Scalia: Portrait of a Man & Jurist

Filmmaker Chris Mortensen presents a panegyric to the late Antonin Scalia (1936-2016), who served as Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court for 30 years and was a primary exponent of the doctrine of originalism—the idea that the U.S. Constitution must be interpreted in terms of what the framers meant (which explains the collection of old dictionaries filling Scalia's bookshelves that he frequently cited). Mortensen offers an overview of Scalia's life, but the emphasis here is on his judicial philosophy and the energy—some would say pugnacity—with which he argued it. Interviewees—including legal scholars, former law clerks, NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg, and fellow justices (John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan)—recount how Scalia invigorated oral arguments before the Court through persistent questioning rather than decorous treatment of lawyers. They also testify to his love of debate and his oftentimes waspish comments in written opinions, particularly dissents. Most of his colleagues took the sharpness of tone in good spirit, although some—such as Sandra Day O'Connor, who is pointedly absent here—were apparently offended. The documentary ultimately argues that Scalia's interpretive view—favoring strict lines of demarcation between federal and state powers, and respect for the independence of each branch of the federal government—has proven increasingly powerful, and that he will eventually be recognized as one of the most influential justices in the Court's history. Likely to be of considerable interest to viewers on both sides of the political fence, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)