Picasso painting.” Same goes for Farmiga’s tough high school ex-girlfriend, who apparently gets punchy one liners like, “I only own the one black dress” when she sees Hank fall after his mother’s funeral as a trade off for also having to explain how a near-death experience inspired her to become “the hero of [her] own story.” (Yawn). The obligatory cute and wise beyond her years daughter, Lauren (Emma Tremblay, “ The Giver ”), is cute and wise beyond her years. Robert Duvall commendably adds depth to his crotchety old judge, and provides us with a line that was probably supposed to relate to the core meaning of The Judge , if it had had one; the concept of the courtroom as “one of the last great cathedrals in the country, based on the premise that you and you alone are responsible for the consequences of your actions.”

In the end, The Judge comes across as the creation of someone going through a checklist of things that supposedly make movies emotional. Promising high school athlete who loses it all in a car accident, check. Brother who is somehow inhibited mentally, check. A small Midwestern town so small and Midwestern that there is a sign across main street advertising a blueberry festival, check. A temptatious old flame who oozes with the pheromones of unfinished business, check. It goes on. All of these elements come across as flat and crowded, and by the movie’s conclusion (a grueling two hours and twenty minutes after it starts), no one has really learned anything, or changed. Too boring to love or hate, The Judge is not a movie worth going out of your way to see this fall.

Tagged: father , lawyer , relationship , son

Movie Review: German Angst (2015) Movie Review: Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) Movie Review: Hereditary (2018) Movie Review: Rave Party Massacre (2018) Movie Review: A Quiet Place (2018) Movie Review: Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017) Movie Review: Suburbicon (2017)

'Movie Review: The Judge (2014)' have 4 comments

October 9, 2014 @ 7:39 pm Joltair

Can’t be good – I’ve been seeing Downey Jr. making the desperate rounds on the talk show circuit trying like hell to drum up interest in it.

October 9, 2014 @ 7:56 pm Eyerman

It just drags on and on and on and on and on and on

October 9, 2014 @ 10:40 pm low_carb_diet

Robert Duvall, another aging once-great actor reduced to the infamous crotchety old fart role.

October 27, 2014 @ 7:36 am Paul

Never cared much for Robert Downey Jr until I saw this movie. A long movie yes. It needed to be that long in order to showcase all the beautiful acting by all of the players. My wife and I enjoyed it tremendously.

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Flickering Myth

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Movie Review – The Judge (2014)

October 10, 2014 by Robert Kojder

The Judge . 2014

Directed by David Dobkin Starring Robert Downey Jr. , Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Leighton Meester

Big city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town’s judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth and, along the way, reconnects with his estranged family.

Let’s be realistic, courtroom dramas aren’t exactly the most exciting sub-genre of cinema out there. So that’s why you cast Robert Downey Jr. as a quick thinking, fast-talking smart-ass attorney. You don’t stop there though, you take Robert and you have him defend his cranky old father (Robert Duvall) that he hates, but must stick around and publicly defend because he may or may not have killed someone. He doesn’t remember what happened. Man, being old must suck.

Anyway, taking a dysfunctional family and having them settle their differences in court make all the technical legal mumbo-jumbo infinitely more tolerable. Don’t mistake The Judge for a comedy though – for whatever reason trailers promote it this way – because underneath the above-it-all exterior of lawyer Hank Palmer is an engaging tale of a man dropped into a position where he can rekindle relationships with both his family and friends, all while defending a father that despises his immoral practices of winning cases.

While most of these stories are entertaining with interesting characters and fantastic acting, it does feel like The Judge is cramming too much into its plot. Hank is also dealing with marital problems that really have no consequence on the plot. It’s also revealed that attorney Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton) is a rival , as if it’s supposed to be a twist, and is then never mentioned again. I realize that is somewhat of a spoiler, but it is so insignificant in the grand scheme of the story that your knowledge of this little detail won’t affect your enjoyment of the film of all.

In a related thought, while the marital problems for Hank felt worthless to the film, scenes of Hank interacting with his daughter are very well done. Usually child actors are annoying, but here Hank’s daughter shows mature genuine concern that her parents might end up getting a divorce, and successfully elicits an emotional reaction from viewers. Part of that also goes to the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is amazing at finding chemistry with child actors; first it was in Iron Man 3 and now The Judge .

