... With this in mind I couldn't wait to watch the Runaway Jury as I loved the book. DISAPPOINTED, is an understatement, the film does not follow the Grisham novel, and in the way they have adapted it, have made a film which has a plot which is so weak that at times I felt myself laughing at its ... Read review
Based on the bestseller by John Grisham,Runaway Juryis a slick thriller that's exciting ... more
enough to overcome the gaps in its plot. The ultimate target has been changed: Grisham's legal assault on the tobacco industry was switched to the hot-button issue ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Based on the bestseller by John Grisham,Runaway Juryis a slick thriller that's exciting ... more
enough to overcome the gaps in its plot. The ultimate target has been changed: Grisham's legal assault on the tobacco industry was switched to the hot-button issue ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Stakes are high in an explosive trial when the widow of a gun massacre victim sues the ... more
gun's manufacturer. With millions of dollars in the balance, an unscrupulous jury consultant, (Gene Hackman), will spare no expense to ensure the chosen jury remains...
The stakes are extremely high in an explosive trial when the widow of a gun massacre ... more
victim represented by attorney Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) sues the gun's powerful manufacturer. Now with millions of dollars in the balance 12 jurors must decid...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Every Jury has a leader, and the verdict belongs to him. In Biloxi, Mississippi, a ... more
landmark trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely, and a least one juror is convinced he's being watched.
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:in stock
A major film tie-in to the movie based on John Grisham's bestseller. Every jury has a ... more
leader and the verdict belongs to him. In Biloxi Mississippi a landmark trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely and at least one juror is convinced he's being watched. Soon they have to be sequestered. Then a tip from an anonymous young woman suggests she is able to predict the juror's increasingly odd behaviour. Is the jury somehow being manipulated or even controlled? And more importantly why?
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Every Jury has a leader and the verdict belongs to him. In Biloxi Mississippi a ... more
landmark trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely and a least one juror is convinced he's being watched. Soon they have to be sequestered. Then a tip from an anonymous young woman suggests she is able to predict the juror's increasingly odd behaviour. Is the jury somehow being manipulated or even controlled? If so by whom? And more importantly why?
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake ... more
begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely. Soon, they have to be sequestered. Then, a tip from an anonymous young woman suggests she is able to predict the juror's increasingly odd behaviour.
Contemporary / American English (Available June 2008) Pynex, a tobacco company, could lose ... more
hundreds of millions of dollars in a big court case. The jury is being watched. One of the jurors is working with a mysterious woman outside the court. Both sides will do anything to win.
In Biloxi, Mississippi, a landmark trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake ... more
begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. The jury is behaving strangely. Soon they have to be sequestered. A young woman is able to predict the juror's odd behaviour. Is the jury somehow being manipulated, or even controlled? Why?
A tale of suspense which goes behind the closed doors of a Mississippi court. In a ... more
landmark trial involving hundreds of millions of dollars, the jury starts to behave mysteriously, and at least one juror is convinced that he's being watched. Is the jury being manipulated? If so, by whom, and why?
Production Year: 1999 - Drama - Director: Dick Maas - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: William Hurt, Jennifer Tilly, Denis Leary, Michael Chiklis, Francesca Brown
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1945 - Drama - Director: David Lean - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond
Advantages: Gene Hackman Disadvantages: Worst adaptation of a Grisham story
...couldn't wait to watch the Runaway Jury as I loved the book. DISAPPOINTED, is an understatement, the film does not follow the Grisham novel, and in the way they have adapted it, have made a film which has a plot which is so weak that at times I felt myself laughing at its implausibility. Saying that, I watched this with someone who had not read the novel, and they thought that it was a very engrossing and clever thriller.
The film ... ...disappointed.
Runaway Jury is only £5.97 on Amazon which is a fare price for the film.
=======
Trivia
=======
- This is Gene Hackman's and Dustin Hoffman's first film together. At the Pasadena Playhouse they were classmates and were both voted "Least Likely to Succeed". - Courtesy of IMDB
... more
When a lawyer is murdered in a gun massacre, his widow decides to take the gun manufacturer to court. She blames them for the murder, due towards their irresponsible attitude towards people owning guns. She hires Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), an idealistic and honest lawyer, to oversea the case for the prosecution. Pulling the strings on the defense team is ruthless jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) who is famed for achieving the desired results no matter what. With such a high profile case and with what could be a very expensive outcome, the importance of the perfect jury is crucial to both teams of lawyers. As the trial commences, the two teams are in for a huge shock, as they discover that there is one juror, Nicholas Easter (John Cusack) who is able to manipulate the jury in your favour, as long as the price is right. But as the trial comes towards an end, his motives along with his partners come into question.
