Unsummoned in the last few days, two specific scenes from Al Pacino films keep running through my mind:

1. In "The Devil's Advocate," Kevin Lomax is an unbeaten defense lawyer played by Keanu Reeves. He takes the case of a male schoolteacher charged with the molestation of a young girl — even though he knows his client is guilty. On the stand, Kevin just destroys the already traumatized victim, earns freedom for the foul teacher, and is rewarded with a job offer at one of the biggest firms in the world, which happens to be headed up by a lawyer, played by Pacino — who turns out to be Satan himself.

2. Then there's "... And Justice for All," where this time Pacino is crackerjack defense lawyer Arthur Kirkland. He's been hired by a slimy but well-respected judge who's on trial for beating and raping a young woman. In a pretty famous scene, it's time for Kirkland's jury summation as all signs point to nailing down a smooth acquittal. In a brilliant and confident speech, Kirkland closes in on the kill by proactively pointing out that he knows there's one big thing that might be troubling the jury.

"One thing stays in my mind and I can't get rid of it. It haunted me," Kirkland earnestly says, "Why would she lie? If my client was innocent, (the alleged victim) is lying. Why? Was it blackmail? No. Was it jealousy? No ... She doesn't have a motive ... You know why?" And then Kirkland drops the bomb. "Because she's not lying." Gasps of disbelief from the jury and looks of dawning horror and shock from the evil judge as he realizes the truth is out.

Weirdly, I have no idea why these two vivid clips keep echoing in my brain.

In other news, a reported 17 Americans did not watch Thursday's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh. I was pleasantly surprised by the heartfelt extent to which senators valiantly tried to get at the truth. I was able to think of a few ways the session could have been jollier:

1. At the end of his testimony, in the final seconds before the session was adjourned, I wish Kavanaugh had reached under the desk, pulled out an ice-flecked can of Coors Light from a hidden cooler, popped the top and, with a smiling thumbs-up to the assemblage, crowed, "Happy Hour's on at Twin Peaks. I'm buying!"

2. At the end of her testimony, I wish Ford had said, "You know what, y'all? This has been fun. Glad I made this all up so I could have such a wild, good time here! Let's do it again!"

3. Lindsey Graham's no Al Pacino. Well, maybe the Satan part.