Fresh
The Paper Chase has some great performances, literate screenwriting, sensitive direction and handsome production.
Variety Staff, Variety
The Paper Chase
You may be looking at a future President, Supreme Court Justice, Secretary of State or a dropout.
1973 · 1h 53m · PG
Drama
Directed by
James Bridges
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The Paper Chase
Overview
A first-year law student struggles with balancing his coursework and his relationship with the daughter of a stern professor.
Director and cast
- James Bridges Director
- Timothy Bottoms as James T. Hart
- Lindsay Wagner as Susan Fields
- John Houseman as Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.
- Graham Beckel as Franklin Ford III
- James Naughton as Kevin Brooks
- Edward Herrmann as Thomas Craig Anderson
- Craig Richard Nelson as Willis Bell
- Robert Lydiard as O'Connor
- Lenny Baker as William Moss
- David Clennon Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
78%
Tomatometer
Rotten
By the end it has melted into a blob of cliches.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Fresh
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.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh
James Bridges manages to do a fair job with the semihokey material.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Rotten
A muddled and slick 'youth' film.
Time Out
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