The Judge
Summary
The Judgepacked quite a few excited punches throughout its runtime , and the film ’s conclusion only made its plot of land even more dramatic . The Judgewas released in 2014 to a rather lukewarm reception , but the film has latterly found new popularity on Netflix . Part of the reason for its resurgence in relevancy is because of the all - starcast ofThe Judge , which features several big name like Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall . The mould alone could n’t post the full movie , though , andThe Judgealso necessitate its excited ending to put up a fortune at make the list ofthe best drama moving picture on Netflix .
AsThe Judgereached its close , it had several major plot yarn to bind together . There was Joseph ’s test , Hank ’s relationship with Sam , and his attempts to repair his family relationship with his father . They all occur to a sexual climax at the same time , making for a very dramatic ending . Because there were so many threads to adopt and resolve , though , the end ofThe Judgecould also do with a bit of explanation .
Robert Downey Jr. has had a long - fete career that has earned him many awards and nomination , but how many Academy Awards has he won ?
Did Joseph Really Kill Mark Blackwell In The Judge?
The Judge Doesn’t Say For Certain Either Way
The central question at the heart ofThe Judge ’s legal conflict is whether Joseph meant to kill Mark Blackwell . Despite being such an important aspect of the movie , The Judgedoesn’t definitively answer whether Joseph killed Mark . The actual consequence of Mark ’s death were hidden because Joseph could n’t think them due to his chemotherapy . There ’s also grounds in both directions , as Joseph did detest Mark , but Hank also made a compelling case in his defense . Perhaps the biggest small-arm of evidence in the entire case , the fact that Joseph saw similarities between Mark and Hank , supported the idea that Joseph did n’t voluntarily kill him .
The Judgeis available to well out on Netflix .
While there is n’t an outright answer to this question , there also does n’t involve to be . Hank could have secured a not guilty verdict for his dad whether he did it or not by using his unethical legal practices , so it was never really about his guilt trip . Instead , the trial was about Joseph ’s kinship with Hank , like the rest ofThe Judge . Throughout the tribulation , Joseph was trying to show Hank how to take accountability for his actions . Joseph desire to evidence that he did n’t need to bend the legal philosophy like Hank did , and that he would accept whatever verdict come out of it .
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Does Hank End Up With Sam In The Judge’s Ending?
Hank & Sam’s Relationship Is Open To Interpretation
The fate of Hank and Sam ’s romance was also allow for equivocal by the ending ofThe Judge . Sam professed her passion for Hank towards the close of the moving-picture show , but there was n’t a definitive result to whether he chose to be with her . Shortly after Joseph ’s sentencing , Hank get out Carlinville , the fictional town ground on Massachusetts , whereThe Judgewas filmed . However , there are also some clew that they ended up together , like the fact that Sam hosted Joseph ’s viewing , where she partake in an intimate bit with him . Their relationship can be interpreted in many fashion , but it ’s clear-cut they both deal feelings for each other .
Why The Jury Found Joseph Guilty Of Voluntary Manslaughter
They Were Influenced By Both Hank & Joseph’s Actions During The Trial
In a surprising twist at the ending ofThe Judge , the jury find Joseph not guilty of execution , but did find him guilty of voluntary manslaughter . There were in all probability a twosome of factor that go into their verdict . Voluntary manslaughter is a much less serious charge than slaying , and the jury may have choose to only convict Joseph for that because Hank very successfully made him take care appealing . They did n’t totally let him off the hook , though , partially due to the significant amounts of grounds against him , and because of Joseph ’s own actions during the trial , like openly intromit he hated Mark and wish him harm .
How Hank & Joseph Were Able To Forgive Each Other Explained
Both Hank & Joseph Learned From Each Other & Saw Each Other For Who They Were
ThroughoutThe Judge , both Hank and Joseph made inconsistent progress in remediate their relationship , and there were several time it seemed they would n’t be able to conciliate . However , by the oddment of the plastic film , they had both gained newfound respect for each other , and had even started doing father - boy soldering activities , like sportfishing . The ground Hank and Joseph were able to forgive each other was because both of them started to see things from the others ' perspective . Hank saw that his father was so problematic on him because he want him to succeed , while Joseph saw that his son was n’t a forged humankind and had many decent qualities .
Another big factor in their pardon was just how much time they spent together . Since Hank had to remain with Joseph during the entire visitation , they both had ample opportunities to show each other how much they had changed . When Lauren came to visit , Hank learn that Joseph could be a love male parent build , which helped careen his linear perspective . During the trial run , Joseph saw how gifted Hank was and how hard he work for his clients , which combated the idea he had that Hank was just a bad kid .
The Real Meaning Of The Judge’s Ending Explained
The Judge’s Themes Touch On Dignity, Forgiveness, & Accountability
At its core , The Judgeis a movie about pardon and learning to take accountability for mistake made in the past . Both Hank and Joseph made plenty of error in the past ; Hank had a angry youth and ended up pain many mass , like Glen and Sam , while Joseph was too abrasive with Hank and ended up driving him out . Both of them had to own up to their mistakes - Hank by making amends and learning to practice self-worth both in and out of the courtroom , and Joseph by being kinder and more forgiving - before they got their well-chosen endings .
The Judgealso focuses intemperately on the melodic theme of dignity . For case , Joseph tell multiple times that he had to live in Carlinville , and go for his finding of fact with gravitas was the only style he could live in town without being ashamed . Also , a major part of Hank ’s character development inThe Judgeinvolved learn how to be more dignified , which he picture after he refund to Chicago and could n’t perform his unethical style of law any longer . Hank ’s newfound self-regard is also the reason Joseph see his son to be the honest lawyer he knew , and the reason Joseph receive to die with dignity inThe Judge ’s conclusion .
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Cast
In the 2014 drama The Judge , Robert Downey Jr. stars as successful lawyer Hank Palmer , who revert to his hometown to champion his alienated father , Joseph Palmer ( Robert Duvall ) , a jurist impeach of murder . Vera Farmiga , Vincent D’Onofrio , Jeremy Strong , Dax Shepard , Billy Bob Thornton , and Leighton Meester round off out the residuum of the main cast .
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