For a 140 minute movie though, it’s just painstakingly obvious that there is material here that should have been chopped out of the film – regardless of quality – in an effort to focus on the aspects that cause The Judge to grab your attention; the love-hate relationship between an attorney and his judge father facing a prison sentence.

Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall) has taken a more honest approach to his occupation throughout life, which causes a giant rift in how both think the process should be handled along with numerous headaches for Hank. There are also additional layers and story developments that add further to the story, and actually make The Judge not only a captivating film regarding Joseph’s innocence, but a fairly depressing movie about the later stages of life that we are all going to face one day. I was often reminded of last year’s Best Picture nominated Nebraska while watching The Judge ; a generous comment to give a film.

The acting and chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall is so excellent that it’s a shame a hefty portion of the film is focused on less interesting things, like past girlfriends. I can’t fault director David Dobkin too harshly though, because for someone who’s directorial credits up until this point only really include raunchy comedies like Wedding Crashers and Mr. Woodcock , he has actually constructed a bittersweet drama full of some well-integrated comedic relief.

Aside from the multiple disjointed plots that really don’t weave together, the only other grating problem with The Judge is that the narrative does get very heavy-handed towards the end, full of unnatural scenes that only exist to manipulate the viewer’s emotions. For example, the final five minutes of the film weren’t necessary and honestly felt like a thoughtlessly lazy way to end the story. That’s disappointing too because the movie really does hit its stride in the final act.

The Judge isn’t going to be a major Oscar contender for any category, but it is a thoroughly entertaining courtroom drama centered on the broken relationship of a father and his son. Occasionally, it tries way too hard to tug at the heartstrings, and is ultimately misdirected in areas by David Dobkin, but going from Fred Claus and Mr. Woodcock to The Judge is one hell of an improvement and shows that he has a promising career ahead of him. For now, just experience The Judge as a collection of scenes with great performances from great actors.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder – An aficionado of film, wrestling, and gaming. I currently write for Flickering Myth, We Got This Covered, and Wrestle Enigma. Follow me on Twitter .

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Movie Review

Back Home Again, and Little Has Changed

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By A.O. Scott

Oct. 9, 2014

Early in “The Judge,” Hank Palmer, a hotshot Chicago defense lawyer played by Robert Downey Jr. with his usual fast-talking swagger, learns that his mother has died. He packs a bag, says goodbye to his unfaithful wife and his adorable daughter (Emma Tremblay), and jumps in his Ferrari.

He drives only as far as the airport, however. Even though his Rockwellesque hometown is in Indiana, just one state over, Hank decides to fly rather than drive. Presumably to save time — something this long, baggy, meandering film, directed by David Dobkin from a screenplay by Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque, otherwise has very little interest in doing.

Once home, Hank rediscovers the family from which he’s been mostly estranged and runs into a few other people too, all of them played by fine actors encouraged to graze in a meadow overgrown with thickets of plot and clumps of easy sentimentality. Hank is the middle brother in a trio, flanked by Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio), a high school baseball star settled into middle-aged disappointment, and Dale (Jeremy Strong), who has the kind of mental disability encountered only in movies: He walks around with a Super-8 camera, asking naïve questions that are alternately good for a cute laugh and preternaturally wise. He is less a sibling than a mascot.

The patriarch of the Palmer brood is the title character and the only reason to take an interest in this movie, since he is played by Robert Duvall. Judge Palmer (even his sons call him that) does not represent anything new for Mr. Duvall. He’s crusty, but with an occasional twinkle in his eye and a well-hidden soft spot. He is, more precisely, a collection of personality traits in search of a coherent character, which Mr. Duvall, by dint of sheer professionalism, comes very close to supplying.

What we know about the judge at the outset is that he was a domestic autocrat (a somewhat kinder version of the bad dad from “The Great Santini” ) who doted on his wife and has been sober for nearly three decades. On the bench, he is stern but fair, tempering his reverence for the law with a sense of humor and an occasional display of mercy. He and Hank don’t get along, though the smart money will be on their eventual reconciliation.

The road to that touching, foreordained moment passes through enough dramatic incident for three movies, none of them terribly original. For a while, Hank’s prodigal return is played for gentle, knowing laughs, as a comedy about a city slicker slumming it with the good country folk and rediscovering his roots in the process. He also rediscovers his high school sweetheart, Samantha, played by Vera Farmiga.

