Tribeca 2022: The Failings of the Legal System in 'The Courtroom'
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 1:00PM 
It's no secret that the way that law works in the United States has serious issues, and archaic rulings often lead to devastating and irreversible consequences for the least fortunate. Meanwhile those with power and access can evade justice. Among the most disproportionately affected groups are immigrants, whose own “legality” is fiercely questioned and denied by those who forget that this country came into being as a nation of immigrants. Lee Sunday Evan's directorial film debut The Courtroom tackles this subject in an experimental manner, one that leaves plenty to be considered...
The Courtroom spotlights Elizabeth Keathley (Kristin Villanueva), who is in the United States on a K3 visa and faces deportation to the Philippines for registering to vote. She did not realize that she wasn't permitted to vote, and assumed that the government officials who encouraged her to do so would have told her that she couldn't. Yet the law is the law, and the verbatim court transcripts the film uses provides a window into how cases like this actually play out, stressing the mundane and irritating specifics while providing no accommodation for the way humans behave. Undue harshness can often follow an honest and ultimately harmless mistake.
The script comes from Arian Moayed, an actor best known for his performances in Succession and Inventing Anna. He co-founded the theater group Waterwell (which first performed The Courtoom), and his script deploys the literal words from the court proceedings. As a result the energy and grandstanding moments we've come to expect from legal dramas or political thrillers are absent. Yet, that's the point -- fictional movie speeches are a catharsis and esscape from the anger people must feel watching true cases play out, helpless to do anything because of the narrow focus of restrictive and discriminatory laws.
The Courtroom, which is screening exclusively online at Tribeca, does feature a handful of name actors, including Marsha Stephanie Blake, Kathleen Chalfant, Michael Chernus, and BD Wong, but they're not in the lead roles and don't take away from the overall effectiveness of the story. It's hardly a riveting experience, though its mundane nature only serves to underscore the way in which things like this happen all the time without people paying attention. As a call for judicial reform and the expression of humanity, this film speaks loudly. As a film in its own right, it is likely more effective in its original and more intimate form as a play. B
The Courtroom is screening in the Tribeca Online Premieres section at the 2022 Tribeca Festival.
Reader Comments (2)
While it's true that the law is law, the film's use of full court transcripts gives a window into how cases like this truly play out, play tic tac toe accentuating the banal and tedious aspects while making no allowance for the way people react.
Tribeca 2022: The Failings of the Legal System in 'The Courtroom' examines the often overwhelming and complicated posterdle nature of the legal system and its impact on individuals, families and communities. As a result of a lack of adequate representation and resources, countless flagle people are unable to afford legal services or to navigate the court system effectively.