There is no doubt that the late Robert Redford had an incredible number of iconic films and performances throughout his career: from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Three Days of the Condor to The Sting and All the President’s Men — his fans have many options to choose a favorite from. Still, some roles in the actor’s body of work tend to be overshadowed and forgotten in favor of more famous projects. An example of a movie that showcased Redford’s range and ability to elevate any kind of plot he found himself in is Legal Eagles. This 1986 legal thriller rom-com, directed by Ivan Reitman, has the strong feel of classic romantic comedies of the ’40s — and for good reason, since the film was largely inspired by this era of filmmaking. Redford’s character is specifically tailored after the famous rom-com heroes played by Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, and the like, effectively proving how seamlessly he fits among classic Hollywood stars of any era with his endless charisma, which Reitman famously compared to “a shining light.”
What Is ‘Legal Eagles’ About?
A popular Assistant District Attorney, Tom Logan (Redford), set to announce his DA campaign, is having an interesting day in court, when he meets defense attorney, Laura J. Kelly (Debra Winger), who is famous for once putting a dog on a witness stand. She immediately strongarms him into meeting with her current client, Chelsea Deardon (Daryl Hannah), who is accused of attempting to steal a painting that she claims her late father, an artist, gifted her many years ago. The charges are soon dropped, but strange occurrences around Chelsea and the painting continue. Shady art deals are being made, a detective (Brian Dennehy) who investigated Chelsea’s dad’s death pays a visit to Laura to share his suspicions and hangover advice, and it doesn’t take long before people start dropping dead.
The film’s peculiar tone is also reminiscent of classic comedies of the past. Despite a formally serious plot that features several murders, insurance fraud, multiple fires, and an explosion, the film retains an intentionally light tone that relies on lots of irony and humor. Adding to the lightweight, slightly eccentric feel of the movie is the supporting cast, which includes Terrence Stamp as a sleazy art curator and Daryl Hannah as a performance artist, who skillfully relies on her sex appeal but, as the film’s poster puts it, cannot walk into a room without a crime being committed. The heart of Legal Eagles is, of course, the relationship between Redford’s Tom and Winger’s Laura, which quickly surpasses the professional rivalry territory and heads straight for delightfully flirty banter, in the tradition of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movies.
The Witty Duet of Redford and Winger Gives ‘Legal Eagles’ a Feel of a Classic Love Story
Ironically, Legal Eagles tends to be ignored not only in Redford’s filmography but also as part of the heritage of its director Ivan Reitman, since he made it in between his more popular projects, such as Ghostbusters and Arnold Schwarzenegger comedies. The concept of the movie actually went through a series of iterations, starting off with the idea of making a story set in the art world, inspired by the famous Mark Rothko estate dispute from the 1970s. The initial script also had lawyers as its central characters, both of whom were male, framing the film as a buddy movie, which was offered to Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman at one point. After Murray definitively dropped out, Redford came into the picture, but as he was more interested in the idea of starring in a romantic comedy at the time, the script was reworked as just that, with ’40s comedies serving as a major inspiration.
Doing so allowed Redford to showcase a different kind of romantic hero than the ones he played in the past, like in The Way We Were, The Electric Horseman, and Out of Africa, allowing him to showcase his comedic chops. Redford chooses to play Tom in a slightly reserved way, without resorting to farcical tactics. As both the actor and the character seem to acknowledge their larger-than-life presence, the key to the film working effectively becomes the balance. Reitman admitted that Redford’s ability to take up the screen made it trickier to find a partner who could convincingly go against him, and praised Debra Winger for being one of the actors with such ability — and the film really shows it. In a true Hepburn and Tracy tradition, the characters of Redford and Winger feel very lived-in — two strong, opinionated, stubborn people with overeager minds that lead to insomnia and touching quirks: when failing to fall asleep, he awkwardly tap dances in the bathroom, and she drinks to excess.
Legal Eagles really comes alive and shines (in a figurative, non-pyrotechnics-related way) when these two are together on-screen, and once again, Redford proves his impeccable comedic timing by often allowing Winger to lead the way. Some of the funniest moments of the film feature Redford simply reacting to the antics of the heroine, who has even less respect for proper procedure than his character does, as she bursts into courtrooms, initiates some breaking and (technically, it’s mostly just) entering, and engages in vigorous banter over choosing adjectives. With Elmer Bernstein‘s upbeat, decidedly old-fashioned score and László Kovács‘ ever-inventive camera, Legal Eagles already holds its own as a great feel-good adventure comedy. And then Robert Redford accidentally drops onto a bed with a dead body in it or smiles at Winger with a wonderfully silly, infatuated look, and suddenly it’s one of those hidden, seemingly extraneous gems that you can afford to miss but really shouldn’t.
- Release Date
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June 18, 1986
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Writers
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Jack Epps Jr.
- Producers
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Joe Medjuck