And then “The Judge” turns into a crime story, and a supershouty, macho-weepy, buried-family-secrets melodrama. A fellow just out of the penitentiary has died in a hit and run, and his blood turns up on the fender of the old man’s Cadillac. Guess who represents him in the murder trial that unfolds in his very own courtroom? (Actually Hank is the second choice, elbowing aside a local lawyer played by Dax Shepard, who hangs around to provide a touch of bumpkin humor.) The prosecutor is a vulpine outsider (Billy Bob Thornton) who turns out to have a score to settle with Hank.

Who doesn’t? Various secrets come dribbling out — about the paternity of Samantha’s daughter (Leighton Meester), about the car accident that ruined Glen’s baseball career and about the judge himself. They add up to a sprawl of narrative that is as unconvincing as the suspiciously sprawl-free, nostalgia-tinged town where it all takes place.

“The Judge” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Father-son swearing contests.

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DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

October 10, 2014
Robert Downey Jr. as Hank Palmer; Robert Duvall as Joseph Palmer; Vera Farmiga as Samantha Powell; Billy Bob Thornton as Dwight Dickham; Vincent D'Onofrio as Glen Palmer; Jeremy Strong as Dale Palmer; Emma Tremblay as Lauren Palmer

Home Release Date

January 27, 2015
David Dobkin

Distributor

Warner Bros.

Movie Review

Now there’s a label that fits lawyer Hank Palmer to a T. Unscrupulous works, too. Of course, he would prefer something closer to brilliant. But whatever put-down his opponents might want to tag him with, this is the truth: Hank is a winner. He’s a guy who knows how to use the law, his nimble wits and any manner of verbal fireworks to his advantage in the courtroom. And that’s all that really matters to him.

Some may say that his rich, white-collar criminal clients are generally corrupt and always guilty. To which Hank will usually reply, “And?” After all, everybody deserves a defense. Besides, innocent people can’t afford his fees … or pay for the Jag in his parking spot.

Hank will admit that he’s hit a bit of a rough patch lately, however. Not in the courtroom. In life. His marriage to his model-pretty wife is on the skids. He’s a little worried about where his adolescent daughter will end up if there’s a divorce. And he just got word that his mom passed away.

As bad as that last bit of news is, even worse is the fact that he’ll now have to head back to Carlinville, Ind., that comatose little burg he turned his back on so many years before. He’ll have to go back and face his brothers. And deal once again with the Judge.

Judge Joseph Palmer is his cantankerous, holier-than-thou coot of a father. The man who rode him so hard as a kid. The hardnosed parent who threw him into juvenile detention at the age of 17. The disapproving so-and-so who wouldn’t even bury the hatchet long enough to show up at his own son’s graduation from law school. Even when said son graduated first in his class.

When Hank gets back, uh, “home,” he receives exactly the kind of reception he expects: warm hugs from his brothers and an icy handshake from the Judge. Oh well, it’ll all be over soon. But as much as Hank is determined to get in and get right back out after the funeral, something happens that derails his plans.

The Judge is arrested for murder.

That sanctimonious justice who presided over the Carlinville court for the last four decades is inexplicably accused of mowing down a abhorrent slug of a former defendant with his car. The man’s blood was found in the vehicle’s battered grill. And there are no skid marks at the scene.

In light of this damning evidence, a special prosecutor is being brought in to try the case. And all the Judge can say is that he can’t remember what happened. He’s “missing time,” he claims.

So now Hank’s going to have to spend time defending his lifelong nemesis. In spite of his near hatred for his father, in spite of his own internal objections, in spite of the Judge’s objections, he’ll have to stay in town and win this seemingly unwinnable case.

_Tenacious.

Bullheaded.

Those words also fit Hank. Whether he likes all of them or not.

Positive Elements

Can a father and son—at odds for years—find some kind of reconciliation? This movie says yes! Hank and the Judge both have long lists of blood pressure-raising accusations and wrongdoings to pin on each other. But they also both learn to see the good of the man underneath the mess, and come to forgive. They eventually praise each other’s strengths. And Hank selflessly sees his father through some of the most painful and difficult moments of the older man’s life.

This newfound focus on relational reparations also spurs Hank to reach out to other people who are important to him—from his older brother Glen to his former girlfriend Samantha to his young daughter Lauren. He expresses his love to each, and in some cases asks for forgiveness.

