In 2010’s The Trial, Matthew Modine stars as Mac.

Mac is a Southern lawyer, even though it’s been a while since he practiced.  After his wife and children were killed in a car accident, Mac decided to retire from practicing law but he never surrendered his license.  A judge (Rance Howard) reaches out to him, asking him to serve as a public defender for Pete Thomason (Randy Wayne), a young man who has been accused of murdering his girlfriend.  The evidence is stacked against Pete and there are plenty of wealthy people who, for various reasons, want Pete to quickly be convicted.  Mac takes the case because he can tell that Pete is being railroaded.  When he discovers that Pete will possibly be facing the death penalty if he’s convicted, the case becomes very personal for Mac.

The prosecuting attorney (Bob Gunton) has managed to find a doctor (Brett Rice) who is willing to testify that Pete is a sociopath.  (The doctor has a reputation for finding just about anyone on trial to be a sociopath.)  Mac finds a doctor of his own, Dr. Anne Wilkes (Clare Carey), his testifies that Pete is nowhere near being a sociopath.  The problem is that Pete has no memory of what happened the night of the murder.  Mac may believe that Pete is innocent but can he convince the jury when the evidence all seems to suggest otherwise?

Like The List, The Trial was based on a novel by Robert Whitlow and it was directed by Gary Wheeler.  I was pretty hard on The List in last night’s review but I actually rather enjoyed The Trial, which was a solid and well-made legal thriller.  (The film’s status as a faith-based film largely comes from a scene in which Mac quotes the Book of Provers in regards to how, during a trial, it’s easy to believe the first person who speaks but it’s equally important to listen to how the accused replies.)  I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot and the film’s ending worked well.  Though the film had a a made-for-television feel to it (despite having been a theatrical release), it still held and rewarded my interest.

It helped that the cast was well-selected and everyone gave good performances.  Matthew Modine, in particular, gave a strong performance as Mac, playing him not as being a saint but instead as being someone who was just determined to give his client the defense he deserved and to ultimately do the right thing.  Robert Forster played Mac’s brother-in-law and lead investigator and he brought his own brand of world-weary determination to the part.  Nobody plays a smug prosecutor as well as Bob Gunton, though it should be noted that the character himself never became a caricature.  Rance Howard was the ideal judge, tough but fair.  Randy Wayne was sympathetic as the confused Pete.  The cast really brought the film’s world to life.

I always enjoy a good legal thriller and The Trial was certainly that.