In Bob Clark’s character-driven courtroom dramedy From the Hip (1987), the norms of a courtroom come under the hammer – and it’s not the gavel from the bench – creating a new challenge for the players in the courtroom: how to put Robin Weathers on a leash?
The fledgling criminal defense attorney Robin Weathers (Judd Nelson) is called “Stormy” for a reason – he is unstoppable and takes the court’s code of conduct in a whirlwind of theatrics that can go anywhere from verbal darts to physical dashes. Somehow he ends up winning his first case because he, after all, is a smart guy; overdramatic but smart. And his victory brings him the next big challenge, the nearly impossible defense of a professor Douglas Benoit (John Hurt) accused of murder. What circus will Weathers make of this trial?
While the movie qualifies for a mystery to a degree, it’s not a good fit in the genre far as the plot goes. Audiences are shown pretty soon the unknown part of the crime for which Benoit is on trial. But the real mystery envelops Weathers’ character, owing to his unpredictability. We are left guessing what stunt he will pull next to turn the tables on the opposing side. The only certainty is the feeling that Weathers is goanna shoot it from the hip whatever it might be.
From the Hip is one of those movies whose posters secure their place in the viewer’s appreciation along the show, or even faster. For this one, Robin “Stormy” Weathers appears with a bone in his mouth with the publicity tag “Getting to the Top means working like a dog.” And because one tag isn’t enough to capture Stormy’s zeal, another one rides it: “The way he practices law should be a crime.” Try finding a reason to disagree!
