While film studies have become common in public administration, no inquiries have related to the cinematic depiction of the process of public law, a subject that is the underpinning of all public administration. This inquiry identified thirteen movies that present scenes of how a bill becomes a law. From these movies the American public learns about lawmaking, as a civics lesson writ large. In large part, these movies are relatively accurate about both the technical steps involved in legislation as well as the political and behind- the-scenes aspects of decision-making in Congress. This means the movies are making a positive contribution to understanding public administration. Given the contemporary sense of a decline in the quality of Congress, these movies have contributed not just to a relatively realistic understanding of how a bill becomes a law, but probably also to public support for reform. Public administration would be one of the beneficiaries ofreforms that improve Congressional decision-making.