Jeff Daniels and Michael Richards costar in Trial and Error as (respectively) an ambitious lawyer and his unemployed actor buddy. When the lawyer gets hopelessly drunk on the eve of a routine court appearance in Nevada, the actor steps in and botches the procedure so badly that the case goes to trial. Out of this groan-inducingly nutty premise, Lynn and screenwriters Sarah and Gregory Bernstein work a mild kind of magic. Dwelling on the reality of the characters' joint predicaments (and drawing on the majesty of the wild Nevada landscapes) the filmmakers find a warm, funny vein of truth running through the requisite zaniness.

The casting helps. Bright turns by supporting performers Austin Pendleton (as the bemused judge), Rip Torn (as the irrepressible con-man defendant), and Charlize Theron (as the nature-girl who catches Daniels' eye) keep the film bubbling. Unfortunately, the usually reliable Daniels is all over the map; luckily, Michael Richards, nicely underplaying, props him up and makes the film work. When he stands before the jury, every courtroom drama he's ever seen comes spilling out in a confusing, hilarious tumble of words.