For his part, and for all of his stern hardheadedness, it becomes apparent that the Judge really does love and want the best for his wife and kids. He also reaches out to his adolescent granddaughter, hugging and kissing her the first time they meet. In court, he tells a recalcitrant father, “You and you alone are responsible for your actions.”

Spiritual Elements

When approaching his mother’s open casket, Hank fumble-handedly crosses himself in an attempt to show respect. He later asks the Judge if he believes there’s something after death. The old man replies that since he’s 72 and in the midst of Stage IV cancer, “What choice do I have?”

Sexual Content

Hank talks about two teen boys getting high in a car together and having sex. He calls a girl “semen-breath.” He also makes out with a young woman in a local bar who he later fears may be his daughter by way of his past girlfriend Samantha. Hank and Samantha make out passionately, caressing and groping.

Hank gives his wallet to his mentally challenged brother Dale, whereupon the young man reports, “You have a naked lady in here!” (We don’t see the picture.) The Judge crudely goads Hank by talking about his current wife playing “hide the pickle” with another man.

Violent Content

Hank accidentally slices his hand. He tumbles off a bicycle. We see a crumpled car after an accident. We hear the story of a man who murdered his 16-year-old girlfriend.

Crude or Profane Language

Close to 30 f-words and 15 s-words join more than a half-dozen uses of “a–,” and one or two uses each of “d–n,” “h—” and “b–ch.” God’s and Jesus’ names are misused over a dozen times. (God’s is combined with “d–n” eight or so times.) Crude slang is used for male genitalia.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Hank, Glen and Dale drink beer and shots at a bar, along with other patrons. The Judge, a 20-year-sober alcoholic, has Scotch while at a very low point. (Hank shares a drink with him.) Hank confronts a cop about him “huffing whippets” as a teen. Samantha says her daughter is the result of a combination of “Kool-Aid and Everclear.” A deceased man is said to have had enough drug and alcohol content in his bloodstream that it would have been difficult for him to stand upright.

Other Negative Elements

A running joke involves lawyers vomiting. Hank urinates on another lawyer while standing at a urinal. And while it’s not played for laughs, there is a difficult-to-watch scene focused on the Judge’s worsening illness and his inability to control his bowels and bladder. Hank openly wishes his father had died rather than his mother.

In some ways, this movie feels like it was designed to give seasoned thespians Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall lots of dramatic scenery to chew. In fact, it’s as tailor-made for Downey and his personal brand of snarky verbal gymnastics as any non-iron-suit-clad role might be.

Beneath the glib asides and beetle-browed courtroom angst, though, this judge-accused-of-murder tale is far less about legal entanglements than it is a slowly unspooling story of an estranged father and son—both chained to years of accumulated emotional baggage. Both men are weighed down by anger, guilt and remorse. And both are sinners questing for redemption—of a relational kind if not a spiritual one.

In that sense, this pic delivers encouraging messages of familial forgiveness. It becomes a satisfying if overly long-feeling saga of a father and son finding the bond they never knew through the pains of life they’d have rather avoided.

Of course, it’s those realistically depicted pains—played out in coarse verbal interactions, harsh accusations and wince-worthy visuals—that give this pic its R rating and make it, if you’re asking for my verdict, difficult to cozy up to with a popcorn and soda.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Director David Dobkin achieves his passion project with The Judge , an earnest courtroom feel-gooder saddled by predictable plotting and clichéd dramatic turns. After years of comedies, some hits ( The Wedding Crashers ), some misses ( Fred Claus ), Dobkin and co-scripter Nick Schenk came up with an antiquated story that was ultimately penned by Schenk and Bill Dubuque. Entering John Grisham territory with notes of Frank Capra, the overindulged, overlong result has been quarried from dozens of other sources and its degree of familiarity proves trying. Dobkin’s father was an attorney, and so he instills a sense of personal sentimentality and dignity around the profession, which lends the film an old-fashioned idealism. Fortunately, Dobkin acquired a terrific cast to breathe life into his characters, making The Judge a generic crowd-pleaser.

