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RUNAWAY JURY Send This Review to a Friend
With seasoned pros Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman as adversaries in the throes of a high stakes battle, "Runaway Jury" is guaranteed to produce sparks. John Grisham's novel as adapted for the screen turns out to be an entertaining film that spotlights deviousness in trying to manipulate juries. One has to give the film leeway in the credibility department, but the stars, abetted by other good performances, guarantee a good time if one views the drama with a share if skepticism.
The legal case in the book revolved around the tobacco industry. The story has been changed to involve the gun industry, and in a way the idea is better because killings by guns can trigger more emotion. Dustin Hoffman plays Wendall Rohr, a principled lawyer who is suing a gun manufacturer on behalf of a widow as being responsible for a killing her husband because it puts guns in the hands of irresponsible people.
Hackman plays Rankin Fitch, a ruthless jury consultant who sets up a secret war room in New Orleans manned by a bullied staff trying to dig up whatever information in can on jurors in an effort to control them and guarantee a verdict for his client, in this case the gun company. The lengths to which Hackman and his cronies go challenge credibility, but who knows?
The plot--four writers worked on the screenplay, including Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Rick Cleveland and Matthew Chapman--thickens as interlopers, John Cusack playing Nick Easter, and Rachel Weisz as Marlee, conspire to manipulate the jury from within for whichever side pays them more. Much of the action involves the intrigue between all parties, and you may be surprised how down and dirty everything gets, including break-ins and physical attacks and the lawyer (Bruce Davison) for the gun company taking commands from Fitch. As Fitch says cynically, "Trials are too important to be left up to juries."
A good part of the fun in the slick movie directed by Gary Fleder lies in watching Hoffman epitomize integrity and Hackman personify corruption of the jury system. A key scene in which they square off is memorable. A 20th Century Fox release.
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