Inherit the Wind is an excellent film created after the play of the same name based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial. While based on an actual court case and displaying identical ideas throughout the film, Inherit the Wind is a completely fictional story. It begins with a school teacher named Bert Cates, having been arrested for teaching evolution to his sophomore science class. Bert was not at all sorry for defying the law prohibiting that sort of teaching. He was standing by his idea that any man should have the right to think what they want, and never actually dispelling any ideas of Christian creation or claiming evolution to be fact, but theory. Then Rachel Brown, Bert’s girlfriend and the daughter of Reverend Brown visits Bert in jail. Rachel is greatly conflicted between the opposing beliefs of her boyfriend and her father, who happens to be a known spiritual leader in the town of Hillsboro where the story takes place. Rachel knew her father never favored Bert and once he hears about the teacher filling students’ ears with what he considers “Atheistic filth”, she would be torn between supporting either of the men she loved. Rachel preemptively tried to convince Bert to plead guilty to no avail.

Soon after, to Bert’s surprise, word gets around that Matthew Harrison Brady, three-time presidential candidate, and leader of the crusade against evolution, has volunteered to be the prosecuting attorney against him. Here the film starts to paint a picture of the ensuing dispute between ideas of religion versus ideas of science. Brady’s rather bigoted side on the matter is identified clearly as well as the people of Hillsboro’s as many of them celebrate Brady's arrival with posters, banners, food, and more importantly a parade through the town singing "Gimme that old-time religion." The chorus of the song “If it’s good enough for (insert holy man of the Bible’s name here) it’s good enough for me”, expresses a great degree of bigotry on the side of religion. As Brady speaks to his followers, E.K. Hornbeck, columnist for the Baltimore Herald, openly mocked Brady and was contemptuous of the bigotry and ignorance he observed in Hillsboro. Hornbeck revealed to the crowd that Henry Drummond, an attorney famous for successfully defending underdogs, had been sent by the Baltimore Herald to defend Bert in response to his letter. Drummond received little positive attention upon his arrival in Hillsboro. Rachel later returns to face her father, and ultimately engage in the first real conflict of the film. Rachel’s father shames her almost to the point of disowning her after she refuses to leave Bert. The reverend argues to her that “He has nothing to offer you but sin”, and accuses her of betraying her faith. “He does believe in god! --- I haven’t betrayed anyone!” Rachel said, defending the both of them. Rachel failed to persuade her father to understand mainly because of the fact that he despised atheist Henry Drummond coming to Hillsboro to defend Bert. This was vivid example of how hate can rise from differences between city folk and country folk, especially those having to do with religious beliefs.
Later the trial begins with a full courtroom of which the temperature climbed to almost 100 degrees. Both Drummond and Brady are both ready and willing to argue their beliefs in front of the judge, jury, and audience. During the first day in court, a couple people are called to the stand and it does not last long due to severe temperature of the room. Well into the court meeting, the judge announced that Reverend Brown will hold a prayer meeting afterwards. Before anyone leaves, Drummond informs the judge aloud that there will also be an evolution meeting in sudden response. In doing so, Drummond intended to enforce the ideals of equality and freedom of thought that he was there fighting for In the first place. He goes on to say “It’s isn’t enough that everyone who comes into this courtroom has to pass under a sign that says read your Bible.” He then requests that the sign be taken down. Following his request, Drummond follows with “Or else I want another sign put up. Just as big, with just as big letters that says read your Darwin” Which was met with loud contempt from the audience with the exception of the applause from Bert’s young students. It was obvious that traditional ways and thinking had been firmly engrained into the minds and lives of the older citizens of Hillsboro, where as with many youth including Bert and Rachel, their views were more open to change.

The following day, the trial proceeded and witnesses were called. Drummond’s students testified, and Rachel, whom Brady tricked into revealing personal conversations she'd had with Bert. The judge denied all of Drummond's scientific witnesses claiming that evolution itself was not on trial. Having had his hands tied after Bert refused to allow him to question a traumatic Rachel, and facing what seemed to be a losing battle, a frustrated Drummond requested the judge’s permission to withdraw from the case. The judge asked Drummond for reasoning behind his request whom then rightfully blamed all who would find Bert guilty for trying to bring knowledge and enlightenment to the world. Before the trial was once again paused, Drummond passionately warned the court “that a wicked law will destroy everything it touches; it’s upholders as well as its defiers”, and of the backward march of man brought on by the feeding of bigotry and ignorance.
Despite the torch wielding parade of Hillsboro citizens that sang on the streets outside of where Bert was being detained the following day, it was revealed that not everyone was against Drummond at this point, as a farmer and banker had volunteered to bail him out of the judge’s retaliation for his accusation outburst. The next day, the trial proceeds once again. A plan had dawned on Drummond while speaking with Hornbeck the night before, prompting him to apologize to the judge for his previous outburst and request to be back on the case. Determined to challenge the Butler Law, Drummond switched his method and called Brady to testify as a witness or speaker of sorts on the Bible. Brady arrogantly and ignorantly agreed to take the stand. Drummond successfully damaged Brady's credibility by questioning his status as a self-anointed prophet, changing the course of the trial. The jury finally found Bert guilty, and he was fined $100, after which Brady protested the minimal punishment. Although he won the case, Brady felt it was without a strong enough meaning he meant for it to produce. The true moral victory for freedom of thought was won by Drummond and Bert.
Trying to win back the support that had quickly turned away from him, Brady insisted on giving his closing speech, despite the fact that court had been adjourned. With close to no attention from the court, Brady was then interrupted by a radio broadcaster to return the listeners to their regularly scheduled broadcast, after which he collapsed of a stomach illness, and was removed from the courtroom, dying soon after. Later, Hornbeck mocked Brady after learning of his death, and Drummond defends Brady, saying that "Brady had the same right as Cates: the right to be wrong!" In today’s world man’s right to think has been more vastly accepted and unpunished than during the time Inherit the Wind takes place. It’s this very right however, that ends up constantly pitting people against each other. Acts of war and hate are committed every day in the world that are stemmed directly from conflicts of belief. The most important thing that Inherit the Wind has taught is that the thoughts of man should not be punished, further concluding that like the teaching of evolution, opinionated beliefs of man should in no way be enforced, for in a world moving forward, bigotry has no place.