Directed by Alan J. Pakula, the 1993 thriller The Pelican Brief follows law student Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts) as she teams with reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington) to uncover a conspiracy linking Supreme Court justice murders to an oil tycoon. Critics note the film's tense atmosphere, with the plot focusing on the dangers surrounding the investigation of a legally speculative brief. Read a detailed review of the film on DVD Beaver . The Pelican Brief (1993) - Plot - IMDb