It was 1993. The height of the legal thriller era. Every airport bookstore was basically a shrine to John Grisham. So, when the news dropped that Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington were teaming up for an adaptation of The Pelican Brief, Hollywood held its collective breath. You had the "Pretty Woman" herself and the man who had just played Malcolm X. It was a powerhouse pairing. Honestly, it was a match made in box-office heaven.
But if you watch the movie today, you'll notice something's missing. Or rather, something didn't happen. Despite the palpable tension between law student Darby Shaw and reporter Gray Grantham, there’s no big romantic payoff. No sweeping score. No sunset embrace.
Why? Because Denzel Washington said no.
The Mystery of the Missing Kiss
Let’s get into the weeds of why this matters. In the original Grisham novel, there’s a romantic thread between the leads. It’s light, but it’s there. When director Alan J. Pakula (the genius behind All the President's Men) started filming, the expectation was a classic Hollywood romance. Julia Roberts, who was the biggest star on the planet at the time, was reportedly all for it.
Denzel had a different perspective.
Years later, it came out that Washington requested the removal of the love scenes. This wasn't about a lack of chemistry—far from it. He was thinking about his audience. Specifically, he was thinking about his Black female fans. Denzel had previously noted that when he did interracial romance on screen, it didn't always sit right with the people who had supported him from the start. He wanted to remain a "hero" to his core demographic.
It was a bold move. It changed the movie from a standard "boy meets girl while running for their lives" story into a gritty, professional alliance. And you know what? It actually makes the movie better. The stakes feel higher because they aren't distracted by each other. They’re just trying not to get blown up in a New Orleans parking garage.
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What Actually Happens in The Pelican Brief?
If you haven't seen it in a while, the plot is a total labyrinth.
- Two Supreme Court justices are murdered on the same night.
- One is a liberal legend; the other is a conservative curmudgeon.
- Darby Shaw (Roberts), a brilliant law student at Tulane, writes a "brief" (the titular Pelican Brief) speculating on a motive that everyone else missed.
- She links the hits to an oil tycoon named Victor Mattiece.
- Suddenly, everyone she knows starts dying.
Enter Gray Grantham (Washington). He's a cynical, sharp-as-a-tack investigative journalist for the Washington Post. When Darby goes into hiding, he’s the only person she trusts.
The movie is long. 141 minutes, to be exact. It’s a slow burn. But the chemistry between Roberts and Washington is what keeps the engine humming. They don't need to kiss to show they trust each other. There’s a scene where they’re just sitting in a car, exhausted and terrified, and the way they look at each other tells you more than a bedroom scene ever could.
The 30-Year Wait for a Reunion
For decades, fans begged for another Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington movie. It became one of those "what if" scenarios in Hollywood. They remained friends in real life—Julia even presented him with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019—but the screen stayed empty.
Then came Leave the World Behind.
The 2023 Netflix thriller directed by Sam Esmail (of Mr. Robot fame) was supposed to be the big reunion. The hype was unreal. It was based on Rumaan Alam's terrifying novel about a global blackout and the breakdown of society. Julia was cast as Amanda, a cynical New Yorker, and Denzel was set to play G.H. Scott, the mysterious homeowner who shows up at her rental house in the middle of the night.
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But then, Hollywood happened.
Denzel eventually dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. He was replaced by Mahershala Ali. Don't get me wrong, Mahershala is incredible and the movie is a claustrophobic masterpiece, but for those of us waiting for that Roberts-Washington spark, it was a bit of a letdown. We were so close.
Why Their Partnership Still Matters
We don't see movies like The Pelican Brief anymore. Everything now is either a $200 million superhero flick or a tiny indie drama. The "mid-budget adult thriller" is a dying breed.
When you look back at the Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington movie legacy, you're looking at a moment in time where star power was enough to sell a complex legal plot about oil rights and judicial appointments.
- Box Office Gold: The film grossed nearly $200 million in 1993. That’s huge for a legal drama.
- Cultural Impact: It cemented Denzel as a leading man who could carry a blockbuster without needing to be an action star.
- Atypical Casting: It featured Stanley Tucci as a terrifying assassin long before he was the "fun uncle" of Hollywood.
There’s something about the way these two actors operate. They both have this "weight" to them. Julia Roberts has that famous laugh, sure, but in this movie, she’s quiet, observant, and genuinely scared. Denzel is steady. He’s the anchor. Even without the romance, their partnership felt like a real relationship built on mutual respect.
Misconceptions and Rumors
People often think there's bad blood because of the deleted kiss. Nope. Not even close. Julia has gone on record saying she was "kinda" annoyed at the time because, well, it's Denzel Washington—who wouldn't want to film that scene? But she totally respected his reasoning.
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Another weird myth? Some people think they did a second movie together in the late 90s. They didn't. They both appeared in a documentary called A Century of Cinema in 1994, but they weren't "in" a movie together. They’ve essentially shared the screen for exactly one narrative feature film in their entire careers.
What to Watch Next
If you're craving that specific 90s thriller vibe or just want to see these two at their peak, here is how to handle your next movie night:
- Re-watch The Pelican Brief: Look for the subtle cues. Notice how they lean into each other without touching. It’s a masterclass in "unspoken" acting.
- Check out Leave the World Behind: Even without Denzel, it’s a spiritual successor to the types of movies they used to make. Julia is at her most prickly and fascinating.
- Watch Devil in a Blue Dress: If you want to see Denzel in that same era but with a completely different energy, this is the one.
- Look for "Erin Brockovich": If you want Julia Roberts playing a character with the same "woman against the world" energy as Darby Shaw, but with the volume turned up to eleven.
We might never get that true on-screen reunion. Careers move, schedules clash, and the industry changes. But for those two hours and twenty minutes in 1993, they gave us a blueprint for how two icons can share the screen and create something that lasts way longer than a typical Hollywood romance.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
To truly appreciate the Roberts-Washington dynamic, don't just look at the plot. Pay attention to the power dynamics.
- Observe the dialogue pacing: Notice how they talk over each other in the newsroom scenes versus the quiet of the hotel room.
- Research Alan J. Pakula: Understanding his "Paranoia Trilogy" helps explain why The Pelican Brief feels so much like a 70s conspiracy thriller.
- Track the "Grisham Wave": Compare this to The Firm or A Time to Kill. You'll see why the Roberts/Washington pairing was the most sophisticated of the bunch.
The best way to experience this era of cinema is to lean into the slow burn. Turn off your phone, ignore the "it's too long" critiques, and just watch two masters of their craft work through a puzzle. That’s the real magic of the Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington movie.