Robert Downey Jr. plays big-city defense attorney Hank Palmer, whose trip to his small-town home of Carlinville, Indiana, for his mother’s funeral is beyond a headache for him. There, amid the downhome charm, he finds painful reminders of his youth, including his estranged father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), whom he resents and hasn’t spoken to in years. His elder brother Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) could have been a professional baseball player had Hank not wrapped a car around a tree in their teenage years. And Hank’s younger, dim-witted brother Dale (Jeremy Strong) remains childlike, carrying an old Super 8 camera around with him at all times. Meanwhile, Hank’s marriage is in shambles and headed for divorce, and he’s determined to get custody of his daughter. Auspiciously, down at the local diner, Hank’s ex-flame Sam (Vera Farmiga) wants to rekindle their youthful, true-love romance.

After the funeral, Hank preps to return home, but his father’s sudden arrest for murder forces him to stay. A recently released criminal sentenced by Judge Palmer has been run down on a rainy night, and the victim’s DNA has been found on the Judge’s car. Though his father hired a hayseed local (Dax Shepard) for his defense, Hank insists on representing his father, and along the way, their father-son relationship heals. Though, the Judge continues to be a stubborn old meanie and Hank a smug hotshot. In the courtroom, Hank is pitted against a ball-busting judge (Ken Howard) and a slick-as-snot prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton). And in the end, there’s an artificial climax on the witness stand, where the usual lines of courtroom questioning break down, and the prosecutor apparently takes a nap, all so Hank and his father can work out their issues in a teary testimony that achieves an understanding between the two.

Without Downey, Jr. and Duvall putting their talents into the two central performances, The Judge might be completely despicable for its overt schmaltziness and over-stuffed screenplay. Dobkin introduces several subplots, any number of which feel superfluous, including a bit about Hank’s possible illegitimate child with Sam; later, there’s a tornado that threatens Carlinville at the height of a family row and stands as an overwrought visual metaphor for the scene. Elsewhere, the Dale character feels like a manipulative device engineered for an easy laugh or weepy cry. The only moments that contain an air of authenticity are those about the Judge’s battle with cancer; Duvall commits to the ugly side effects of chemotherapy in a bathroom sequence that manages to be both heartbreaking and funny. In an uncharacteristically messy lensing job, Steven Spielberg’s longtime collaborator Janusz Kaminski renders some scenes in an all-American sheen and others in a grainy filter, as though they were shot by Dale. Flashback sequences look believably vintage in their Super 8mm quality.

Steeped in human drama, The Judge takes obvious influence from Kramer vs. Kramer and Terms of Endearment , but without an ounce of originality or innovation applied to it. More recent examples of such fare include August: Osage County and This Is Where I Leave You , where reluctant family members return home for a funeral and, through noisy arguments and much dramatic grandstanding, realize why family is so important. The familiarity of the story hurts what is Dobkin’s otherwise pleasantly sincere and straightforward direction, and a number of fine performances. Downey, Jr’s usual verbal gymnastics routine gives way to some emotional revelations, while Duvall portrays a multi-layered character capable of extreme obstinacy and unexpected tenderness. Their performances, along with solid supporting work from Farmiga and Thornton, might be the only reason to once again endure a story you’ve seen countless times before.

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The Judge (2014)

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The Judge Movie Review

The Judge is a 2014 legal drama film directed by David Dobkin and starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall. It is a well acted, but maudlin film.

………………………………………………….

“ Everyone wants Atticus Finch

until there’s a dead hooker in a bathtub “

…………………………………………………..

Years after he returns to his hometown, Chicago -based lawyer Hank Palmer decides to fight the case for his father, Joseph, who is accused of murder. This movie was obviously made to be both a crowd-pleaser and an Oscar-bait, but it ended up succeeding only in the former. There is so much old-fashioned sentimentality and broadness that it couldn’t appeal to anybody who has ever watched more than a dozen movies in their life.

The only legitimate reason to see The Judge is for the performances. Robert Downey Jr. won his Oscar for ‘Oppenheimer’ , which was one of his worst works to date, but maybe a part of that decision by the Academy was due to this performance that was undeniably one of his best. He was perfectly cast as Hank, and although it’s a showy performance, it fits his acting style and his personality, so he was excellent throughout.

Another standout is Robert Duvall, who ended up receiving the only Oscar nomination for his work as Joseph. He was also terrific and very believable in the role. The best scenes in the film are those where the two are arguing as both actors did such a good job and their interplay was fantastic.

But eventually it all leads to a typically predictable, emotionally manipulative territory with the ending being way too sentimental for its own sake. Most of the movie lacked subtlety in cinematography, directing and characterization, which made it frustratingly obvious. The courtroom scenes were also the weakest of the bunch as they lacked the energy and conviction of some of the best works in that genre.

