This comes off a little better if you haven't seen it in several years and can view it with a fresher sensibility. The first half of this courtroom story is farcical and much of it is pretty thin, and what's not thin is forced. An ambitious young lawyer (Judd Nelson) at a Boston firm does everything possible to attract attention, turning his first minor case into a comic First Amendment blockbuster, pivoting on the question of whether the word "A**hole" should be stricken from the record. Nelson has a couple of friends on his side and a beautiful girl friend (Elizabeth Perkins) who is there to provide support and moral guidance.

He needs the moral guidance. The second half turns into a serious examination of a defense counselor's responsibility to his client. The client in this case is the arrogant self-proclaimed professor, John Hurt, who may or may not have killed his lover and her boyfriend. Hurt is a thoroughly unlikable guy. Nelson becomes convinced that his client actually did murder the girl, but he can't resign from the case or get Hurt to confess.

Two people emerge from this hodge podge with their dignities thoroughly intact -- John Hurt as the likely killer and Nancy Marchand as the head of the law firm that employs and, perforce, promotes Nelson to partner.

The dramatic second half is more engaging than the constant snickering and laughter of the first half. Hurt does a phenomenal job of turning from a supercilious bastard into a wretched lunatic by incremental steps. But the legal procedures should never be taken as realistic. Both of Nelson's parents were attorneys and he generously pointed out errors. I was the courtroom sketch artist and it was an enjoyable shoot except for the humid, dense, blistering atmosphere of the sound stage. When the milieu was too noisy, Nelson was fond of shouting, "Odor in the court!" Bob Clark was probably one of the least pretentious directors around. He died in a car crash with his son. He left no masterpieces behind, but his horror film, "Dead of Night," has more social significance than might be expected.

Robin "Stormy" Weathers is desperate to rise up the ladder at the law firm he is employed by - sooner rather than later! Manufacturing a series of events, Weathers crow bars his way into a position of prestige. But just as he thinks he has finally made it, the partners saddle him with a no-win trial...

Directed by Bob Clark and starring Judd Nelson (Weathers),Elizabeth Perkins, John Hurt and Darren McGavin, From The Hip is a quintessentially 1980s picture. Oozing a yuppie law firm vibe and with Brat Packer Nelson leading the way, it's no great shock to proclaim it as such really. That's not to say it deserves to stay back in that decade though, for although it hasn't aged well in context to our evolving societies, and as implausible as "Stormy's" legal shenanigans are, the piece serves up a nice blend of satire and legal ethic conundrums.

It's also decidedly funny, that is until John Hurt arrives as a pompous suspected murderer and not only steals the film, but also swerves it to a far darker place. Perhaps it's a blend too far since the film is poorly rated by many? Maybe Hurt's preening, borderline psychotic peacock performance only serves to bring to light the deficiencies of the other cast members? What I do know is that my recent revisit to the film still brought many a chuckle as "Stormy" pulls his bag of tricks in the court room, and yes I was still on the edge of my seat during the gripping finale as Hurt's Douglas Benoit is called to the witness box. . 7/10

It'a always been a source of fascination how a plot or a subject can be done equally well as drama or comedy. A lot of the same plot elements in Al Pacino's And Justice For All are found in From The Hip.

Like Al Pacino, Judd Nelson is a young attorney looking to make a name for himself. He's a most junior associate at a Boston white shoe law firm and wants desperateky to be noticed. He takes on a dog of a case involving banker Edward Winter and with some dazzling courtroom theatricality, wins

Winter's case was one where he punched out someone and the man sued because of the bank's deep pockets. It was a civil matter. But Nelson's flamboyance gets him noticed. Now he gets to defend Professor John Hurt who is accused of the murder of a call girl with a claw hammer.

The DA has a flimsy case, but Hurt gives us lots of hints of guilt. He's one scary dude and Nelson realizes this is no game.

This is one well cast film and Judd Nelson getting a courtroom drama which is an actors dream shows his acting chops. He's got a nicepossr of support in girlfriend Elizabeth Perkins and lawyer associates Dan Monahan and David Alan Grier.

A nice trio of partners Nancy Marchand, Darren McGavin and Allan Arbus all react differently to Nelson. The one youill remember in From The Hip is John Hurt.

Nelson faces a most uncertain fate hen the film concludes. You'll have to see foryourself and predict his future.