Criminal Law

Ben Chase is a young Boston lawyer whose career is on the rise after he wins an acquittal for Martin Thiel, a wealthy client accused of a brutal murder. When a killing with striking similarities follows soon after the verdict, Chase becomes convinced that the man he freed is responsible. Rather than walk away, he takes on Thiel's defense again, this time intending to gather evidence that will put him away for good. What follows is a contest of wits between the two men, with Thiel aware of the lawyer's aim and the lawyer's friends uneasy about his choice.

Criminal Law was released in 1989 and runs 114 minutes. It is a drama with thriller and romance elements, produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and Northwood Productions and shot in Canada. Martin Campbell directed it from a screenplay by Mark Kasdan; it is the first of 18 films Campbell has directed, ahead of Defenseless in 1991. Gary Oldman plays Ben Chase and Kevin Bacon plays Martin Thiel, with supporting turns from Tess Harper, Karen Young, Joe Don Baker and Sean McCann among a credited cast of 38.

Made for about 5 million dollars, the film returned roughly 10 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.7 out of 10 from around 5,400 votes, and on TMDB 5.6 out of 10 from about 140 votes. A critics' rating of 4.4 out of 10 from 10 reviews sits below those audience figures, indicating a mixed to negative response from reviewers.