 Throughout the episode , references are made to the 1993 legal crime thriller film The Pelican Brief . Kenneth tells Jack " I feel like I 'm in The Pelican Brief . Do I already know too much ? " after Jack explains to Kenneth what to do as his assistant . Later , Jack tells Liz to make her budget cuts , with Liz replying " What ? That 's it ? I thought you 'd tell me to cook the numbers or shred something or do some Pelican Brief stuff . " Finally , Tracy and Jenna decide to investigate Kenneth 's apartment , which leads them to compare themselves to actors Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts , the two leads from the movie . 
