黑人工人卡尔(塞缪尔•杰克逊 Samuel L. Jackson 饰)十岁的女儿被两个白人蹂躏了,在那种族歧视盛行的岁月,卡尔不相信法律能帮他和女儿讨回公道。于是,他径自找到了那个家伙并将他们射杀。复仇后的卡尔直接来到了警察局投案自首。
年轻律师杰克(马修•麦康纳 Matthew McConaughey 饰)被指派为卡尔的辩护律师,由于卡尔根本不相信法律会对黑人公正,所以他和杰克没有达成一致。果然,庭上卡尔收到了不公正的对待。法律系那大学生艾伦(桑德拉•布洛克 Sandra Bullock 饰)这时出现了,她站在杰克这一边,决定为卡尔做无罪辩护。
虽然杰克获得了支持,但他的生活却受到了极大的威胁:当地的三K党用尽各种方法要挟杰克,甚至威胁要炸毁他的房子!卡尔看到了杰克和其他人的努力,他决定和众人团结一致,为公义而战。
Aspirations and the lives of several people working at the gigantic Seacoast National Bank Building interweave in various plots. The most notable character is David Dwight, the womanizing bank owner who keeps his estranged wife happy by paying for her extravagant globetrotting. Dwight's long time secretary Sarah yearns for them to divorce so her affair with him can be legitimized. Sarah shows her good side by playing mother to the young innocent Lynn Harding, who she employs as an assistant. Beautiful Miss Harding is relentlessly pursued by extroverted bank teller Tom Sheppard, but he is frustrated when Dwight lures her away with power and wealth. Then Dwight ruins everyone's finances in a successful bid to get full control of his skyscraper by manipulating the company's stock price. Now there doesn't appear to be anyone who can prevent the power monger from taking advantage of the ingenue Harding-or is there
佐佐木家的小儿子健二(井之肋海饰)偷偷练习钢琴。爸爸龙平(香川照之饰)是一个普通的上班族。妈妈惠(小泉今日子饰)则是家庭主妇。哥哥贵(小柳友饰)是个忙着打工的大学生。这是一个乍看非常普通的日本家庭,但其实每个人都藏有不希望被别人知道的秘密。直到某天健二回到空无一人的家里,一切开始漫漫浮出水面……
本片以东京一个四口之家为缩影,深细展现其内部风波,勾画各成员之挣扎轨迹,由此统摄东京乃至日本无数人群在世界经济格局转换、金融危机、中东战争等动荡局势下的生存境遇。
本片入选二零零八年《电影旬报》日本电影十大佳片。在戛纳电影节上荣获“一种关注”单元的评委会奖。获得第三届亚洲电影大奖(Asian Film Awards,简称AFA)最佳编剧和最佳电影两个奖项。