Hall of Fame: Dennis ‘Denny’ Crane
Review: The Lincoln Lawyer
Laura Dowling
Laura Dowling
The Actor: The quirky yet loveable Denny Crane is played by the one and only William Shatner. His Career: Denny is a named partner and the self-proclaimed “rainmaker” of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Denny has never lost a case, his record standing at 6,043 wins and zero losses. He refers to himself as the greatest lawyer in history. Despite suffering from mad cow disease, his ability to manipulate the media and the courtroom is nothing short of outstanding. Hobbies: Although he has established himself as a brilliant litigator, he is a multi-talented man indeed. Not only has he captained his own spaceship, he has a range of other interests which include operating firearms, fishing, drinking scotch, and spending “special time” with Alan Shore. Family: Everything that Denny learnt about the law he learnt from his late father. When Denny first began practicing, he practiced with his father. His father disapproved of his manipulative courtroom ethics, resulting in Denny being disowned. Donny Crane was Denny’s illegitimate son, mothered by an anonymous woman. Although Donny went to law school and consistently strived to be like Denny, he later found out that Denny was not his real father.
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Relationships: Denny has an impressive list of ex-wives. Additionally, he has been romantically involved with a number of other women, including a dwarf and her mother, a woman with a peg leg, Barbara Streisand, co-partner Shirley Schmidt, and of course his beloved life sized blow up doll created in the likeness of Shirley Schmidt (subtly named Shirley Schmidt Ho). Despite a long list of affairs, Denny holds friendship to be sacred and far more important than his relationships with women. He is virtually inseparable from his best friend and co-worker Alan Shore. Later, Denny and Alan became married; united as “husband and mad cow”. Self-promotion: 2 words: Denny Crane. Denny Crane will stop at nothing to loudly trumpet his achievements, his sexual conquests and, of course, his name. Most Memorable Quotes: – “Denny Crane…” – “Elevators are for democrats” – “Now Alan, if all else fails and you think you’ve lost… pretend you’ve won! Works for our President.” Conclusion: This inappropriate, egotistical, senile, but ever-so hilarious man has certainly made a name for himself. Love him or hate him, the man is a legend. Denny Crane.
Director: Brad Furman Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, Laurence Mason, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy Genre: Crime/Thriller/Drama Rating: 3/5 With an excellent cast and a clever storyline, The Lincoln Lawyer promises to be a solid and entertaining watch. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe, it proves to be a dramatic and gripping courtroom drama. Although it has been fifteen years since his last dramatic lawyer role (in A Time to Kill), McConaughey was a surprisingly perfect fit for the typical sleazy, bottom-feeding defence attorney. It certainly is nice to see McConaughey back in a dramatic role, rather than the witless romantic comedy roles that he has become so well-known for. This is not the first film adaptation of a Michael Connelly crime novel, but is arguably the best. When Beverly Hills babe-magnet Louis Roulet (Phillippe) is charged with the attempted murder of a woman who had seduced him in a bar, Mick Haller (McConaughey) is given the case. With Roulet’s endless supply of money, likeable “nice boy” persona, and strong alibi, Haller is confident that he is able to deliver his promised verdict of not guilty. It soon comes Haller’s attention, however, that there is more to this case than meets the eye, and this seemingly straightforward case soon turns into something much deeper and darker. A cat and mouse game soon begins between Haller
and the real killer, and Haller continually runs into the impenetrable wall of attorney-client privilege, which prevents him from rightly distributing the justice deserved. The multiple twists are sure to keep you guessing. The Lincoln Lawyer stays pleasingly true to Connelly’s novel and is a solid movie. While the plot may seem slow at times, it is as good a courtroom movie as you will find.
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