Themes: Opposites Attract, Femmes Fatales, Bohemian Life
Main Cast: Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Daryl Hannah, Brian Dennehy, Terence Stamp
Release Year: 1986
Country: US
Run Time: 116 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Ivan Reitman directed this film, starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hannah, that is an amalgam of a thriller, courtroom drama, mystery and Tracy-Hepburn romantic comedy, with a little Mark Rothko-type scandal thrown in. The film revolves around troubled Chelsea Deardon (Daryl Hannah) who as an eight-year-old girl witnessed her father, a famous artist, perishing in a blaze along with his valuable art works. Twenty years later, Chelsea is arrested for stealing one of her father's paintings from an unscrupulous New York art dealer. She claims many more of her father's paintings survived the fire long ago. Defending Chelsea is lawyer Laura Kelly (Debra Winger). Pitted against her is suave district attorney Tom Logan (Robert Redford). Laura thinks if Tom knew the facts behind the case, he would reconsider and exonerate Chelsea. He doesn't, but one night when Chelsea appears at his doorstep, he does permit her to seduce him. The next morning, one of the art dealers involved in the case is found dead, and Chelsea is found in Tom's apartment. Chelsea becomes the prime suspect in the murder and Tom's career is ruined. Inexplicably, Laura hires Tom to help her defend Chelsea. The two lawyers, in researching their defense, not only uncover a scandal involving art dealership, but also fall in love. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Steven Hill - Bower; David Clennon - Blanchard; John McMartin - Forrester; Jennifer Dundas - Jennifer Logan; Roscoe Lee Browne - Judge Dawkins; Christine Baranski - Carol Freeman; Sara Botsford - Barbara; Thomas Barbour - Bored Judge; Peter Boyden - McHugh; Bart Burns - Judge; Burke Byrnes - Cop; Christian Clemenson - Clerk; Lou Cutell - Kapstan; Ron Foster - Reporter; Bruce French - Reporter; Vincent Guastaferro - Cop; Kevin Hagen - Cop; Lynn Hamilton - Doreen; Grant Heslov - Usher; James Hurdle - Sebastian Deardon; Paul Jabara - Taxi Driver; Gary Klar - Hit Man; Everett Quinton - Attorney; Jay Thomas - Waiter in Restaurant; Shannon Wilcox - Mrs. Williams; Brian Doyle-Murray - Shaw; David Hart - Marchek; Ivan Reitman; Annie Abbott - Secretary; Robert Benedetti - Bearded Speaker; Robert Curtis-Brown - Roger; Chevi Colton - Short Lady; Gabrielle de Cuir - Reporter; Mary Alison Griffin - Young Chelsea; Duitch Helmer - Lady in Gallery; Ken Kiban - Reporter; John Marion - Auctioneer; Alex Nevil - Messenger; Barbara Pallenberg - Assistant to Auctioneer; Liz Sheridan - Little Old Lady; Debra Stricklin - Reporter; Olivia Ward - Nanny; Rudy Willrich - Reporter; Charles Brown - Real Cavanaugh; Kristine Sutherland - Secretary; Michael Anthony - Courtroom Spectator
Credit
Ron Hobbs - Art Director, Arnold Glimcher - Associate Producer, Sheldon Kahn - Associate Producer, Deborah Lucchessi - Casting, Howard Feuer - Casting, Bernie Pollack - Costume Designer, Albert Wolsky - Costume Designer, Ivan Reitman - Director, William D. Gordean - Editor, Pembroke J. Herring - Editor, Sheldon Kahn - Editor, Joe Medjuck - Executive Producer, Michael J. Gross - Executive Producer, Elmer Bernstein - Composer (Music Score), Johnny Kay - Songwriter, Gene Black - Songwriter, Michael Chapman - Songwriter, Rudy Clark - Songwriter, Daryl Hannah - Songwriter, Holly Knight - Songwriter, Arthur Resnick - Songwriter, Moreve Rushton - Songwriter, Tom Hoerber - Makeup, Gary D. Liddiard - Makeup, John De Cuir - Production Designer, Laszlo Kovacs - Cinematographer, John G. Wilson - Production Manager, Ivan Reitman - Producer, Carlos Cerrada - Set Designer, Peter Kelly - Set Designer, Thomas Roysden - Set Designer, Steve Sardanis - Set Designer, Boss Film Corp. - Special Effects, Thomas Fisher - Special Effects, Bill Schirmer - Special Effects, Jay B. King - Special Effects, Alan R. Gibbs - Stunts, Mario Roberts - Stunts, Jack Epps, Jr. - Screen Story, Jim Cash - Screenwriter, Jack Epps, Jr. - Screenwriter
Tom Logan (Redford) is an Assistant District Attorney in the New York City District Attorney's Office, who is on his way to becoming the new DA. Into his life enters Laura Kelly (Winger), an attorney who is representing Chelsea Deardon (Hannah). Chelsea is accused of stealing a painting from an art dealer, Victor Taft (Terrence Stamp). However, Chelsea claims that the painting is actually hers, as her father made it for her and signed it to her on her 8th birthday 18 years ago - the same day that her father and most of his paintings went up in smoke in a mysterious fire.
Kelly eventually manages to talk Logan into helping them (after she creates an impromptu press conference at the dinner where Logan is being introduced as the new candidate for District Attorney). However, things turn even more mysterious when Taft suddenly drops all charges against Chelsea and a police detective, Cavanaugh (Brian Dennehy), comes up with proof that the paintings that supposedly were lost in the fire - which were worth millions in insurance - are still in existence. As Logan and Kelly dig deeper, they risk putting their professions - and their growing romance for each other - on the line.
Alternate endings:
Legal Eagles has several different endings. The movie opened to mediocre reviews in theaters and by the time it reached television, defendant Chelsea Dearden, had gone from innocent to guilty. The alternate endings include her guilty of one murder, innocent, and then guilty of a different murder.
