What's the best movie about your profession?

[guest4955]

Great article!

"Cal Ripken’s favorite baseball movie, and 24 others on the best film about their profession"


https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/cal-ripkens-favorite-baseball-movie-and-21-others-on-the-best-film-about-their-profession/2017/12/25/223c8fb8-e5d0-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html

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If your profession is discussed, do you agree with the chosen film and why? What other films are good choices for your profession?

If your profession is excluded, do "profess" the best film about it

[guest4955]

I'll start. I was an attorney for 20 years and definitely agree that "My Cousin Vinny" is the funniest movie about lawyering. It is not realistic in one sense: Most attorneys never try cases, contrary to popular belief, because the vast majority settle or are dismissed. (Likewise, in criminal cases, 95% of the time the defendant plea bargains.)



*****

I actually did second-chair one jury case as wacky as MCV. We represented the wife who was suing for divorce, child custody, and $$$$. I could write a screen-play about that crazy case! The husband owned the only porn store in the county and had ALLEGEDLY buried mountains of untaxed cash proceeds from the store. We presented lots of sleazy witnesses who described his shenanigans. Our client was cosmetically "enhanced" to the max and had received $100K in jewelry from husband. When questioned, she admitted she had condoned and benefitted from the shenanigans but could not quit working for the store because "I was the world's best vibrator salesperson!" Eventually, both parties became convinced the FBI was monitoring the trial and agreed to settle after four days of trial before they got arrested!

[marklawd]

I love My Cousin Vinny too although I'd have to choose 12 Angry Men if I was a lawyer.  My business is real estate but I'm not going to choose Glengarry Glen Ross because I didn't enjoy it when I watched it 25 years ago. Maybe Pacific Heights? I have to deal with some seriously crazy tenants.

Mark

[jayn_j]

They nailed it with No Highway in the Sky as the engineer movie.  I was ready to post that one, but they did it for me.  The movie shows Stewart's determination and attention to detail.  It also shows him doing the right thing, consequences be damned.

[ladeda]

I like how bank robber is included as a profession. It's more honest than most

[crowzilla]

I'll start. I was an attorney for 20 years and definitely agree that "My Cousin Vinny" is the funniest movie about lawyering. It is not realistic in one sense: Most attorneys never try cases, contrary to popular belief, because the vast majority settle or are dismissed. (Likewise, in criminal cases, 95% of the time the defendant plea bargains.)

While it is true that most cases never reach trial - I try 3-4 a year, which I've come to find out is a high number for plaintiff attorneys, and it's not unusual to meet attorneys who have been working ten years or more who have never tried a case.  But in this film Vinnie gives the perfect reason why this case is going to trial - you're from NY, you're in Alabama, you've killed a good 'ole boy, etc., it's also one of the reasons why the Judge is interested in knowing his trial experience before allowing him in pro hac vice.

And Mark, while 12 Angry Men is a great film about juries and the legal system, it's definitely not an attorney film (would have to watch again, but I don't even remember an attorney in the film).

[Crazy Vick]

how did this not make it

[guest4955]

I love My Cousin Vinny too although I'd have to choose 12 Angry Men if I was a lawyer.  My business is real estate but I'm not going to choose Glengarry Glen Ross because I didn't enjoy it when I watched it 25 years ago. Maybe Pacific Heights? I have to deal with some seriously crazy tenants.

Mark

While it is true that most cases never reach trial - I try 3-4 a year, which I've come to find out is a high number for plaintiff attorneys, and it's not unusual to meet attorneys who have been working ten years or more who have never tried a case.

Ha, had no clue about your respective professions!

I should clarify that civil jury trials are rare, judge trials/arbitrations are more common, and most attorneys privately formally depose many witnesses.

The supervising attorney in the case I previously discussed actually had tried 100+ jury trials because Georgia is about the only state that utilizes juries for divorce property division cases. He was absolutely masterful in court, could present witnesses with aplomb with zero prep/knowledge. (He was an odd duck, worked 11am-10pm every day, lunch at 4, swimming at 5, had never touched a computer, and ALWAYS showed up 30 mins late to court.)

Another "masterful" esquire (Billy Flynn/Richard Gere):

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/1c8XLJ9MEhk" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/1c8XLJ9MEhk</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/YW3MIixEps4" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/YW3MIixEps4</a>

[dpcarlson]

CONTEMPT


DANGEROUS GAME (aka SNAKE EYES)

[50s]

Unemployed (2008)

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0499672/

[guest4955]

Unemployed (2008)

[url/[/url]

Hilarious, have "enjoyed" extensive "between jobs" bouts myself....

Course the poster designer, if s/he left the ad agency, would enjoy permanent unemployment if s/he included it with resume as "work examples":

[Simes]

If there is any movie in existence about project management, I am sure that is the best....?

[jayn_j]

If there is any movie in existence about project management, I am sure that is the best....?

Maybe Office Space?