The Trial

The Trial , based on the Robert Whitlow book, is a 2010 film directed and produced by Gary Wheeler. Attorney Kent "Mac" McClain (Matthew Modine) is considering suicide after the deaths of his wife and sons. However, the local judge (Rance Howard) insists Mac provide counsel for a young man (Randy Wayne) who is accused of murder. Mac rehires his assistant Mindy (Nikki Deloach) and his investigator Ray (Robert Forster) and gets assistance from psychologist Dr. Anna Wilkes (Clare Carey). With the prosecuting attorney, Joe Whetstone (Bob Gunton) pushing for the death penalty, will Mac be able to save the young man's life...and begin to live again himself?

 This courtroom drama is not the most compelling I have ever watched, but I did enjoy it. It has been a while since I have read the book, so I couldn't remember the details well enough to compare the two. I thought it was well written, and the actors were believable in their roles. A highlight, though, was the comic relief of Rodney MacFarland (Danny Vinson). Altogether, though, I really liked the film.