Top 10 Scenes of Edward Norton Battling the Legal System

Edward Norton spends a lot of time in jail. Or at least his film characters do. And if they’re not in jail, then they’re thinking about jail. Or they’re sitting in courtrooms, or fighting cops, or any number of legal things. So, for a little fun, here are my 10 favorite instances of Edward Norton’s characters battling the legal system.

10. Death to Smoochy (2002) – “I hope I’m dreamin’.”

Enraged that Smoochy the Rhino (Norton) has become the premiere child entertainer, Rainbow Randolph Smiley (Robin Williams) disguises himself as a kind man taking Smoochy to a large gig. Smoochy excitedly rushes on stage and begins his act. But when the house lights come up, he discovers that he’s performing for a massive group of neo-Nazis. The cops soon raid the joint and Smoochy is thrown in the slammer and labeled as a racist scumbag. Death to Smoochy isn’t a very good film, but that shit is funny.

9. The Illusionist (2006) – “A lucky guess, perhaps?”

The Illusionist is full of elaborate tricks, one of my favorites being one of the simplest. The first time famed magician, Eisenheim (Norton) meets Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Paul Giamatti), the magician challenges the inspector to a playful game. If Eisenheim cannot guess which hand Uhl places a small red ball in, then he will give the inspector the secret to his most revered trick. Eisenheim turns his back and instructs the inspector to hold the ball to his head. He tells the inspector to put his hands down and conceal the ball. He turns around and guesses which hand it’s in right away. A lucky guess…? Perhaps.

8. Pride and Glory (2008) – “This isn’t gonna go how you want it to.”

Soon after a.) watching his brother-in-law torture an innocent man to death and b.) watching his brother-in-law frame him in said murder, veteran NYPD cop Ray Tierney (Norton) is being interrogated by internal affairs about the crime. They ask him what happened, and Norton shoots those dark, sunken eyes their way. “This isn’t gonna go how you want it to,” he stoically says before telling them next to nothing. I’m not even sure that line was needed, actually. Those eyes speak volumes.

7. Stone (2010) – “I don’t want no beef with you, I’m just gonna be vegetarian.”

You have to watch Stone all the way through once before realizing how great of a manipulator its title character is. The first time incarcerated arsonist Stone (Norton) meets with his parole officer (Robert De Niro), he acts the way he’s expected to act. Stone is unintelligent, angry, crude, and so on. He’s acting how he thinks the officer will think he will act. But as their conversations continue, Stone slowly starts wearing down. Compassion creeps into his voice. Regret. But it’s all part of the plan. And Norton plays it perfectly.

6. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) – “Don’t look at me… ask for bail, counselor.”

As Larry Flynt’s longtime lawyer, Alan Isaacman, Norton had to constantly display emotions of hopelessness, anger and resentment, all while selling himself as a very good attorney. Norton has many splendid scenes in the film, but my favorite is when Flynt fires Isaacman in court, while a case is actually happening. Isaacman throws his hands up and slides his chair back, pleased that he’s getting a break from his wild client. And after Flynt makes an ass out off himself in court (again), he looks at Isaacman for help, in which the young attorney smugly tells him to ask for bail. It’s priceless.

5. Rounders (1998) – “You leave me no choice, the way you play.”

Everything you need to know about Les “Worm” Murphy (Norton) can be found in his first scene in Rounders. When we meet Worm, he’s minutes away from being released from prison for credit card forgery. And how does he choose to spend his last moments inside? By playing cards, obviously. He nabs a shitload of smokes off a few fellow inmates, and promises to use them as collateral in an upcoming game. An officer comes to fetch Worm, telling him he’s being processed, and Worm shrugs his shoulders as if to say, “Who knew?” Seriously, who the hell would be playing fucking cards right before they leave prison? This guy, that’s who.

4. Fight Club (1999) – “You’re making a BIG mistake, fellas!”

“You said, if anyone ever interferes with Project Mayhem, even you… we gotta get his balls.”

That about sums it up.

3. American History X (1998) – “I’m just gonna put up a flag and hope a friend sees it.”

In American History X, Norton’s character, Derek Vinyard spends a little over 20 film minutes in Chino, all of which are essential to the story. The sequence culminates in a line of dialogue that defines what the movie is. When Avery Brooks asks Norton if anything he’s done has made his life better, Norton’s silent tears say everything we need to know. But really, the entirety of Norton’s prison time in this film is one of the best, most fluid depictions of prison life I’ve ever seen. From scared shitless fresh fish, to protected gang member, to victim, to scared shitless loner, to, finally, changed man. Picking one scene is impossible, it’s all just flawless.

2. Primal Fear (1996) – “…that was just a fuckin’ work of art.”

Let’s see, how can I best sum this up without being too revealing?

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1. 25^th Hour (2002) – “You are miles from home.”

Edward Norton’s Montgomery Brogan doesn’t spend one second of 25^th Hour in prison, instead, the entire movie is about his immense fear of actually going to prison. This fear shows itself best when Monty imagines aloud to his best friend, Francis, what prison life is going to be like. 

Monty describes a haunting scenario of his first night it Otisville (which, for the record, will be tomorrow), and, to generalize for a moment, his description is essentially the fear shared by most every young guy who thinks about prison. Part of the mysticism of 25^th Hour is that it forces the viewer (the male viewer…?) to put himself in Monty’s shoes. How would I behave the night before I spent seven years inside? I haven’t a clue, and I certainly hope I never do. But Montgomery Brogan knows, and it’s written all over Norton’s tortured face.

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