The Pelican Brief
Encyclopedia
The Pelican Brief is a legal-suspense thriller
written by John Grisham
in 1992
. The hardcover
edition was published by Doubleday in that same year. Two paperback editions were published, both by Dell Publishing
in 1993
. A film adaptation
was released in 1993 starring Julia Roberts
and Denzel Washington
.
While the public speculates about who may have killed them and why, the main character, Darby Shaw, a Tulane University Law School
student, decides to research the two justices' records and cases pending before the Court
, suspecting the real motive might be simple greed, not politics. She writes a legal brief
speculating that the assassinations were committed on behalf of Victor Mattiece, an oil tycoon wanting to drill for oil on Louisiana
marshland which is a major habitat of an endangered species of pelican
. A court case on appeal, filed on his behalf to gain access to the land, is expected to make its way to the Supreme Court.
The two slain justices had a history of environmentalism — their only common view — and thus Darby surmises that Mattiece, who has a pre-existing business relationship with the President, hoped to turn the case in his favor by eliminating two justices, thus leaving his friend the President in a position to appoint new justices more likely to rule in his favor.
Darby shows the brief, which becomes known as the 'Pelican Brief', to her law professor/mentor/lover, Thomas Callahan, who shows it to his Washington-based friend, Gavin Verheek, a lawyer working for the FBI. Both men are killed soon after.
Afraid that she will become the next target, Darby goes on the run. Eventually, she contacts the Washington Herald
reporter Gray Grantham, and the two set out to prove her brief correct.
The various parties quickly take sides. The President and his Chief of Staff, Fletcher Coal, try to cover up the White House's connection to Mattiece, which would be politically damaging. The FBI
wants to bring in Darby to protect her and to verify her story. Allies of Mattiece try to kill her to make sure the cover-up holds.
Eventually, every piece of the story is in place. Grantham obtains videotaped testimony from a pseudonymous lawyer who calls himself "Garcia", as well as a document that points to involvement by Garcia's law firm which worked for Mattiece. With this evidence, Grantham and Darby approach the Post chief editor. The story appears in the next edition with front page photographs of Coal, Mattiece, etc. FBI chief Denton Voyles is ecstatic and shows up at Coal's residence early in the morning to confront him.
Darby crisscrosses the country, then reaches an island in the Caribbean Sea. The story ends with Grantham joining Darby in the Caribbean and agreeing to stay for at least a month (after that one month at a time)
Legal thriller
The legal thriller is a sub-genre of thriller and crime fiction in which the major characters are lawyers and their employees. The system of justice itself is always a major part of these works, at times almost functioning as one of the characters...
written by John Grisham
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
in 1992
1992 in literature
The year 1992 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Ben Aaronovitch - Transit*Julia Álvarez - How the García Girls Lost Their Accents*Paul Auster - Leviathan*Iain Banks - The Crow Road...
. The hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
edition was published by Doubleday in that same year. Two paperback editions were published, both by Dell Publishing
Dell Publishing
Dell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr.During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Dell was one of the largest publishers of magazines, including pulp magazines. Their line of humor magazines included 1000 Jokes, launched in...
in 1993
1993 in literature
The year 1993 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Professor Stephen Hawking's book, A Brief History of Time, becomes the longest running book on the bestseller list of The Sunday Times....
. A film adaptation
The Pelican Brief (film)
The Pelican Brief is a 1993 legal crime thriller based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. Directed by Alan J. Pakula, the film stars Julia Roberts in the role of young law student Darby Shaw and Denzel Washington as Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham...
was released in 1993 starring Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
and Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
.
Plot summary
The story begins with the assassination of two philosophically divergent Supreme Court Justices. Liberal Justice Rosenberg is killed at his home, while the conservative Justice Jensen is killed inside a gay porn cinema. The circumstances surrounding their deaths, as well as the deaths themselves, shock and confuse a politically divided nation.While the public speculates about who may have killed them and why, the main character, Darby Shaw, a Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States....
student, decides to research the two justices' records and cases pending before the Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, suspecting the real motive might be simple greed, not politics. She writes a legal brief
Brief (law)
A brief is a written legal document used in various legal adversarial systems that is presented to a court arguing why the party to the case should prevail....
speculating that the assassinations were committed on behalf of Victor Mattiece, an oil tycoon wanting to drill for oil on Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
marshland which is a major habitat of an endangered species of pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
. A court case on appeal, filed on his behalf to gain access to the land, is expected to make its way to the Supreme Court.
The two slain justices had a history of environmentalism — their only common view — and thus Darby surmises that Mattiece, who has a pre-existing business relationship with the President, hoped to turn the case in his favor by eliminating two justices, thus leaving his friend the President in a position to appoint new justices more likely to rule in his favor.
Darby shows the brief, which becomes known as the 'Pelican Brief', to her law professor/mentor/lover, Thomas Callahan, who shows it to his Washington-based friend, Gavin Verheek, a lawyer working for the FBI. Both men are killed soon after.
Afraid that she will become the next target, Darby goes on the run. Eventually, she contacts the Washington Herald
Washington Herald
The Washington Herald was an American daily newspaper in Washington, D.C., from October 8, 1906, to January 31, 1939. The Herald merged with the Washington Times on February 1, 1939, to become the Washington Times-Herald, which was purchased and merged with The Washington Post in 1954....
reporter Gray Grantham, and the two set out to prove her brief correct.
The various parties quickly take sides. The President and his Chief of Staff, Fletcher Coal, try to cover up the White House's connection to Mattiece, which would be politically damaging. The FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
wants to bring in Darby to protect her and to verify her story. Allies of Mattiece try to kill her to make sure the cover-up holds.
Eventually, every piece of the story is in place. Grantham obtains videotaped testimony from a pseudonymous lawyer who calls himself "Garcia", as well as a document that points to involvement by Garcia's law firm which worked for Mattiece. With this evidence, Grantham and Darby approach the Post chief editor. The story appears in the next edition with front page photographs of Coal, Mattiece, etc. FBI chief Denton Voyles is ecstatic and shows up at Coal's residence early in the morning to confront him.
Darby crisscrosses the country, then reaches an island in the Caribbean Sea. The story ends with Grantham joining Darby in the Caribbean and agreeing to stay for at least a month (after that one month at a time)
External links
- The Pelican Brief at Grisham's Official site