Early on in his visit, Hank slips into his father's courtroom. He anticipates his father's pronouncements, but they are a pretty good introduction to the man as we see him for the first time. "You are standing," the judge tells a surly young defendant, "in one of the last great cathedrals of this country, built on the premise that you and you alone are responsible for the consequences of your actions."
 

The judge has based his life on the integrity of the law and believes that it is the glue that keeps a community together. To violate that integrity would be to destroy the fabric of community. So no exceptions will be made. It is understandable, then, both that the judge would have sentenced his then-teenage son Hank to criminal detention for blowing up a neighbor's mailbox with an M-80 firecracker and that Hank would harbor a lingering resentment that his father would cut him no slack, that he never gave him the recognition he felt his due for completing his education and graduating from law school. The father misses his son's gratitude for having had a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and food in his mouth. Their exchanges when they become heated sound like simultaneous and angry cross-examinations.
 

But this is just the surface of things unresolved between the two men who love one another but who can't really stand each other. As Hank is about to leave, his father is arrested on a charge of murder. Joseph wants a local lawyer to represent him at his trial, but it soon becomes clear that the young man is in over his head, and Hank takes over the defense. The prosecutor, Dwight Dickham, played by a silver-haired Billy Bob Thornton, pursues his assignment with a relish fed by old grudges.
 

The story, first drafted by director Dobkin, is partly autobiographical. The final script by Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque seems in some ways a throwback to the great studio days: it is neatly plotted, dialogue-heavy, highly literate and witty. It has any number of formulaic plot elements, and it might have been stronger for observing the old Hollywood practice of the 90-minute movie. (It weighs in at 141.) What keeps us engaged is the quality of dialogue and acting from the leads.
 

Hank is a glib and brilliant talker, always ready to go on the attack. When an altercation in a bar threatens to turn into a brawl, he verbally takes on the aggressors, telling them what legal perils they are flirting with and reducing them to shuffling, muttering retreat. He has out-bullied the bullies and not a punch has been thrown.

The trial scenes are absorbing, but the film remains a family and not a courtroom drama. Father and son are separated by their views of the world, one going for honor, the other for worldly success. We wonder if the son's cynical and gleeful pursuit of the prize isn't in part a kind of revenge on the world of his father. How deep does his cynicism run when the chips are down? His former girlfriend and lover Samantha (a savvy and compassionate interpretation by the under-used Vera Farmiga) observes, "He's just a boy from Indiana who's going to do whatever he has to do to pretend that's not true."
 

Robert Duvall is in his element in the role of Judge Palmer, and you believe all those long years on the bench, the devotion to family, the regrets over a couple of fateful decisions. Wanting to stay in control, his character doesn't reveal that he is dying of cancer, and one of the most critical and boldly conceived sequences, beautifully played by Duvall and Downey, deals with the humiliating physical symptoms of his advanced illness.

So far as I know, this is the first time these two gifted actors have worked together. Not surprisingly, given the amount of dialogue, they felt it was a lot like working in the theater. The preparation for the film was unusual for movies: director David Dobkin arranged for three weeks of rehearsal with the two actors, giving them time to talk, to improvise in character, and to work on the scripted scenes. Something clicked early on, and he shortened the rehearsal period because everyone realized they were ready to go before the cameras. The results are a joy to watch.
 

Robert Downey Jr. is currently the highest-paid actor in the world, thanks especially to The Avengers and the three installments of Marvel's wildly profitable Iron Man series. My guess is he worked on this modestly budgeted (at an estimated $50 million) film because of the conflicted characters and the opportunity to work with the great Robert Duvall. It's good to see Downey doffing the superhero garb and getting back into the skin of a believable and interesting character.

Fresh Air

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air. Research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. It's also true that, unlike so many other forms of pollution, indoor air pollution is relatively easy to correct.

Some common sources of indoor air pollution include new carpet; paint; mold and mildew build up, particularly in ventilation systems; tobacco smoke; restroom air fresheners; chemicals emitted by copying machines; and formaldehyde and other chemicals that can seep out of pressed-wood products like particleboard, plywood paneling, and fiber-board.

To keep your air as fresh as possible, consider these tips:

• Circulate the air. Wherever possible, select offices whose windows open, and crack them open every now and then. If you install new carpeting or cabinets at home or in the office, open windows and turn on fans until the new smells dissipate. Make sure that copying machines and other equipment are located in rooms that are properly ventilated.

• Consider the alternatives. Many chemically-sensitive consumers opt for carpet made from wool or cotton rather than synthetic fibers; others choose cabinets made from solid wood and finished with water-based varnishes rather than those constructed from particleboard or fiberboard.

• Keep it clean. Rather than use synthetic air fresheners to mask an unpleasant odor, find the source of the odor, and clean it up. Then open the windows for fresh air, or use flowers or potpourri to add a more natural scent to your room. If necessary, install air filters and purifiers and other air cleaning devices.

• Ask smokers to smoke outside. It is not unreasonable to ask visitors to your home to take a smoking break out of doors. Many offices have already instituted a smoking policy that minimizes nonsmoker exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; if yours hasn't, broach the topic with your office manager.

• Speak up. If you or others at your office are experiencing health or comfort problems that you suspect may be caused by indoor air pollution, discuss the issue with your supervisor. Talk with your own physician and report your problems to the company physician, nurse, or health officer so that they can make appropriate recommendations.

Believe it or not!

According to a two-year study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), many indoor plants absorb air pollutants through their leaves and roots and convert them into breathable air. Within 24 hours, some plants can remove up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air.