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19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
MISTER Hart............, 5 February 2005

Author: Rick41 from West Chester, Pa

Story of Bottoms and cohorts trying to make it through first year of Harvard Law. Of anything I ever saw this is the one movie that made me want to go to law school. It's one of those treasured movies I feel like I lived; I actually used to set my watch, sit back and smile before my exams just like my boy Timothy. Bottoms perfectly captures the feel of a smart, hip and modest kid from the sticks trying to hang tough in the pressure cooker. Houseman was a behind-the-scenes movie guy who became an overnight sensation with his portrayal of the brilliant, caustic Professor Kingsfield. Wagner is hauntingly beautiful as Bottom's elusive love interest. I don't know how someone first viewing this film today would look at it, but it still has a classic, timeless quality for me and I highly recommend it.

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14 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
as a film school staple., 13 October 2005

Author: ptb-8 from Australia

Thirty six years ago (!) before multiplexes and without the blunting effect of Tarantino and Bigelow, regular effective and intelligent movies like THE PAPER CHASE were made by film companies who co-existed in a gentleman's game called production and exhibition. Films like this were made as stand alone statements about life and love and education, and were shown in luxury cinemas that had furniture (lampshades, even!) in the foyers and well dressed, informed adult staff. Today, in this clever new century we have an industry that has sawn off its own creative head in order to film the blood spurt, and reduced movie-going to all the elegance of a supermarket. Other comments here will tell you the whole story, but as with this comment, each distill down to one thing: THE PAPER CHASE is an excellent and interesting film made in a year of truly exceptional memorable films. Sadly THE PAPER CHASE has not been seen on TV or in cinemas for three decades either, a calamity hopefully balanced by a DVD release so new generations can discover what sensible life and times 1973 was....and how life had hope and success within reach. Timothy Bottoms and Lindsay Wagner have never really gone on to anything better either. The late great John Houseman reinvented a career at aged 71 in this film and won an Oscar for his withering excellence. What a great script and performances, and a defining film in many ways. Students in film schools everywhere should study THE PAPER CHASE ...perhaps along with LOVE STORY and CARNAL KNOWLEDGE two other films of the same period that fit the look and style and success of this film. I would love to sit in on a discussion by today's 20 year olds who having seen each of those three films can explain their success.

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
The craziness of the first-year law student..., 20 January 2007

Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca

Timothy Bottoms battles through his first year at Harvard Law School, attempting to stay one step ahead of his no-nonsense professor, but inadvertently falling for the instructor's comely daughter (Lindsay Wagner, pre-"Bionic Woman"). Director/screenwriter James Bridges adapted the script from John Jay Osborn, Jr.'s book, and does a pretty good job realizing the many pressures of academia. Bridges was the perfect director to work in 1970s cinema, and, with Gordon Willis' cinematography, he brings a gritty yet unshowy style to the movie that looks good without ever seeming pretentious. On the other hand, there's nothing very colorful about lectures or study groups no matter how polished the handling. Certainly worth-seeing for the acting alone, with John Houseman giving an Oscar-winning supporting performance (he was later tapped to the star in the television spin-off). **1/2 from ****

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Watch it for the location and the supporting cast, 29 July 2004

Author: hlg98 from USA

I first saw The Paper Chase at a second-run movie theater in the late '70s. Little did I know that I would eventually attend Harvard Law School myself and go through many of the same experiences depicted here!

The two lead characters -- first-year law student Hart and his girlfriend, Susan -- are not in themselves particularly interesting or (especially in Timothy Bottoms's case) well acted. Hart's conflict between retaining his "Midwestern charm" and chasing his degree and other marks of status (hence the film's title) may have played better in the early '70s, when dropping out seemed like a valid way of trying to change American society. Today, it's hard to relate to.

