romanorum1 President Ronald Reagan's appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman Supreme Court Justice in the USA in 1981 may have inspired this movie even though the original play was several years earlier. Jill Clayburgh stars as the unattached, conservative, and sprightly Ruth Loomis from California who remains undaunted as the new Justice. Co-star Walter Matthau (Dan Snow) is the cantankerous, veteran liberal Justice with whom she repartees on various legal issues. Obviously there are long dialog scenes. Snow is an advocate of free speech and expression. "I'll defend everybody's right to speak and every man's right to be wrong!" he exclaims. Snow also rails, "There are only eight of us left against all of her." There is one odd exchange delivered by Justice Loomis during her confirmation: "The F.B.I. is wrong in reporting to you that I have no children. Ideas are my children, and I have hundreds of them." Yikes! But, exhibiting good chemistry, both stars are at the top of their game. Clayburgh and Matthau are both quick-witted and likable. The movie was shot on location in the District of Columbia and also in California. As the plot is rather thin, the acting carries the movie. It is not bad, but it is also no classic.

preppy-3 This was made before Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court--the first woman ever to achieve that. Conservative Ruth Loomis (Jill Clayburgh) is appointed to the court when another justice passes away. She butts heads with liberal Dan Snow (Walter Matthau) over a pornography case.This was (I heard) based on a play and it shows. There are LONG sequences with people talking and cracking one-liners with each other. It doesn't hurt the film because the script is good with plenty of funny lines and interesting (it dated) observations. Also Barnard Hughes is excellent as another Chief Justice. But the film ultimately doesn't work. The main problem is Clayburgh and Matthau. They were both wonderful actors but they're at their worst here. They basically recite their lines with blank faces and no emotion. Also the two have no chemistry with each other and it comes through loud and clear. The film is flatly directed too. The R rating is kind of not needed. There's no violence or swearing but there are a few scenes from a porno film. While they are fairly graphic they're also pretty brief. All in all this is a mediocre comedy/drama. Fans of the two stars might want to check it out. I give it a 5.

moonspinner55 The U.S. Supreme Court elects its first Madam Justice, an attractive, widowed judge from California; the first issue on the docket is whether a Nebraska zealot pining for family values can ban a pornographic film (it's title: "The Naked Nymphomaniac"). Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's script, based upon their play, is cognizant of the effects of a female voice on the Supreme Court, but doesn't give Jill Clayburgh's Ruth Loomis anything but obvious points to make. She is Woman, hear her Roar! The cutesy repartee with fellow Justice Snow (an uncomfortable-seeming Walter Matthau) matches the women's-lib quips and retorts; no matter how truthful Loomis' arguments may be, everything in this version is underlined with whimsy. It's a poor substitute for strong political comedy, coming off more like a Hepburn-and-Tracy cast-off unearthed in an old filing cabinet. *1/2 from ****

Bud-K The dialogue is priceless, and the physical comedy is great too, i.e., Barnard Hughes never says a word as he approaches Matthau's office where Matthau and Clayburgh are in a heated debate; it's a long shot from the office doorway as he approaches, and as soon as he is within earshot, he does a perfect "to the rear, march" without missing a beat!I agree wholeheartedly with the comments of bato-2 except for the "comedy isn't much" remark. Why such a low rating?This movie is among the many that I have taped, and I return to it often for "pure enjoyment".