RUNAWAY JURY

US, 2003, 118 minutes, Colour.
John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz. Bruce Davison, Bruce Mc Gill, Nick Searcy, Cliff Curtis, Luis Gazman, Jennifer Beales.
Directed by Gary Fleder.

John Grisham usually writes a good yarn, a crime story as well as an attack on aberrations in the American legal system. Runaway Jury is no exception - and is an alarming picture of the lengths to which unscrupulous companies and individuals will go to to influence, manipulate and, if necessary, buy a jury.

The novel focused on the smoking-related cases but it has been changed here to the gun manufacturers. With The Insider in 1999 and, in fact, Grisham's own The Rainmaker, there has been strong film coverage of suits against the tobacco industry. With the recent spate of shootings in schools, offices and restaurants, the film is immediately relevant, a critique of interpretations of the Second Amendment which allows citizens to bear arms. One wonders whether there have been cases against companies making guns for damages for those killed in such massacres.

The film keeps quite close to the novel, John Cusack and Rachel Weisz playing the enigmatic juror and his associate being just as the novel presented them. In casting Gene Hackman as the expert brought in by companies to read juries and help them in their selection to win their case, the film-makers have moved from a clever but obnoxious Danny de Vito style fixer (akin to the role he played in The Rainmaker) and gone for elegant and supremely self-confident domination of all around him. Dustin Hoffman, playing the prosecutor, is lower-key but nonetheless persuasive as the ethical lawyer who is tempted by the manipulators. With such a good cast, as well as interesting performers like Cliff Curtis, Jennifer Beals and Luis Guzman as some of the jurors, it is hard to go wrong.

Director Gary Fleder has a flair for crime thrillers having made Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Kiss the Girls and Don't Say a Word.

1. The popularity of John Grisham's novels? The focus on crime, law, the processes? The targets of critique? The adaptation of a novel to the screen?

2. Audience interest in conspiracy theories, especially as regards the law, money, corruption?

3. The title and the expectations of the jury, the members, their behaviour? Decision?

4. The focus on the gun lobby, the quoting of the Second Amendment about citizens bearing arms? The manufacturers, the sales personnel, the smuggling of arms, illegal sales? The semi-automatics available? The wealthy powerbrokers in the industry? Their ability to buy a jury? To hire Fitch? Ruthlessness? The film's comment on the massacre at Gardiner, Illinois, the town taking the industry to the courts, their losing and becoming bankrupt?

5. The prevalence of massacres in the United States, offices, streets, restaurants, schools? The prologue, the home movies of the party, the parents, the child, the father going to work, the song for his son's birthday, the sudden shootings and the death of himself and his secretary? Information about the perpetrator, the sale of the gun, his killing himself, the reasons for his spree, his being sacked?

6. Celeste Wood as the widow, going to Rohr, the discussion about the case, the possible damages? The setting up of the trial?

7. The introduction to Nicholas Easter, as person, genial with people, his working in the shop, his being photographed? His apartment? Buying the candle in the voodoo shop, the encounter with Marlee, seeing her in the street, their meeting, their discussions, their plans?

8. The introduction to Fitch, his arrival, going into the headquarters, the team, his harsh attitudes, immediately making judgments? Dapper, self-confident?

9. The introduction to Rohr, his sense of justice, a man of the South, his suit and poor clothing - with Fitch laughing at him? Setting the scene, the jury expert, meeting him, pleading his case, pursuing him to the car, hired?

10. The surveillance of the jurors, the photos, at work, the data, the information, their secrets? The team's ability to dig further? The assessment by Fitch and his team, the assessment by Rohr's assistant? Fitch and his giving reasons for the suitability, the psychological make-up, sympathy?

11. The hearings, the judge, each of the jurors being interrogated, Cable and his being the front for the team, the microphone and his being guided as whom to accept or not? The potential juror and the demonstration against guns and his being taken from the court? Fitch's comment on Nick, seeing him as a clown, letting him be a juror?

12. The hearing, the giving of evidence, the interrogation of the witnesses, the gun seller, the gun dealer? The shop? The gun industry paying for trips as bonus complements? The later interrogation of the chief executive, audience having seen him with Fitch, his ruthlessness, with his companions deciding how much money could be put in the pool? Rohr needling him? The techniques of each of the counsellors in interrogation? Their speeches to the jury? How persuasive? How just?

13. The jury itself, Frank wanting to take over, Nick proposing the blind juror as the head? The vote? Frank losing power? Nicholas and his establishing himself as an influence, manipulation? His capacity to listen? Noticing detail? The stopping of the lunch order, his taking over, going to see the judge, their getting a lunch on the judge? His possibility of getting rid of a juror, the drinking, his taking the blame with the judge, the judge seeing the lipstick and dismissing the juror? The further pressure on individual jurors, the woman who had had an abortion, the man with AIDS, Millie and her rogue estate agent husband? In the bar, wanting to talk with the man with AIDS, listening to the woman who had the abortion, listening to Millie? Her attempted suicide? Lonnie and the promotion for his own supermarket? The investigation of the others? Their talk, friendships or not, the dynamics of the jury?

14. Marlee and her phone calls, to Fitch, to Rohr? Her threats, her wanting to sell the jury? Their proving their power by getting rid of the juror, by the sequestering of the jury? Their set-up of the meeting with Fitch, the false Marlee in the restaurant, the surveillance, her telling him to go onto the streetcar, their discussions, her nervousness afterwards? The proposal of the money? Ringing Rohr, his deciding that he would ask his company for the money? Fitch asking the executives for his money?

15. Audience enjoying the power games and threats, Nick and his going home, the man pretending to be fixing his apartment? The return for the computer, finding it on the floor, setting fire? Rohr's assistant seeing this and telling him? Their getting more information about Nick, Cincinnati, his being on juries? Going to the home town, the university professor and the explanation of his background? Pretending to want a house, going to see Marlee's mother, the story of Gaby and Margaret? The massacre, Nick and his response, the deaths, the court case, the motivation for his and Marlee's behaviour?

16. Fitch, supreme self-confidence, the false Marlee? Going on the streetcar, the confrontation with Marlee, his assumed domination of her? Nick coming out of the motel and discussing with him? Their agreement? Rohr deciding against any payment for a jury? Trusting to the processes of justice? Reassuring Celeste Wood? His disappointments in the courtroom, their putting pressure on his main witness and his not appearing?

17. Nick, the confrontations with Frank, Frank and his military service, always talking about it, Nick needling him and his outburst in the jury room about not giving any cent to Mrs Wood? The others listening, his winning them over, telling Fitch that they voted with the heart? The verdict, the high damages?

18. Fitch, in the courtroom, listening, his assistant, Marlee and her warning that there was a robbery going on in their headquarters and their having to close up? His loss, financial, reputation, the fact that he was the adviser in the Gardiner case? Nick and Marlee confronting him?

19. The ending, Nick and Marlee watching the kids in the playground, Rohr watching them and smiling?

20. Themes of the law, the possibility of corruption, buying juries, emotional blackmail? The courts, the law, justice being seen to be done?