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.
Hardflip follows the story of Caleb (Randy Wayne;To Save A Life, ABC Family’s The Lying Game) a young skater whose ill mother (Rosanna Arquette; Pulp Fiction, The Whole Nine Yards) and absent father (John Schneider; Dukes of Hazard, October Baby, I Am Gabriel) leave him reaching for the only hope he has—becoming a sponsored skater. After finding a stack of old love letters, he sets out to find the father he never knew and inadvertently begins a journey he never could have expected. This story explores what happens when we let go of our anger and pain and forgive those who have hurt us most.
The skating action is fantastic (and my grandkids loved all of the tricks), but the story also captured their attention. I do recommend the film for 12 and up due to some scenes of drinking, drugs, and attempted suicide, but I found them to be good conversation openers about choices people make. They also gave the film a realistic look into problems that are more prevalent than we sometimes realize. Hope, forgiveness, and faith are offered and show that there is a way out of despair, loneliness, tragedy, and rejection. I really liked the film a lot and the teenagers loved it!
