— When you hate, the only one that suffers is you ’cause most of the people you hate don’t know it. And the rest don’t care.

What could have been a fascinating and powerful look at an unsung hero in the history of Southern America’s Civil Rights Movement, instead becomes another predictable courtroom melodrama, lifeless and lacking the conviction that director Rob Reiner normally carries to his work. — Paul Fischer

Insipid. Unbelievable coincidences and breathtaking plot twists, things that ought to by rights make the audience gasp, are rendered so bland that they don’t just fall flat, they sink below sea level. — Andrea Chase