The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) | agoodmovietowatch
The Trial of the Chicago 7 8.1 2020 Movie

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Dir. Aaron Sorkin · India, UK · English

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

Our take by Bilal Zouheir

From Aaron Sorkin, the creator of every liberal’s favorite 2000s political drama, The West Wing, The Social Network, and the master of the “walk and talk”, comes the dramatization of a sadly true American story from the mid-last century. In 1968, different groups from all over the country travelled to Chicago to protest the Vietnam War at the Democratic National Convention. The Chicago police greeted them in full riot gear, purposely attacking the peaceful protesters. Five months later, eight of them (charges against Black Panther leader Bobby Seale were dismissed) were arrested for inciting riot. As the title suggests, the film details the trials that followed, which highlight the still ongoing battles within American society and politics: racism, ineptness, corruption, complacency, you name it. On a lighter note, while you wouldn’t necessarily call this an ensemble cast, the number of unlikely familiar faces in this film is off the charts: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sascha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne. It also features some of the greatest supporting actors in American TV history like John Carrol Lynch, Frank Langella, and the amazing John Doman aka Bill Rawls from The Wire.

What happens

What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.

What the critics said

Notable Critics

"Somehow, the gross miscarriage of justice against innocent men has been made into a cracking good time."

— Charles Bramesco

"This film is one of those exhilarating instances when Sorkin finds a context in which all of his well-established impulses that can be so annoying elsewhere..."

— Alison Willmore

Awards

Oscars

6 noms

Nominated: Best CinematographyNominated: Best EditingNominated: Best Original ScreenplayNominated: Best Original SongNominated: Best PictureNominated: Best Supporting Actor

Golden Globes

5 noms

Nominated: Best ScreenplayNominated: Best DirectorNominated: Best Motion PictureNominated: Best Original SongNominated: Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

BAFTA

3 noms

Nominated: Best EditingNominated: Best FilmNominated: Best Original Screenplay

SAG Awards

1 win · 2 noms

Won: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated: Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion PictureNominated: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

DGA

1 nom

Nominated: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film

WGA

1 nom

Nominated: Original Screenplay

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About the author

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is US-based and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.