What make the movie special are the supporting roles and actors. John Houseman is of course terrific as the tough and curmudgeonly Professor Kingsfield. But equally memorable are Hart's classmates -- the self-confident Ford, the ultra-organized Anderson (aka the "robot pimp," played by Edward Herrmann, currently the father on "Gilmore Girls"), the pompous know-it-all "Liberty" Bell, and the overwhelmed Brooks (James Naughton, another actor who went on to a solid TV career). Anyone who has been in law school will recognize these perfect characterizations of typical students.

This movie is also memorable because it (like "Love Story") was made at a time when Harvard still permitted filming on its campus. Paper Chase is full of shots of and around the law school buildings, especially Langdell Hall. The movie thus gives a very accurate feeling of what it is like to be at Harvard Law School. By way of contrast, take a look at "Legally Blonde," which (aside from a quick aerial shot) was apparently filmed in California, on a campus that doesn't look or feel anything like Harvard.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
In The Case Of Hart vs. Houseman, 6 January 2008

Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

I shall recite the facts of the case, forthwith. An idealistic first year law student from the Midwest, named Hart (Timothy Bottoms), along with several other students find themselves unprepared for the academic rigors of Harvard Law School. Their insecurities bump up against the high standards of the renowned and intimidating Professor Kingsfield (John Houseman) who teaches a class in contract law. Further, Hart happens to become romantically involved with a woman named Susan (Lindsay Wagner) who initially fails to tell Hart that she is Kingsfield's daughter. Complications ensue.

"The Paper Chase" is a rather slow moving drama laced with occasional humor. The dispassionate story is simple and straightforward, if perhaps slightly contrived. It lacks emotional intensity, especially by today's standards. But that's somewhat to be expected for a setting that is so cloistered and cerebral. Characters are stereotypical, but still interesting.

And the "heart" of the story is the discourse between student and professor, especially as Hart relates, or fails to relate, to the demanding Kingsfield, a man who never smiles. Kingsfield has a one-track mind. He lives, breathes, and sleeps contract law. He expects his students to do the same. Always impersonal, he's like an intellectual robot. And half the fun of the film is listening to John Houseman's monologues, as he "fills the room with (Kingsfield's) intelligence".

The film's color cinematography is fine; camera "takes" are very long. The film's visuals do look dated. Guys have long hair. And students use ... typewriters -- yikes! Background music is intermittent and mostly classical. Overall acting is fine. Both Timothy Bottoms and Lindsay Wagner give credible performances. And, of course, John Houseman is terrific. I can't imagine anyone else in that role.

Low-key, and nostalgic in its view of education, "The Paper Chase" is a good film to watch for its high technical quality, for its theme of the individual trying to measure up to society's expectations, and of course for the wonderful performance of John Houseman.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A must see for One-Ls, 14 July 2001
Author: kls13 from Chicago

So, you're planning on starting law school in the fall, are you? Even if it's not Harvard, you should definitely watch this movie to see what the Socratic method is all about and why you should carefully choose your study group members. Even though this movie was made nearly 20 years ago, it still rings true and feels current. John Houseman gives a terrific performance as the terrifying Professor Kingsfield. An absolutely outstanding movie!

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
law school pressure and the pre-bionic woman, 4 February 2003

Author: george-devlin

I have friends who have gone to law school and their subjective descriptions of how intense an experience that was seem to be validated in this now 30-year-old film. Houseman and Bottoms shine, the rest of the cast (while a bit too stuffy) seem to compliment them without flaw. I liked seeing a very young (unspoiled) Lindsey Wagner in her pre-bionic woman days. Truthfully, though certainly dated at this point, this film still held my interest. I was, however, disappointed in the last scene, for although it may have meant to be liberating for the Bottoms character to shift his priorities the timing, (upon receipt of his final grades) seemed ill chosen. Still, one can't help but root for him through all of this. In the end one wonders if while retaining his idealism he sacrificed his sanity.

