Runaway Jury (2003)
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Runaway Jury (2003) |
| Director | Gary Fleder |
| Screenplay Writer | Brian Koppelman, David Levien |
| Based on | Novel by John Grisham |
| Lead Actors | John Cusack |
| Cast | John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Release Date | October 17, 2003 |
| Duration | 2h 7m |
| Budget | ~$60 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | USA |
| Box Office | ~$80 million |
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The story revolves around the issue of gun control. When a trader at a firm goes ballistic he takes the lives of several others in dramatic fashion, before taking his own life.
The story takes these first dramatic elements and pushes us forward two years to the upcoming court battle. The battle lines have been set with the producers of big gun on one side battling against the widow of one of those killed. Now if the powers that be had left the screenplay at this level it would have been a compelling story, about issues that have been at the forefront of debate. But alas, the storytellers on this journey add subtle wildcards (in the form of Nicholas Easter and Marlee) that only serve to add to the tension. On the side of big gun with have Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), the man who has single-handedly stopped big gun for being held responsible for any type of penalty.
On the other we have Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) as the attorney who wants to bring down the corporation, and make it responsible for its actions. Laying somewhere in the middle lies Nicholas Easter (John Cusack) and Marlee (Rachel Weisz) who are working both sides of the fence in their bid to profit off of the trial. This sets up the trial, and in the balance rest the fate of a billion dollar industry or the moral outrage of one widow. It depends on what side of the fence you lay on the issue as to whom you root for.
In Oklahoma where I viewed the film, it was interesting to hear the response from the crowd when the verdict was announced. Director Gary Fleder redeems himself with this film. If you are one of the few to have seen his “Imposter” it was one of the worst films in 2002. The acting in the film is top notch with Gene Hackman pulling most of the weight. The diminished screen time for Dustin Hoffman can only be considered a negative since he masters the screen whenever he is on it. The acting of John Cusack is paramount to the film, and in his scenes he does an admirable job of toeing the line between the two camps.
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