Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Edward Norton, Richard Gere
As the brutal murder of Chicago's beloved archbishop by the hand of the shy nineteen-year-old altar boy, Aaron Stampler, makes the headlines, the high-profile defence attorney, Martin Vail, takes the opportunity to be in the spotlight. Pro bono, Vail is eager to represent the penniless defendant and the case's seemingly obvious murderer; however, Aaron appears to know more than he lets on. Under those circumstances, is Stampler truly guilty of murder, or was he framed? Above all, is the arrogant and cynical lawyer prepared to dig deep into the popular priest's past to unearth the truth?—Nick Riganas