movie review paper chase

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The Paper Chase Reviews

The Paper Chase isn't a terrible movie, but its preconceptions are all wrong: it's about an un-situation and un-people.

Full Review | Sep 19, 2023

An impressive American drama which delves into the competitive and stressful world of academia.

Full Review | Jun 13, 2022

Back in 1926, Virginia Woolf wrote that at the movies, "as smoke pours from Vesuvius, we should be able to see thought in its wildness, in its beauty, in its oddity..." The Paper Chase fails to make thought visible.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2020

The love-hate relationship between student and teacher are all captured with splendid accuracy.

Full Review | Dec 31, 2019

...a fairly routine drama that never feels as though it's building to anything significant or even interesting...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 24, 2015

The love of learning is tops in classic law school tale.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 2, 2013

The Paper Chase has some great performances, literate screenwriting, sensitive direction and handsome production.

Full Review | Jul 24, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 21, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 9, 2005

Houseman owns you whenever he's on camera.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 24, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 9, 2005

By the end it has melted into a blob of clichs.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 9, 2005

Solid (if dated) college-years drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 2, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 8, 2005

Houseman is able to project subtleties of character even while appearing stiff and unrelenting; it's a performance of Academy Award quality, and resulted in an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 23, 2004

Frightening drama of life in law school. Houseman is terrific.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 16, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 8, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 4, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 20, 2004

The Paper Chase is a movie with the right atmosphere and feeling even when some of the people and events are wrong.

Full Review | Nov 20, 2003

Cast & crew
User reviews

The Paper Chase

A first-year law student at Harvard Law School struggles with balancing his coursework and a woman, unaware that she has a connection that affects their relationship. A first-year law student at Harvard Law School struggles with balancing his coursework and a woman, unaware that she has a connection that affects their relationship. A first-year law student at Harvard Law School struggles with balancing his coursework and a woman, unaware that she has a connection that affects their relationship.

James Bridges
John Jay Osborn Jr.
Timothy Bottoms
Lindsay Wagner
John Houseman
103 User reviews
30 Critic reviews
65 Metascore
3 wins & 4 nominations total

James T. Hart

Susan Kingsfield Fields

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.

Franklin Ford III

Kevin Brooks

Thomas Craig Anderson

Willis Bell
O'Connor

Asheley Brooks
Mrs. Weasal
Philip Fields

Miss Farranti

All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia Harvard University allowed this production only three days of filming on their campus. The administration had been very dissatisfied with Love Story (1970) , which had shot there. As such, most of the campus scenes were shot at the University of Toronto.
Goofs During Kingsfield's cocktail party, Hart finds out his love interest is Kingsfield's daughter and is understandably perturbed. As she approaches him, he looks to walk out the door. At that point, Hart nearly runs into Thomas Craig Anderson but calls him 'Ed'.

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr. : Mr. Hart, here's a dime. Call your mother, and tell her there is serious doubt about you becoming a lawyer.

James T. Hart : [pause, as he is leaving the room] You... are a son of a bitch, Kingsfield!

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr. : Mr. Hart! That is the most intelligent thing you've said today. You may take your seat.

Connections Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006)
Soundtracks PARTITA NO. 4 IN D+ Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach