Matthew McConaughey has earned a lifetime pass from me for his performances as two very different but equally iconic characters in two of my very favorite films. I’m referring, of course, to Wooderson in Dazed and Confused and Sheriff Buddy Deeds in Lone Star. That’s a career right there, man, and no amount of shirtless People covers or bland romantic comedies can diminish it.

I root for McConaughey the actor to shed the heartthrob thing and get more selective about the films he makes. He’s had memorable turns in many quality movies (among them A Time To Kill, Contact, U-571, Frailty, We Are Marshall and Tropic Thunder) but I believe he’s more instantly associated with the likes of The Wedding Planner and Failure to Launch.

It’s my hope that The Lincoln Lawyer will change that perception. This is a smart, fun, adult crime drama of the sort you don’t see made very often these days, and it contains some of McConaughey’s best work.

The film is based on a novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, and it captures the feel of a pulp legal drama just beautifully. I could easily see this film as the pilot for an AMC series, and I’d love it if McConaughey would be savvy enough to stick with the role. His Mick Haller, a slick defense attorney who works from the backseat of his Lincoln, is the sort of shrewd charmer with a soul that he could ride to Emmys and Golden Globes galore.

Haller agrees to defend a rich pretty-boy (Ryan Phillippe) accused of assaulting a woman at knife-point. What appears to be an obvious frame job unravels before Haller’s eyes into a nightmare scenario — not only is he stuck defending a guilty client, but it appears he let another man go to jail for a related crime. But how can he see justice done without violating the justice system?

John Romano’s efficient adaptation is filled with good humor and memorable characters, and the film is splendidly cast. William H. Macy plays Haller’s private detective friend, Marisa Tomei plays his ex-wife (and sometime lover) and smaller roles are handled memorably by the likes of Josh Lucas, Michael Peña, John Leguizamo and Bryan Cranston. Shea Whigham, who has a long resume but is new to me, delivers a movie-stealing performance as a crook who makes a living ratting out other crooks.

This isn’t a great film, but it is a great movie. And the truth is, I think Hollywood releases more of the former than they do the latter these days (but not enough of either). We need more solid, well-made movies that don’t insult your intelligence and aren’t aimed at 14-year-old boys.

I suppose the studios don’t realize enough profit on movies like The Lincoln Lawyer to produce them consistently, but to paraphrase David Wooderson, it’d be a lot cooler if they did.