Legalese

"Tomorrow's no good," actress Angela Beale (Gina Gershon) tells a tabloid talk show producer. "I'm being arraigned." Accused of a sensational murder, Beale turns to high-profile defense attorney Norman Keane (James Garner, who gives a characteristically canny performance) for counsel. Acknowledging that "trials are won on television" Keane recruits Roy Guyton (Edward Kerr), a fledgling lawyer, to be his win-their-hearts front in Beale's trial in this savvy made-for-cable satire. A casting coup is Brian Doyle Murray in a rare dramatic performance as Roy's father, who serves as the film's conscience ("Lies don't work," he counsels his son). A casting goof is Kathleen Turner as Brenda Whitlass, the ruthless host of Scandal Central, out to get the goods on Angela. The film is mostly keenly-observed and sharply-written, but turns predictably preachy at the end. On balance, recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review--January 25, 2005--New Line, 92 min., R, $19.98--Making its debut on DVD, 1998's Legalese is presented in a handsome widescreen transfer with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and stereo surround options, but no extras. Bottom line: boasting a strong cast and sharp writing, Legalese still amuses and looks and sounds fine on DVD. Recommended.]