The Judge also failed to develop any of its supporting characters, mostly focusing on the main pairing. The result is an overlong, tiring movie that would have been much stronger had it been an hour shorter. There just wasn’t enough story material for two and a half hours here. The editing and pacing are poor and the overall technicalities are uninspired. The dialogue ranges from pretty solid to on-the-nose. It’s such a populist movie.

The Judge is a film that was made to be an Oscar-bait and a crowd-pleaser, perhaps only succeeding in the latter category. The main performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall were excellent with Downey himself being surprisingly good here. The scenes between the two are quite strong, but the rest of the movie is subpar – the courtroom scenes are ineffective and the supporting character underdeveloped. The overly manipulative and maudlin tone and excessive length were its biggest issues.

My rating – 3.

#1. Which of these actresses is in this movie?

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How Many Oscars Robert Downey Jr. Has

Denzel washington's most underrated movie is a $46 million flop from 26 years ago, the first omen repeats a 9-year-old horror movie's great casting trick.

Top-tier actors like Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, and Vera Farmiga shine in The Judge, praised for their powerful performances.
The movie focuses on Hank's personal growth and relationship with his father, navigating complex emotions and family dynamics.
Supporting cast like Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, and Dax Shepard effectively elevate the narrative.

The Judge features an impressive cast of experienced actors. The 2014 drama follows Hank Palmer ( played by Robert Downey Jr. ), a hardened defense attorney who abandoned his small-town Indiana roots and defends wealthy, often guilty clients in civil and criminal court. Despite his financial success, however, Hank's relentless work ethic and lack of empathy have strained his relationships . He is estranged from his stern father, Joseph Palmer, a revered local judge, and is facing an impending divorce from his wife. Following his mother's sudden death, Hank reluctantly returns to his hometown for the funeral, intending to leave promptly afterward.

However, he becomes embroiled in his most personal case yet when evidence implicates his father in a murder. Forced to confront long-standing animosity, Hank must decide whether to defend his stubborn father in court. Directed by David Dobkin ( The Change-Up ), The Judge opened to lukewarm reviews but was largely praised for its solid performances , particularly by the actors playing father and son. Since the legal drama hinges on Hank's self-discovery and evolving relationship with his father, the cast had to embody complex emotions. The supporting characters also effectively hold the story together, portrayed by a diverse ensemble cast.

Robert Downey Jr as Hank Palmer

Date of birth: april 4, 1965.

Active Since: 1970

Actor: Robert Downey Jr. is one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood history. He made his acting debut in his father's film Pound in 1970 and first made a mark playing Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic Chaplin . Downey staged a remarkable comeback with the 2003 film The Singing Detective and achieved worldwide acclaim for playing Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , spanning from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also played Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's films and recently won an Oscar for his role as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Hank Palmer is a Chicago-based defense lawyer, reminiscent of Harvey Specter in Suits. He is arrogant, self-assured, and ambitious , and has abandoned his roots in small-town Indiana. Now, he defends wealthy, often guilty clients in civil and criminal court and is proud of his prowess as a lawyer. Hank has also let go of ethics in the pursuit of financial success. Due to his lack of empathy and single-minded ambition, his relationships are strained, not only with his father but also with his wife. Over The Judge, Hank has to rethink his ways and navigate a personal crisis.

Robert Downey Jr. has had a long-celebrated career that has earned him many awards and nominations, but how many Academy Awards has he won?

Robert Duvall as Joseph Palmer

Date of birth: january 5, 1931.

Active Since: 1952

Actor: One of the best actors of his generation, Robert Duvall has been acting for seven decades. His career commenced on television with minor roles before he transitioned to Broadway and then to film. His first feature film role was as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), and he received an Oscar for his performance in Tender Mercies (1983). Duvall has also been nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in The Godfather (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Great Santini (1979), and The Judge (2014) . On television, he has acted in the limited series Broken Trail (2007) and the miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989).

Character: Joseph Palmer is a respected local judge with a strained relationship with his son, Hank. His pride and stubbornness are evident as he grapples with accusations of murder, refusing help even from Hank. Yet, beneath his outward authority lies vulnerability and complexity, as Joseph confronts his past and navigates a tumultuous legal battle . Throughout the film, he experiences a range of emotions, from fear to defiance, leading to moments of introspection. Central to the narrative is the evolving dynamic between Joseph and Hank, as they confront long-standing issues and strive to reconcile their fractured relationship.