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11 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Can You Dig It?, 16 October 2000
Author: (fandangonoir)

I saw this on an early VHS video transfer that was just awful. I then saw it years later on TCM in widescreen DVD format and was blown away by all I'd missed on that c****y video version. This is a first rate drama of a harried Harvard law student. Make sure you see this in widescreen so you can get the full effect of the wonderful scenes like the one where Hart and his buddy sneak into the upstairs library with the glass lighted floor to sneak a peek at Kingsfield's law student notes. I especially liked the way director James Bridges reflected the lighted floor off of Hart's glasses. A very nice touch from an underrated director. No car chases, no action sequences, no over the top plots, just a simple character driven story set in the beautiful Harvard law school. This is what great filmmaking is all about.

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8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
This was one of the great films of 1973,and it shows in grand detail., 17 December 2004

Author: rcj5365 from Durham, North Carolina

The year was 1973. The top ten films of that year were sure fire Oscar contenders and some were one of the highest grossing pictures of that year. The Best Pictures of 1973 were "American Graffiti","The Sting", "The Exorcist","Save The Tiger","Cries and Whispers","Paper Moon", "Cinderella Liberty","The Way We Were","Papillon","Serpico","The Last Detail","A Touch Of Class",not to mention the several movies that shattered the box office receipts that were the best of the genre,the action flick/marital arts adventure smash hit "Enter The Dragon",and the Southern crime drama "Walking Tall",and the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". The movie that took home the statues that year was "The Sting",which won seven Oscars including The Best Picture of that year,1973.

And the one movie that defined a generation,even some who have never seen it,it is still one breathtaking piece of cinematic work,and even 30 years after its release,it still has that impact,and that motion picture,"The Paper Chase" still holds that stance to this day. This was a film that had some great performances,literate screen writing,sensitive direction and handsome production. This was a tale of a young law school student from Minnesota,in his first year of Law at Harvard,is confused by his professional calling versus his inner evolution as a human being,may seemed a bit timeless yet dated,but instead goes into the vortex of his experiences as a student as he goes through the motions here,which gets the audience a series of sideways though entertaining of the thespian declamations. James Bridges directs his own adaptation of the novel by Jay Osborn. Jr. But the performances here are sensational,with Timothy Bottoms,who is excellent as the puzzled law student,Lindsay Wagner as the girl who plays not only his love interest,but is the daughter of a tyrannical college professor. But the one who steals the show is John Houseman,who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1973 gives a outstanding performance as a hard-nosed but urbane law professor. A man who looms over students like a quietly arrogant Goliath. The three players here constitute the pervading plot triangle that gives the picture its intensity-Houseman as the classroom dictator,Bottoms the uncertain supplicant,and Wagner,who plays Houseman's daughter. This is a film that in some places,particularly on college campuses in shown as a midnight movie for student and it is available on video for those who really want to know what the experiences of being a law student is really like. A must see. It is to note,that Houseman later replayed his role of the college professor in a much-respected and Emmy nominated television series based on "The Paper Chase",which ran for six years on television.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A great movie, especially for those considering law school, 12 August 2003

Author: M.V. from Los Angeles

A lot of what this movie contains jibes with the exact things I've been researching in my quest to figure out if I'd like to try law school. Socratic Method, Case book studies, study groups, 1st year hell, Finals Uber-crunch time...and the lack of a life outside of law school. The romantic element adds a nice touch and serves as a necessary plot line to keep this from becoming just a boring law school trials and tribulations flick. It is actually relevant as it addresses the issue of maintaining relationships while in the midst of pursuing what is, for many, a lifelong dream in one of the most rigorous programs of study existing in post graduate education.

Keep in mind, however, that this IS just a movie. I can see this movie discouraging 90% of potential law school students from giving it a try. The main "antagonist" is a BEAR of a professor who is legendary for his role in humiliating students in class. At one point, he gives the movie's main character a dime as he says "Here's a dime. Now go call your mother and tell her that there is serious doubt that you will ever become a lawyer."

This film is almost worth giving a look-see just for the dated 70's hairdo's alone. Keep an eye out for the character by the name of Bell. So obnoxious and pompous you love him. The Paper Chase is a classic which needs to be seen by all.

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