TRIAL AND ERROR

The idea has a workable comic engine: a lawyer is too bruised and drugged to handle a case, so his best friend pretends to be him. But the movie offers only occasional laughs, and the deception quickly becomes more tiring than funny. The review finds the physical comedy uneven, the logic poor, and the performances less effective than Jim Carrey’s in the similarly themed Liar, Liar.

The film does affirm that telling the truth and being honest are good lessons for lawyers and ordinary citizens. But that moral point is surrounded by foul language, sexual material, mild violence, and other content that makes this a poor family choice.

For discerning adults who choose to watch, wait for home, where you can control the experience.

Charlie Tuttle is an attorney approaching professional success and marriage. His best man, Richard, is a semi-successful actor whose bachelor-party plans in Nevada leave Charlie bruised and unable to defend a client the next day.

Richard decides to help by pretending to be Charlie in court. Charlie then has to guide his friend through the case while the deception continues, creating the movie’s courtroom mayhem.

Two stars means this comedy has limited entertainment value. Michael Richards and Jeff Daniels produce only occasional laughs, and the review finds Richards’ performance a watered-down version of his familiar television persona while Daniels mostly acts exasperated.

There is some brilliant physical comedy, but much of the rest is merely pratfalls and stumbles. Once the setup is complete, the comic turns become predictable, and the viewer may want the trial and the movie to end. The film also appears to have been made on a shoestring budget.

The film has a pagan worldview with some moral elements centered on telling the truth. Honesty is presented as a good lesson whether someone is a lawyer or an ordinary citizen, and the story’s central deception creates opportunities to consider the cost of lying.

At the same time, the movie’s moral vision is weakened by its poor logic. The review specifically notes that the prosecuting attorney shames and scorns Richard throughout the movie, then embraces him at the end, a romantic turn that loses credibility and does not follow real life.

The film’s central moral insight is sound: truth matters. Scripture says, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25).

Trial and Error has a worthwhile lesson about honesty but too few laughs, weak logic, and enough objectionable content to keep it from family viewing. For discerning adults, WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For other options, see.