The Films of James Bridges

The Baby Maker

The Paper Chase (January 24/15)

The Paper Chase follows Timothy Bottoms' James T. Hart as he attempts to survive his first year at law school, with his ongoing endeavors complicated by an on-again-off-again relationship with his professor's (John Houseman's Charles Kingsfield) daughter (Lindsay Wagner's Susan). Filmmaker James Bridges admittedly does a superb job of hooking the viewer right from the get-go, as The Paper Chase opens with a thoroughly captivating sequence revolving around Hart's first day of classes (and his first encounter with Houseman's imperious and intimidating character). From there, however, the narrative progresses into an almost excessively uneven midsection that's often as tedious as it is entertaining - as writer/director Bridges begins delving into Hart's personal exploits (including his relationship with Susan and his continuing law-school endeavors). It's far from enthralling stuff that's exacerbated by Bottoms' charismatic yet decidedly uncharismatic work as the central character, which does ensure that it remains awfully difficult to care about some of Hart's extracurricular activities (eg Hart and a friend break into a law library, Hart contends with tumult in his study group, etc). The Paper Chase is at its best, then, when focused on Kingsfield's lectures and encounters with students, as Houseman delivers a seriously commanding performance that justifiably earned him an Oscar. The end result is a fairly routine drama that never feels as though it's building to anything significant or even interesting, with the movie only notable for its seemingly accurate portrayal of law-school life (and for Houseman's stellar work, of course).

out of

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