Trial and Error

Siskel & Ebert
May 31, 1997

Transcript of "TRIAL AND ERROR" review

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ROGER EBERT: Jeff Daniels is very, very hung over in that scene from "TRIAL AND ERROR," a new comedy where his best friend, an actor played by Michael Richards, steps in and impersonates him. It's supposed to be for just one legal motion, involving a conman who is obviously guilty but is related to Daniels' boss and future father-in-law. But the motion goes wrong, and Richards ends up having to continue his charade as a lawyer in court or he'll go to jail. Jessica Steen plays the prosecuting attorney, who might be open to a plea bargain. Daniels desperately tries to signal his pal, who is totally clueless about the law.

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ROGER: In court in a small Nevada town, Daniels wants Richards to follow instructions-just follow instructions!-but the actor has seen too many courtroom movies, and he begins to improvise.

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ROGER: Meanwhile, Daniels, only days before his wedding, finds himself helplessly in love with Charlize Theron, a waitress in the local hotel.

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ROGER: "TRIAL AND ERROR" is sometimes a very funny movie, but it's a little more than that. It's also well written, so that instead of the usual sitcom clichés we get, for once, dialog and scenes that sound more or less how real people might sort of behave. I liked the way, for example, that Michael Richards avoided a lot of the temptations for obvious laughs, and played the courtroom scenes more or less straight, given the situation. And I liked Charlize Theron's performance, the way her character keeps her dignity when she finds out the man she loves is about to marry another woman. It's unusual to find a comedy where the humor is based on human nature; I was reminded a little of some of Billy Wilder's films.

GENE SISKEL: Well, Roger, I'm sure the screenwriters will be thrilled to hear your compliment, because you're naming arguably as good as screenwriter as ever existed when you say Billy Wilder.

ROGER: Yeah.

GENE: And it's a husband-and-wife team, Gregory and Sara Bernstein, husband and wife, and they have written a very smart, winning film in just the ways that you named. And there's some other people that I hadn't heard of before. I'd never seen the actress who plays the opposing attorney, the prosecutor: Jessica Steen. This is basically her feature film debut in a major role, and she's quite appealing, and the way she plays her character as a very strong…, And the two women happen to be living in this Nevada town, and why not? Why make them all hicks? You see, that would be the normal way of writing, right?

ROGER: Yeah.

GENE: "If you live in a hick town you've got to be a hick!" These are upbeat, exciting young people to see in a film.

ROGER: Yes, they are. And the way she handles the plea bargain and then the other twist on the plea bargain…

GENE: Yes!

ROGER: …also shows a little intelligence rather than just knee jerk. Now, the movie was directed by Jonathan Lynn, who made "My Cousin Vinny," which basically is the same situation: fish out of water find themselves in court in a small town.

GENE: But…

ROGER: And yet as the same time this is not a retread, this is an entirely original movie. And what's interesting is the way that the Charlize Theron character manages to really waltz in from a supporting role and make it really convincing. There's a scene at the end where she runs across the street to the guy she loves, in slow motion.

GENE: I know.

ROGER: Before she runs across the street she looks both ways for traffic. They never do that in the movies! Little tiny realistic details like that, after a while you begin to appreciate.

GENE: When she pops on the screen I thought for a second it might be Renee Zellweger again, from "Jerry Maguire." And that's a compliment to her, too, because it's that exciting a presence in this film. She was in "2 days in the Valley," but this is a star-making role.

ROGER: Okay, it's a good film.