MOVIE - RUNAWAY JURY - Review Rating $$$$$ $$ (OUT OF 10)
STARRING - John Cusack (Nicholas Easter), Gene Hackman (Rankin Fitch), Dustin Hoffman (Wendell Rohr), Rachel Weisz (Marlee), Bruce Davison (Durwood Cable), Bruce McGill (Judge Harkin), Jeremy Piven (Lawrence Green) & Jennifer Beals (Vanessa Lembeck).
DIRECTOR - Gary Fleder (Don't Say a Word, Kiss the Girls, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead & Impostor)
Based on the book, of the same name, by John Grisham.
You don't have to read too many of my reviews to know that I'm not a fan of movies that play fast and loose with reality. You also probably know that there are exceptions to every rule. Runaway Jury is one of those exceptions.
By any definition Runaway Jury is the worst kind of populist fluff that grossly exaggerates and perpetuates common misconceptions about both lawyers and our legal system. Trust me when I tell you that the "science" of jury selection has yet to evolve beyond an educated guess and that jury consultants are wrong more often then they are right.
The task of selecting a juror is normally pretty dry stuff. This probably explains why Grisham chose to throw every conceivable outrageous plot development he could find into this legal "thriller". The jury consultants, not content to rely on fallible psychological profiles, dig up the nasty skeletons in the closet of potential jurors, as well, so they can blackmail them if things aren't going their way (normally I don't divulge such details in my review but if you saw the previews I'm not telling you anything you don't know).
Grisham may not have trusted his readers enough to write a book detailing the intricacies of the jury selection process but I trust you enough that I won't bore you by pointing out the many inaccuracies and preposterous developments in the rest of the movie. If you are interested in the subject I recommend you read chapter 13 in the 3rd Edition of Psychology and the Legal System (1994, Wrightsman, Nietzel & Fortune: Brooks/Cole Publishing). If you do, you'll notice that the Nicholas Easter (Cusack) character appears to be based upon the infamous Watergate juror Andrew Choa.
Ironically, its the outrageousness of the story that permits a positive recommendation for Runaway Jury. The story is so over the top that disappointment quickly dissolves into enjoyment of this fast paced, well acted "thriller". I have to give credit where credit is due and Grisham's ability to mass produce "can't put it down" novels does translate well to the big screen. You get caught up in Runaway Jury despite its blatant flaws.
The previews that showed too much, like the over the top story, actually increase the likelihood that you'll throw caution to the wind and enjoy Runaway Jury. That's a backhanded compliment because if you watched the previews your expectations were probably pretty low to begin with. Lowering expectations sufficiently can make an otherwise weak film tolerable.
The star-studded cast also contributes to the enjoyment of the film. It was a little disappointing to see Cusack stuck in another mediocre film, that is big on style and short on substance, but Runaway Jury is at least better than Identity. The one performance that was somewhat off-putting was the performance of the usually excellent Dustin Hoffman (lawyer Wendell Rohr). He can't seem to decide if his character is a hustler in the tradition of Death of A Salesman or a true righteous Southern Gentleman. He even loses his affected accent at various times in the film. If you want to see Dustin Hoffman at or near his best rent 2002's Moonlight Mile.
Despite a preposterous plot and a Hollywood ending Runaway Jury still manages to be entertaining.
Running time - 127 minutes
Check out my TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2003 & WORST MOVIES OF 2003 lists.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Peter Travers / Rolling Stone Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
Runaway Hury Official Web Site
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2005
David Schwartz.
Last update:
2/28/05; 1:48:18 AM.
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