I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Dan Snow (Walter Matthau) is a liberal Supreme Court Judge. He is sadden by his friend's death, his conservative opposite on the bench. He is horrified when the President picks Orange County conservative judge Ruth Loomis (Jill Clayburgh) to be the new replacement despite her being the first female Supreme Court Judge.The issues being fought over almost seem quaint at times. It kinda goes back and forth without finding a direction. Their arguing is not any fun and gets tiresome rather quickly. There is humor in Matthau's grumpiness and some banter. At least, they don't get together which partially saves this.

Ever get the feeling Walter Matthau plays the same character in every movie? Oscar Madison? Buttermaker? Dan Snow? Yup, it's no mirage. But give him credit - no one does the grumpy routine better than Matthau. This film - conceived, written, produced and prepared before Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court - deals with the relationship between Matthau (his character is based loosely on William O. Douglas, I suspect) and Clayburgh and their differing legal perspectives. It's actually a charming look at a serious subject, the basic dilemma between morality and legality. Unfortunately, there is some gratuitous gender humor and nudity, which really has no place in this film. Clayburgh is likable enough, but her role is ridiculous, assuming the character really is a prominent woman - if you can overlook the tasteless gender jokes, the film is worth viewing.

President Ronald Reagan's appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman Supreme Court Justice in the USA in 1981 may have inspired this movie even though the original play was several years earlier. Jill Clayburgh stars as the unattached, conservative, and sprightly Ruth Loomis from California who remains undaunted as the new Justice. Co-star Walter Matthau (Dan Snow) is the cantankerous, veteran liberal Justice with whom she repartees on various legal issues. Obviously there are long dialog scenes. Snow is an advocate of free speech and expression. "I'll defend everybody's right to speak and every man's right to be wrong!" he exclaims. Snow also rails, "There are only eight of us left against all of her." There is one odd exchange delivered by Justice Loomis during her confirmation: "The F.B.I. is wrong in reporting to you that I have no children. Ideas are my children, and I have hundreds of them." Yikes! But, exhibiting good chemistry, both stars are at the top of their game. Clayburgh and Matthau are both quick-witted and likable. The movie was shot on location in the District of Columbia and also in California. As the plot is rather thin, the acting carries the movie. It is not bad, but it is also no classic.

Though First Monday In October didn't last too long on Broadway, the Jerome Lawrence-Robert E. Lee play made one fine sparkling movie for Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh taking over the roles that Henry Fonda and Jill Alexander did on the stage.In 1978 when this was on stage, the iconoclastic William O. Douglas had been gone three years from the Supreme Court and the idea of a woman justice was yet untried. So imagine the serendipitous joy with the producers when Ronald Reagan added Sandra Day O'Connor to the court. You couldn't buy better publicity.Matthau is clearly based on William O. Douglas who was a far seeing advocate for social justice and change on the bench. Matthau if you can believe is a kinder, gentler version of Douglas. In real life Douglas was not a nice guy, in fact personally he was a swine. The banter with which you see him engage his law clerk James Stephens would never happen, he went through law clerks like he did wives. Ditto with Jan Sterling playing Mrs. Matthau. The first Mrs. Douglas had taken a hike years earlier and Douglas was on wife number 4 in her twenties at this time. He died in 1980.O'Connor replaced Potter Stewart in 1981 on the bench so in real life these two never served. Still First Monday In October you'd like to think would be how they got along with even a little romance thrown in once the two got to know each other. Douglas never got along with colleagues, especially those who had a different point of view.Still Matthau is one of his patented curmudgeons and Clayburgh do have a good cinema chemistry which makes First Monday In October a pleasant piece of viewing.