May 28, 2008 3:05 PM

Sydney Pollack Brought Big Law to the Silver Screen

Posted by Brian Baxter

The sad news of Sydney Pollack's passing on Monday reminded us of the legal characters the legendary Hollywood actor, director, and producer brought to the big screen. An "appraisal" of his work in the New York Times says, "He was an exemplary mainstream filmmaker, which is not to say that he was a timid or unimaginative director." That reputation developed early and stayed with him throughout his career--Pollack was an artist with a savvy for commercial success. Art and commerce came together in many of the legal thrillers and lawyer roles in his portfolio.

The 1990 adaptation of Scott Turow's bestselling novel, Presumed Innocent, was produced by Pollack and starred Harrison Ford as the prosecutor framed for murdering a female colleague. Three years later, Pollack produced and directed the screen adaptation of John Grisham's The Firm, featuring Tom Cruise as a young attorney trying to sort out sordid law firm secrets.

Success as a director and producer never stopped Pollack from taking on compelling roles in both film and television--as Pollack often said, "by sheer luck," he wound up at a "very good acting school" as a teenager, and that set a course for him throughout his career.

Pollack took on the part of lawyer Dick Mellon in Robert Altmann's 1992 film, The Player, and played W.R. Grace executive Al Eustis in 1998's A Civil Action, based on the Jonathan Harr book. In one memorable scene, Eustis meets plaintiffs attorney Jan Schlichtmann at the Harvard Club. "You've never been here before? What kind of Harvard man are you?" asks Eustis. "The Cornell kind," snaps Schlichtmann, played by John Travolta.

Pollack's turn as Stephen Delano, the tough-talking firm partner in Changing Lanes, is one of the less successful of these roles. One memorable scene, Delano, talking about balance in his work and life, tells young attorney Gavin Banek, played by Ben Affleck, "I can live with myself . . . because at the end of the day I think I do more good than harm. [W]hat other standard have I got to judge by?"

It is last year's acclaimed Michael Clayton--an Academy Award winner for best picture--in which Pollack presented perhaps his most notable "big firm" role. As Kenner, Bach & Ledeen managing partner Marty Bach, the seasoned actor brought audiences a wise but conflicted lawyer. The small role's big moment comes when Bach reminds Michael Clayton of the need for a relentless focus on bottom line.

Pollack was set to direct Recount, an HBO dramatization of the legal efforts of Baker Botts's James Baker III and former O'Melveny & Myers partner Ronald Klain on the 2000 Florida recount. Pollack left the project last year citing health concerns.

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