The specific exclusive that fans hunt for today originally appeared in a now-defunct major film magazine (sources point to Rolling Stone or New York magazine’s summer “Preview” issue) under the headline: “…And Justice for All”: The Al Pacino Explosion.
For those who have not seen the film, do not Google the final courtroom scene. Experience it. But for the initiated, you know the moment: Kirkland is supposed to deliver a boring, technical summation to save Judge Fleming. Instead, he pulls out a copy of the Bible. He reads the phrase “...And justice for all” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Then he tears the page out. and justice for all 1979 exclusive
Al Pacino was on fire in the late 1970s. Director Norman Jewison had to move fast to secure him for the role, as Pacino was also considering the script for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) at the time. Jewison's secret weapon was a dramatic workshop reading of the screenplay with other actors, a stage tactic that immediately convinced Pacino to commit, leading Dustin Hoffman to famously take the Kramer vs. Kramer role instead. The specific exclusive that fans hunt for today
The is the Rosetta Stone for all of this. It explains why the film feels so frayed, so on-the-edge. It wasn’t a movie; it was a nervous breakdown captured on celluloid. But for the initiated, you know the moment: