The Pelican Brief

John Grisham's head was full of movies when he wrote ThePelican Brief, which is such a brisk page-turner you could useit to dry your hair. He had Julia Roberts in mind for the heroine,Darby Shaw, a brilliant Tulane law student who comes up with aningenious theory to explain the baffling assassinations of twoSupreme Court justices in one day. They were shot and strangled byace international terrorist Khamel, who loves the film ThreeDays of the Condor, but government gumshoes don't get whatconnects the deaths. Silly government guys! They died so theconservative president, who just wants to be left alone to playgolf, will appoint new, conservative justices who will help out acase involving an industrialist who is the enemy of pelicans andother living things. It's all spelled out for them in Darby'sbrief. She likes to do legal feats to impress her boyfriend, herboyish law prof Thomas (who, like Grisham, prefers to shave at mostonce a week, and is cool, smart, and antiauthoritarian). The proflikes to paint her toes red, in homage to Susan Sarandon in BullDurham. (Sarandon also starred in the film version of Grisham's.)