In 2011, Matthew McConaughey led a mid-level legal drama called The Lincoln Lawyer, based on Michael Connelly’s 2005 novel (a spin-off from the Bosch universe). It did decently well, making $87 million off its $40 million budget and getting pretty good reviews, but that was that. It didn’t have much cultural impact, and there were no sequels of anything. So it’s surprising how a television version of the same character’s story could become such a big hit for Netflix. The Lincoln Lawyer co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer Dailyn Rodriguez spoke with MovieWeb about the character of Mickey Haller in all his formations, and why the TV iteration is more faithful to the book’s original character than the movie could be (by no fault of its own). She told us:
“In the books he’s a half Mexican, half American white guy. His mom’s Mexican, his dad’s Irish-American from LA. Because we cast Miguel [Garcia-Rulfo], who is actually native of Mexico, we had to make some adjustments in the backstory, to have them being raised in Mexico… But I think what we’re able to do that the movie couldn’t, is that we can get into more character development and the nitty-gritty of the character, and I think some of the nuances of the book.”
This also feeds into reasons why the series, in its longer format, can embrace the location of Los Angeles as a character unto itself. As such, it echoes the great crime dramas of the past, from The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye (a Robert Altman classic used as a reference point by Rodriguez and the team) to Chinatown and Michael Mann’s masterpiece, Heat. Rodriguez speaks about that more below.
Mickey Haller and the Authentic Hispanic Connection to L.A.
These things imbue The Lincoln Lawyer with a cinematic legacy, and its fascinatingly authentic look at diversity and identity intersecting with L.A. and the legal system makes for something unique on television today. “L.A. is such a great landscape for that identity cross,” explained Rodriguez. “There are opportunities to go further into that as a creative expression. In the books, [Mickey] talks about being Mexican and not really speaking Spanish, but he understands it a lot. So, of course, we had to make that change. But that’s a very common Chicano experience.” She continued:
“In the second season, when we cast Lana Parrilla, who’s Puerto Rican and Italian, as a character that didn’t learn how to speak Spanish because her parents wanted to assimilate. So we have that kind of character, but then we can explore like a gardener with an accent, a tailor that speaks Spanish, an FBI agent who’s Dominican and is stationed in L.A. and is bilingual. My favorite thing about it is the ability to explore all facets of what it’s like to be Latina or Latinx, or whatever term you’d like to use, in Los Angeles and in America.”
With shows and movies all seeking diversity for all kinds of reasons, Rodriguez loves that The Lincoln Lawyer continues to do it in a deeply authentic and true type of way. This makes for more compelling drama, but also for a more realistic portrayal of the melting-pot that is Los Angeles. “Diversity is really important to Los Angeles. So to me, I think we’re able to do a show that feels very authentic without an agenda.”
8 Major Differences Between Mickey Haller of Movie and TV Show
1. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller Stays True To The Character’s Mexican Roots
The Netflix Series Shakes Up The Main Character’s Nationality
One of the most notable differences between Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Matthew McConaughey’s versions of Mickey Haller is the character’s background. In the original Lincoln Lawyer books, it is stated that Mickey Haller is half-Mexican, having had a Mexican mother. This aspect of Mickey’s background is integral to Garcia-Rulfo’s portrayal of the character in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, who makes multiple references to his Mexican culture and speaks Spanish throughout the show.
Emphasizing this detail of Mickey’s character helps bring diversity to the role and The Lincoln Lawyer as a whole, but it also draws a sharp contrast between Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey and Matthew McConaughey’s. In 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, there is no reference to Mickey Haller’s Mexican heritage at all. Instead, Haller appears to be Southern and white, which matches the background of the Texas-born Matthew McConaughey.
Matthew McConaughey’s Southern Mickey Haller almost feels like another character.
Though this change to Mickey’s background was probably for the best concerning McConaughey’s portrayal, it is a night-and-day difference compared to Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s version of the character in the Netflix adaptation. Compared to Garcia-Rulfo’s Mexican Mickey Haller, Matthew McConaughey’s Southern Mickey Haller almost feels like another character.
2. Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller Has Alcohol Abuse Issues
The Movie Version Had More Vices
Another huge difference between Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller and the Matthew McConaughey version of the character are the titular Lincoln Lawyer’s relationships with alcohol. Throughout 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey is nearly an alcoholic, as the character is seen drinking heavily several times in the movie’s run.
McConaughey’s darker version of Mickey appears incapable of drinking casually, with Maggie having to drive him home multiple times. At one point, Frank even tells Mickey he needs to slow his drinking. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller, on the other hand, doesn’t appear to have any issues with alcohol abuse in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer.
3. Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller Only Has One Ex-Wife
The Movie Only Had Mickey Previously Married To Maggie
A strange difference between the two screen versions of Mickey Haller is their marital history. In the Lincoln Lawyer books, it is established that Mickey has had two failed marriages, one with Maggie McPherson and one with Lorna Taylor. However, this aspect of Mickey’s backstory is altered for 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, which makes it seem that Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey has only been married to Maggie.
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller has a romantic past more akin to the book version of Mickey.
This is an odd book change, as Lorna still appears as a minor character, yet there’s no mention at all of her and McConaughey’s Mickey having a relationship that was more than professional. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller has a romantic past more akin to the book version of Mickey. The Netflix show makes it clear that Mickey has been married to both Maggie and Lorna in the past.
Both of those past relationships factor heavily into The Lincoln Lawyer’s character dynamics, especially since Lorna has a much bigger role in the Netflix show. Featuring both of Mickey’s past romances in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer adds an extra layer to his character that makes him appear more human than McConaughey’s version of Mickey does in 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer.
4. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller Has A Different Musical Obsession
Mickey Learns More About His Clients Through Musical Tastes
Mickey Haller has some unorthodox musical interests, but Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Matthew McConaughey’s versions of the Lincoln Lawyer character have different preferred genres. Although the original Lincoln Lawyer books state that Mickey has an affinity for hip hop music, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s version of the character has swapped out hip hop for jazz in the Netflix show.
This is a positive book change for Mickey’s character in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer that stays more true to the character’s goal of gaining a deeper understanding of his clients through listening to the musical genre. However, this love of jazz is unique to Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer. Outside of Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, there isn’t any reference to Mickey listening to jazz, especially in the case of Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller.
2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer doesn’t explicitly mention the titular character’s love of any particular musical genre or his reasons for listening to hip hop, seemingly downplaying this tidbit of Mickey’s character. But since The Lincoln Lawyer movie’s soundtrack heavily features hip hop tracks throughout its story, it can be assumed that McConaughey’s Mickey listens to hip hop like his book counterpart does.
In 2011, The Lincoln Lawyer made several major changes to Michael Connelly’s book series, implying Mickey’s love of hip-hop stays faithful to the book version of Mickey.
5. Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller Is More Interested In The Money
The Movie Version Does It For The Payday
A huge difference between Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey and Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey are their motivations for practicing defense law. In 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, Matthew McConaughey’s darker Mickey Haller seems more self-interested when it comes to the cases he takes on. In this version, Mickey can appear more invested in the monetary reward at times than the ethical and moral side of practicing law.
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller appears to have a more altruistic interest in representing his clients.
It’s only when Mickey starts to draw similarities between the Jesus Menendez (or Martinez in the movie) case and Louis Roulet’s case that he becomes focused on the ethical quandaries of letting an innocent man go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Comparatively, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller appears to have a more altruistic interest in representing his clients. In fact, in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, when Lisa Trammel insists on paying Mickey for his work, Mickey continually brushes off her concerns.
This difference between the two portrayals of Mickey Haller could come from the fact that Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer skipped the first book (which the movie is based on), meaning the darker version of Mickey doesn’t exist in the TV show. Regardless, there is a stark difference between Garcia-Rulfo’s and McConaughey’s versions of Mickey, making it much easier to like Mickey in the Netflix show.
6. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller Relies On Others To Run His Law Firm
The Movie Version Preferred To Work By Himself
Mickey’s team is just as important as he is to the success of his cases in the courtroom in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, but Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey seems to take a more solitary approach to practicing law. Oftentimes in the Netflix adaptation, Lorna and Cisco do much of the investigating or researching Mickey’s cases while Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey creates the angle that they go with.
Comparatively, McConaughey’s portrayal of Mickey appears to do the vast majority of his work alone, only sporadically getting help from Lorna or Frank. These distinctions make sense for the differing formats of the respective adaptations, but they paint very different pictures of Mickey’s work style.
7. Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller Doesn’t Have A Mentor
The Movie Version Just Remembered His Father’s Old Advice
In Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey occasionally consults a mentor when he’s in a jam, but Matthew McConaughey’s version of the Lincoln Lawyer has no such figure to turn to. Elliott Gould plays David “Legal” Siegel in The Lincoln Lawyer, a friend of the deceased Mickey Sr. who provides support to Mickey, both professionally and personally.
However, in 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey had no mentors to turn to; instead, he tried to heed the advice that his father had once given him. This difference makes McConaughey’s Mickey feel decidedly more lonely, placing a greater emphasis on the hole that his father’s death left behind.
8. Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller Is More Hung Up On Maggie
The Netflix Version Has Put The Divorces Behind Him
Both screen versions of Mickey have a close relationship with ex-wife Maggie McPherson, but Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of the character has a different attachment to Maggie. In the movie, the door on Mickey and Maggie’s relationship doesn’t seem to fully be closed despite their divorce. Scenes between the characters have romantic tension, and Mickey still harbors some feelings for Maggie.
This dynamic is less present in Netflix’s adaptation, where Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey and Maggie have more of a close friendship. Giving the former couple a platonic relationship in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer allows for greater focus on Mickey’s cases, making him the Lincoln Lawyer first and foremost.
Which Lincoln Lawyer Is Better?
There are positive things about both versions of The Lincoln Lawyer, but the biggest selling point for the Netflix version is the similarity between it and the source novels. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s version of Mickey Haller is much more accurate to the character Michael Connelly created. The movie version was always entertaining, thanks to Matthew McConaughey’s charisma and the twisting storyline. However, the Netflix version has just as many twists and turns and is much more loyal.
It seems that a lot of viewers didn’t like Manuel Garcia-Rulfo at the start of the first season, possibly comparing him to Matthew McConaughey in terms of charisma. However, as some commented in a Reddit thread, there were storyline reasons for his stiffness at the start. Redditor unlikedemon suggested the actor just needed some time to find his groove and comfort in the role:
“At first I wasn’t digging the main lead but he grew on me towards the end. The acting was okay from some of the cast but the cases and everything going on held it together. Nev Campbell did well.”
In the end, what makes the Netflix version superior to the movie is the fact it has been on the air for three seasons and had a chance to really show Mickey Haller and his life. As great as he was in the role, Matthew McConaughey had one movie and one case to show Mickey Haller to the world. The Lincoln Lawyer Netflix series has had three seasons to show people the character Connelly created, and that alone makes it the superior version of the character.