The Judge Supporting Cast & Characters

Vera Farmiga as Samantha Powell: Vera Farmiga plays the role of Samantha Powell, Hank's ex-girlfriend who owns the local diner where he grew up in Indiana. She is both a romantic interest and a source of emotional stability for Hank , offering him comfort amid his personal challenges. Samantha constantly exhibits insightfulness and empathy towards Hank's struggles, providing him with a sense of grounding and encouragement. Farmiga's most prominent acting roles have been in films like The Departed , The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas , the Conjuring franchise , and TV shows like When They See Us, Bates Motel, and Five Days at Memorial.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Glen Palmer: Vincent D'Onofrio's most known roles include Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence in Full Metal Jacket , Edgar the Bug in Men in Black, Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Vic in Jurassic World (2015), and Wilson Fisk in the Marvel series Daredevil, Hawkeye , and Echo. In The Judge, D'Onofrio plays Glen, Hank's older brother and the owner of a local tire shop. Glen supports his brother amid the complexities of his father's legal troubles , despite having his own unresolved conflicts and personal struggles.

Jeremy Strong as Dale Palmer: Jeremy Strong plays Dale Palmer, Hank's younger brother who is mentally disabled . Strong is most known for playing Kendall Roy in HBO's Succession , but is also known for playing John George Nicolay in Lincoln (2012) and Jerry Rubin in The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), along with supporting parts in films like Zero Dark Thirty (2012), The Big Short (2015), Molly's Game (2017), and Armageddon Time (2022).

Dax Shepard as Attorney C.P. Kennedy: In addition to his career as an actor and comedian, Dax Shepard also hosts the podcast Armchair Expert , wherein he interviews celebrities, academics, and journalists about their lives. Some of his film credits include Without a Paddle (2004), Employee of the Month (2006), and Chips (2017). On TV, he has portrayed Crosby Braverman in Parenthood and Luke Matthews in Netflix's The Ranch. In The Judge , Shepard plays Attorney C.P. Kennedy, a skilled and seasoned lawyer representing the prosecution in the case against Judge Joseph Palmer.

Stream on Netflix

In the 2014 drama The Judge, Robert Downey Jr. stars as successful lawyer Hank Palmer, who returns to his hometown to defend his estranged father, Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), a judge accused of murder. Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Billy Bob Thornton, and Leighton Meester round out the rest of the main cast.

