The 2021 Best Picture Nominees: The Trial of the Chicago 7
When I saw The Trial of the Chicago 7 back in October, I was so ecstatic that I declared it one of my favorite films of the year. Let me explain.
At that moment, the date was October 16th and the United States was in a crisis state. COVID-19 vaccinations were still a floating question mark and we were just a few weeks away from what would turn out to be a nightmare clown circus of a Presidential election. In that spirit, I was feeling a bit . . . revolutionary. In that state of mind, I leaned into my passion for David v. Goliath stories and that, mixed with the advocate in my blood, was bound to see The Trial of the Chicago 7 as the fight-for-justice movie of the moment.
Then things calmed down and as 2020 (mercifully) ended, I found myself seeing the film in a clearer state of mind. Personally, I still love it. This story, about seven individuals on trial for various crimes involving clashes with police during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, has a lot of common threads with our times: revolution, police brutality, racial injustice. I’m not as overwhelmed with the film as I was six months ago. I think it spends way too much time on courtroom theatrics. But I still think it’s a fine film. Plus, I’m always a sucker for Aaron Sorkin’s writing.
About the Author: Jerry Roberts
Jerry Roberts is a film critic and operator of two websites, Armchair Cinema and Armchair Oscars. 
