The Pelican Brief (1993) — Screenplay
A law student uncovers a conspiracy behind two Supreme Court murders and must outrun the killers while a journalist chases her story.
- Written by
- John Grisham, Alan J. Pakula
- Genre
- Drama, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
- Length
- 137 pages
The Pelican Brief offers a masterclass in ratcheting tension through tight pacing and a protagonist whose intellect is her only weapon. Its dual perspective, alternating between the hunted student and the pursuing journalist, builds a world of paranoia where every ally is suspect. Study how Pakula adapts Grisham’s legal thriller into cinematic stakes.
Read the full The Pelican Brief (1993) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study John Grisham, Alan J. Pakula’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.