On the front cover of my DVD it said "The best John Grisham adaptation since The Firm!". With this in mind I couldn't wait to watch the Runaway Jury as I loved the book. DISAPPOINTED, is an understatement, the film does not follow the Grisham novel, and in the way they have adapted it, have made a film which has a plot which is so weak that at times I felt myself laughing at its implausibility. Saying that, I watched this with someone who had not read the novel, and they thought that it was a very engrossing and clever thriller.
The film centers round a court case against one of America's biggest gun manufacturers where a juror has the power to control the jury, with his motivation being a huge payoff. In the Grisham novel, the court case is against a big tobacco giant, why they decided to change this is beyond me. The film is split into 2 sections. The first selection is the jury selection process and this is quite interesting as it shows the science behind how they pick juries. The second section is watching Nicholas Easter manipulate the jury, this is where the film goes down hill as the way he does this is not challenged and you are left to take it for granted. I would have thought that some of the things which happened would have caused the whole jury to be thrown out.
The casting and the characters in the film are also a bit disappointing as they are very much hit or miss. On the hit side is Gene Hackman (The Chamber) as Rankin Fitch. In my opinion his performance is the best in the film and he pretty much carries it on his shoulders. The only person to get anywhere near to his performance is Rachel Weisz (About a Boy) as Marlee, Nicholas Easter's co-conspirator. Up until now I had not been a huge fan of Weisz, but this film has changed my mind. On the miss side is John Cusack (The Grifters) as Nicholas Easter, the man on the inside with the cunning to change a juries mind. I honestly believe that Cusack did a good job, but the character he was portraying is to weak and does not come across as someone with the guile to manipulate a jury. Right at the bottom of the casting is Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) as the prosecuting lawyer, Wendell Rohr. Rohr's character is not really explored in the film and is a complete waste of the talented Mr Hoffman. The rest of the cast put in over acted performances which at times looked as if they came straight out of an amateur theatre production.
The film is directed by Gary Fleder who had previously directed "Kiss the Girls". I don't often say this, but I feel he could have done a heck of a lot better and made this a much better thriller. For some reason he has got some of the cast over acting, which is quite distracting. But not only that, between him and the four screen writers, yes four screen writers, he has adapted what is a very good novel with a solid story into a very weak film which leaves you feeling cheated. Another disappointment was the fact that the film has been set in New Orleans and not as in the book, Biloxi, Mississippi. Why they decided to relocate the story is again a mystery as it does not play a huge part in the film. Fleder's only saving graces in the film, are that he has kept the pace of the film at a decent level, and that he manages to keep you hanging on for the next plot twist.
= The Cast =======
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 Nick Searcy .... Doyle Stanley Anderson .... Henry Jankle Cliff Curtis .... Frank Herrera
======= Technical Details =============
Certificate: 15 Length: 122 mins
======================= The Message & Christian View Point =============================
There is a great message in the film about standing up for your principles. In the film Rohr has an opportunity to guarantee a win by buying the jury. But this goes against his principles and stands up for what he believes is right. Standing up for your principles is not always an easy choice, but not only does it make you a stronger person, it also stops you feeling like a cheat and the fraud and quite often you will get respect for your actions.
========== Conclusion & Rating ================
Personally I didn't find the film to be that great, but I'm sure my viewpoint is clouded by the fact that I had expected it to be like the Grisham novel. If I try and look at the film as not an adaptation of the book, then it is a reasonable thriller if not a little flawed. Sadly it is spoilt by a weak plot and some terrible over acting. All I can say is that if you have read the novel then give this film a miss or be prepared to be disappointed.
Runaway Jury is only £5.97 on Amazon which is a fare price for the film.= Trivia =======- This is Gene Hackman's and Dustin Hoffman's first film together. At the Pasadena Playhouse they were classmates and were both voted "Least Likely to Succeed". - Courtesy of IMDB
Advantages: Some good acting Disadvantages: Disappointing film adaptation - might be better if you watch before you read the book.
...all. Anyway, the film, The Runaway Jury, based on the equally titled book by John Grisham, came on television recently. I must be getting too keen as I actually decided to watch it just so that I could write this review! I have to admit reading the book has influenced my opinion on this film and therefore somewhat had an impact on my review. Perhaps I liked the film better before I knew how good the novel was. Story
There are some differences between ... ...really be condoning violence. The Runaway Jury has been rated 15, and I’m not sure why it didn’t make a 12 (I thought it was a 12 until I looked it up) although I doubt most teenagers or younger would be interested in this sort of film anyway. It really is aimed at a slightly older audience. There were no sexual scenes and I don't actually remember much swearing, so at least the film is not offensive! Conclusion
The second time I watched this film ...
Ayesha- 16.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Runaway Jury (DVD)
Advantages: John Cusack, great story Disadvantages: If you've read the book, it might be pants.
...off because it was crap. Runaway Jury (the film in question) is actually quite fabby. I know, I watched it later.
