Gideon's Trumpet
Movie Review
“Gideon’s Trumpet” is a movie based on a book by Anthony Lewis which tells the story behind the 1963 landmark court case of Gideon vs. Wainwright. Produced in 1980 by Hallmark Hall of Fame production and directed by Robert L. Collins, "Gideon's Trumpet” tells the story behind a basic right most Americans now take for granted: the right to a lawyer. The movie stars Henry Fonda as Clarence Earl Gideon, José Ferrer as Abe Fortas and John Houseman as the chief justice.
The movie begins with Clarence Earl Gideon (Fonda) being arrested in Florida on charges of robbery and breaking and entering. Due to the fact that he is too poor to afford a lawyer, he appealed for a court-appointed lawyer. However, this appeal was denied by the judge on the basis that Gideon had no special needs requiring such a request. After he was convicted, Gideon began writing to the state court, arguing that he was entitled to a lawyer, no matter what the charge was. Gideon then began writing the U.S. Supreme Court directly, and surprisingly, they accepted the case.
The character of Gideon played by Henry Fonda definitely played an important role in developing the theme of the movie. The underlying message to the viewers was that no matter whom you are and how small you think you are, you can change a nation for the better. Gideon is portrayed to be a frail, small, average man who had a strong determination that changed the nation for the better. He was a man looking for justice and nothing more and that determination of him caused the country to change in some monumental ways.
The scenes that really helped convey this message were the first and last scene of the movie. The first scene took the viewers to Panama City, Florida where an average man was convicted of a petty crime whereas the last scene returned the viewer’s back to the small towns’ courthouse. The locations in these two scenes say a lot. It reminds the viewers that even though the country changed around Gideon in
“Gideon’s Trumpet” is a movie based on a book by Anthony Lewis which tells the story behind the 1963 landmark court case of Gideon vs. Wainwright. Produced in 1980 by Hallmark Hall of Fame production and directed by Robert L. Collins, "Gideon's Trumpet” tells the story behind a basic right most Americans now take for granted: the right to a lawyer. The movie stars Henry Fonda as Clarence Earl Gideon, José Ferrer as Abe Fortas and John Houseman as the chief justice.
The movie begins with Clarence Earl Gideon (Fonda) being arrested in Florida on charges of robbery and breaking and entering. Due to the fact that he is too poor to afford a lawyer, he appealed for a court-appointed lawyer. However, this appeal was denied by the judge on the basis that Gideon had no special needs requiring such a request. After he was convicted, Gideon began writing to the state court, arguing that he was entitled to a lawyer, no matter what the charge was. Gideon then began writing the U.S. Supreme Court directly, and surprisingly, they accepted the case.
The character of Gideon played by Henry Fonda definitely played an important role in developing the theme of the movie. The underlying message to the viewers was that no matter whom you are and how small you think you are, you can change a nation for the better. Gideon is portrayed to be a frail, small, average man who had a strong determination that changed the nation for the better. He was a man looking for justice and nothing more and that determination of him caused the country to change in some monumental ways.
The scenes that really helped convey this message were the first and last scene of the movie. The first scene took the viewers to Panama City, Florida where an average man was convicted of a petty crime whereas the last scene returned the viewer’s back to the small towns’ courthouse. The locations in these two scenes say a lot. It reminds the viewers that even though the country changed around Gideon in