Review of Runaway Jury (2003) by Rafael D — 28 Apr 2009

Weak. Dispite some solid perofrmances (especially by greats Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman) the script scuttles the whole thing. Story goes like this...Man shoots up his office, 2 years later the widow of one of the victims sues the gun manufacturer for damages with idealistic Hoffman as her lawyer. Gun company hires Hackman to insure the jury votes in their favor, John Cusack and Rachel Weisz offer to sell the jury to the highest bidder...

SPOILERS AHEAD YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

The film is at its best when everyone sans Hoffman is acting like a right amoral bastard in it only for the money, the movie quickly and fatally decides to give Cusack and Weisz a conscience, then turn the whole thing into some elaborate revenge scheme, which could have worked if it was revealed at the begging of the movie instead of the end, though to be honest the scenes where Cusack and Weisz arn't being mercenary don't carry much weight. And the movie concludes with a guilty verdict despite 2 massive plot holes. Plot hole 1: Why when the outcome was uncertain (and one of his boys had roughed up Weisz) didn't Hackman call shennagins and have a mistrail declared? The gun company has butt loads of cash, Hoffman and Widow don't and Hackman would be able to keep Cusack off any future jurys. Plot hole 2 is the biggest. They never actually prove the gun company did anything wrong or was negligent. Yes the gun shop owner letting the illegal dealer by 100 guns a month was negligent but at no point do they prove that the manufacturer was aware of this practice (basically both sides in this movie have said fuck the law to quote Cliff Curtis' character). Me thinks someone in production was to quick to inject the gun control message into the film (I hear the novel this is based on had a Tobacco Company as the defendant), which is fine but if you can't make it convincing file it away for another film.

Verdict: Much better films to spend your time with.

Humble Suggestions for improvement: Drop the anti-gun angle and stick to the Jury manipulation angle, if its a revenge film let us know at the begging, if its not make sure Hoffman was the only idealist in the film well Hackman, Cusack and Weisz remain bastards.