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The Judge movie review & film summary (2014)
The Judge. Director David Dobkin gave us " Wedding Crashers " nearly a decade ago, and we who hooted heartily at the disreputable acts abetted by the rite of holy matrimony will be forever grateful. We might even pardon any lingering counts against his twin crimes against comedy, " Fred Claus " and " The Change-Up .".
The Judge (2014)
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.), a brilliant but shady attorney, returns to his Indiana hometown after learning that his mother has passed away. His arrival triggers renewed tension between ...
'The Judge' Review
The Judge is a very familiar tale of a man that finds humility in a return to his hometown - albeit one with a few genuinely powerful moments of drama. ... 'The Judge' Review The Judge (2014) By Ben Kendrick. Published Oct 10, 2014. Your changes have been saved. Email Is sent. ... Movie Reviews. 2.5 star movies. Your changes have been saved ...
The Judge (2014)
The Judge: Directed by David Dobkin. With Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton. Big-city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth; along the way he reconnects with his estranged family.
The Judge (2014 film)
The Judge is a 2014 American legal drama film directed by David Dobkin. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall with Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard and Billy Bob Thornton in supporting roles. The film was released in the United States on October 10, 2014. It received mixed reviews; critics praised the performances of Duvall and Downey, and Thomas Newman ...
The Judge
For a 140 minute movie, it's just painstakingly obvious that there is material here that should have been chopped out. Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 2, 2017. Reagan Gavin Rasquinha The ...
The Judge (2014)
A Nice Career Topper For Duvall. gavin6942 22 February 2015. Big city lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to his childhood home where his father (Robert Duvall), the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth and, along the way, reconnects with his estranged family.
The Judge Review
The Judge Review Reasonable Doubt. By Matt Patches. Posted: Sep 5, 2014 5:18 pm. ... Despite The Judge being Dobkin's "serious" movie, it's the comedy that gels it together. Downey is the rare ...
The Judge
Satellite Awards. Big city lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town's judge (Robert Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.
The Judge (2014)
The Judge has its funny moments but is far more serious at heart, and much more of a slog, too. A bloated all-star melodrama with none of the lean, mean legalese of a John Grisham adaptation, it's a showboat's movie cast with a lot of actors each promised "a big, cool scene.".
The Judge Is a Legal Thriller With No Drive or Urgency
movie review Oct. 10, 2014. The Judge Is a Legal Thriller With No Drive or Urgency. ... In The Judge, a legal drama that builds to the requisite Hollywood Dark Night of the Soul, Robert Downey Jr ...
Film Review: 'The Judge'
Film Review: 'The Judge' ... unwieldy hurricane of a movie that plays like a small-town courtroom thriller by way of a ... Calif., Aug. 27, 2014. (In Toronto Film Festival — Gala ...
The Judge Movie Review
Parents need to know that The Judge-- which stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall-- is an engrossing drama/legal thriller that covers some fairly mature, emotionally taxing terrain, including family estrangement, murder, power struggles, divorce, the death of a parent, and the emotions of the mourning process.But it also has themes of forgiveness and redemption.
The Judge (2014 TIFF review)
The Judge (2014 TIFF review) By Tim Grierson | September 6, 2014 ... The movie will stir your emotions, but more often it may utterly exasperate you. Part courtroom thriller, part father-son drama ...
Movie Review: The Judge (2014)
One of the biggest criticisms that's been lobbed at The Judge so far is that it is too long. It is. A shorter run time and better editing would have significantly improved this film; worse than the parts that are bad is the inability of the production team to tell the difference between these parts and the good ones, and figure out how to ...
Movie Review
October 10, 2014 by Robert Kojder. The Judge . 2014. Directed by David Dobkin. Starring Robert Downey Jr. , Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax ...
'The Judge' Stars Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall
Crime, Drama. R. 2h 21m. By A.O. Scott. Oct. 9, 2014. Early in "The Judge," Hank Palmer, a hotshot Chicago defense lawyer played by Robert Downey Jr. with his usual fast-talking swagger ...
The Judge Ending Explained
The Judge packed quite a few emotional punches throughout its runtime, and the film's ending only made its plot even more dramatic.The Judge was released in 2014 to a rather lukewarm reception, but the movie has recently found new popularity on Netflix. Part of the reason for its resurgence in relevancy is because of the all-star cast of The Judge, which features several big names like Robert ...
The Judge
The Judge is arrested for murder. That sanctimonious justice who presided over the Carlinville court for the last four decades is inexplicably accused of mowing down a abhorrent slug of a former defendant with his car. The man's blood was found in the vehicle's battered grill. And there are no skid marks at the scene.
The Judge (2014)
As the movie limps to a close, after two hours and 20 minutes of sub-Tennessee Williams familial angst and contrived courtroom revelations, it becomes clear that drama is not Dobkin's strong suit. He's managed to take interesting actors like Downey, Duvall, Farmiga, D'Onofrio, and Thornton, and end up with a movie that isn't all that interesting.
The Judge (2014)
Director David Dobkin achieves his passion project with The Judge, an earnest courtroom feel-gooder saddled by predictable plotting and clichéd dramatic turns.After years of comedies, some hits (The Wedding Crashers), some misses (Fred Claus), Dobkin and co-scripter Nick Schenk came up with an antiquated story that was ultimately penned by Schenk and Bill Dubuque.
The Judge (2014)
The Judge Movie Review. The Judge is a 2014 legal drama film directed by David Dobkin and starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall. ... It's such a populist movie. The Judge is a film that was made to be an Oscar-bait and a crowd-pleaser, perhaps only succeeding in the latter category. The main performances from Robert Downey Jr. and ...
The Judge Cast & Character Guide
The Judge features an impressive cast of experienced actors. The 2014 drama follows Hank Palmer (played by Robert Downey Jr.), a hardened defense attorney who abandoned his small-town Indiana roots and defends wealthy, often guilty clients in civil and criminal court.Despite his financial success, however, Hank's relentless work ethic and lack of empathy have strained his relationships.

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Reviewed at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Calif., Aug. 27, 2014. (In Toronto Film Festival — Gala Presentations, opener.) MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 141 MIN.

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