---The Film---
We begin in an office in America. Not surprisingly, everyone gets shot. Well it is in a bbfc 15 rated vision of America, what did you expect? The random shooting of our American buddies leads to the beginnings of a court case. Dustin Hoffman (or Dustpan Hoffbin as I shall be calling him for no reason other than boredom) ... ...side of the people who are dead. Gene Hackman (or Janine Pac-man, for the same reasons stated previously) would be on the side of the gun company having its sweet ass sued. I guess that makes him evil?
Now that we have established our good camps and bad camps, we get the task of choosing the jurors for the case. Nicholas Easter is to be one of them. That's Cusack by the way. While Pac-Man and Hoffbin are trying their best to win the jury over, with ...
ryanando 14.06.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Runaway Jury (DVD)
Advantages: Good acting and direction Disadvantages: Hoffman and Hackman don't spend enough time onscreen together
...it was announced that the Runaway Jury was due to be released as a film I decided to make the effort and see it. It’s one of the few books by him that I haven’t read, although it is buried deep within my to-read pile. So with very little to do on a Sunday night I chose to finally watch it.
Like so many of Grisham’s books it starts with a major event to set the story. It’s early Monday morning in the offices of a high profile ... ...an ex employee, sacked just one week before turns up and starts to kill his old co-workers. He starts to fire shots off around the office and after killing 12 people and injuring countless others he turns the gun on himself. We then fast forward a few months. The widow of one of the victims is suing the manufacturers of the gun that killed her husband for his death. She has called in Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), an anti gun lobbyist to fight her ...
Andy.mack 15.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Runaway Jury (DVD)
Advantages: entertaining film, well acted Disadvantages: it's been done before
The Runaway Jury:
If you have ever been called up for Jury Service in the UK you know that the first few days at least are pretty boring, sitting in a room potentially for a great portion of the day without your name being called. And even if you do get called there is no guarantee that you will sit on a jury. I've done Jury service twice and I was lucky enough to be called twice, I have to say that it was interesting.
As regular Joe public I've ... ...is not strictly true.
Runaway Jury is adapted from a book by John Grisham, the book tells the story of a woman that attempts to sue a tobacco company. The film has been altered, changing the tobacco company with a gun company. I assume that the screenwriters felt that guns would hold peoples interest more than cigarettes, and in my opinion they were right. This lead to a much more interesting opening scene with a lot more tension that if taken directly ...
sjp1966 13.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Runaway Jury (DVD)
Advantages: Thrilling edge of the seat drama! Disadvantages: Hollywood!
...few. So when I saw Runaway Jury as one of the choices on my return flight from New York, I knew I had to watch it, if the others were anything to go by, I would love it.
Set amidst some stunning scenery within the deep south of America, the gun capital of the world, the opening scenes are happy ones shared on a child’s birthday and then at the father’s office where he is asking for his secretary’s help with his child’s present, ... ...be something going on outside his office, gun shots can be heard, screaming, people running away frantically from the gun shots, panicking for their own safety, then silence, the scene ends.
Some time has passed, approximately eighteen months when we learn that the gunman was an ex employee of the company who turned the gun on himself after killing quite a few others in the building, the widow of the man we met at the opening scenes is taking the ...
herby30 05.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Runaway Jury (DVD)
During a trial there is a juror, on the inside, who has a girlfriend on the outside, and together they attempt to manipulate the outcome...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox
Release date
14/06/2004
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
24267 DVD
Barcode
5039036016698
Author
John Grisham
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Commentary - 1. Gary Fleder - Director, Featurette - 1. EXPLORING THE SCENE, 2. OFF THE CUFF, 3. THE ENSEMBLE, 4. THE MAKING-OF RUNAWAY JURY, 5. SHADOW & LIGHT, 6. A VISION OF NEW ORLEANS, 7. RHYTHM - THE CRAFT OF EDITING, Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary), Selected Scene Narration
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...The best John Grisham adaptation since THE FIRM..." (Daily Express, )
"...A good solid thriller..." (The Sun, )
DVD Description
Director Gary Fleder (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS) tackles best-selling novelist John Grisham's tale of jury manipulation in RUNAWAY JURY. Jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) can spin any jury in favour of his client. At least he always could before. But his latest job may turn out to be his most challenging. As an explosive civil case goes to trial in New Orleans, Fitch thinks he has arranged for the perfect jury and has the verdict sealed in favour of his client, a gun manufacturer. Soon, however, he starts receiving phone calls from the mysterious Marlee (Rachel Weisz), who claims that she can turn the jury any way she wants and--for a price--she'll spin it his way. Meanwhile, Marlee is making the same offer to the plaintiff's lawyer, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), a Southern gentleman who always plays by the rules. Marlee's insider is Juror No 9, Nick Easter (John Cusack), who is working with her to influence his fellow jurors. Are these two just in it for the money, or do they have another agenda
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