History Film / RunawayJury

* TheArtifact: In the original novel the Lawsuit of the Week had the plaintiff suing a tobacco company for her husband's death from smoking-related illness. The movie retains a number of references to the pros and cons of smoking (e.g. TheProtagonist telling a neighbor that he should quit), which are a leftover from the source material.

** The point of this is that if said juror [[spoiler: really is neutral, they can get him to win the case for them. This is quicker and simpler than derailing the court proceedings.]]

''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 film adaptation of the Creator/JohnGrisham novel ''The Runaway Jury'', directed by Gary Fleder and starring Creator/JohnCusack, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/GeneHackman, and Creator/DustinHoffman.

''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 film adaptation of the Creator/JohnGrisham novel ''The Runaway Jury''. It stars Creator/JohnCusack, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/GeneHackman, and Creator/DustinHoffman.

* TheGhost: We never see the whistle-blower who knew Vicksburg Firearms didn't care about criminals getting their guns. [[WordOfGod Director Gary Fleder]] explained if we saw the whistle-blower played by a name actor, we would wonder how Fitch got to him and where he went. It is kept vague, other than Rorh angrily asking Fitch if the witness was bribed or his family was threatened..

** Fitch's line stating that "this man doesn't give a single, solitary droplet of shit about truth, justice or your American way" is a reference to {{Superman}}. Gene Hackman, who plays Fitch, used to play LexLuthor in Film/{{Superman}} films.

** Those would be [[Franchise/{{BIONICLE}} some Bohrok-Kal]] in the opening.

** One replacement juror is named [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} Lydia Deets]].

A failed day trader in New Orleans, Louisiana shows up at his former workplace with a semiautomatic handgun and opens fire on the employees, killing several of them before turning the gun on himself. Two years later, Celeste Wood, the widow of one of the victims, claims that the gun manufacturer's negligence led to her husband's death and takes them to court, represented by DA Wendell Rohr (Hoffman).

Defending the gun manufacturer is attorney Durwood Cable (Bruce Davison), backed by jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Hackman) and his team of over a dozen employees, who set up an extensive surveillance system in the back of an abandoned costume shop to relay instructions to Cable in the courtroom. Fitch's team gather intelligence on the potential jurors for the case, including easy-going video game store clerk Nicholas Easter (Cusack). Fitch tries to manipulate the selection process to stack the jury with people likely to vote for acquittal, but Easter baits the judge into putting him on the jury to give him a lesson in civic duty.

* AdaptationalHeroism: While Rohr represents the "good" side in the original novel, it also explains how he is also manipulating the jury with his simple, country lawyer act in the same way that the antagonists are. In the film he is much more honest and only has one jury advisor who asked to work with him.

* DecoyProtagonist: Deconstructed down to the core with a character who is introduced as a protagonist, and then promptly [[DroppedABridgeOnHim killed]].
* GoodIsNotNice: Subverted with Nicholas, but played straight with Marlee. She treats Rohr with the same disdain with which she treats Fitch.
* HiddenDepths: Herman Grimes was almost booted off Jury Duty because of his blindness, but once he threw his knowledge of the law in the judge's face, he was accepted. It was this event that caused the Jury to vote him as Foreman.

* JuryDuty: {{Subverted|Trope}}. The protagonist uses ObfuscatingStupidity and gives the judge all these trivial excuses not to serve as part of a BatmanGambit to make sure he is selected.

** Doyle works for the defense. He's sent to find out some information about someone on the jury. Near the climax of the movie, his boss (played by Gene Hackman) tells Doyle he needs information before the jury deliberates. Doyle blows him off and continues to investigate, which makes no sense at all. Instead of [[spoiler: telling his employer that the jurist is using an assumed name, which would get him thrown off the jury, Doyle continues to investigate as if finding out what the juror's motivation is would be more important than winning the case.]]

* SimpleCountryLawyer: Creator/DustinHoffman plays this as DA Wendell Rohr, against Creator/GeneHackman's jury rigger Rankin Fitch.

* DecoyProtagonist: Deconstructed down to the core with a character who is introduced as a protagonist, and than promptly [[DroppedABridgeOnHim killed]].

* BlandNameProduct: Vicksburg Firearms. They dolled up a handgun with a [[NoKillLikeOverkill 36 round magazine]] for the film.

->'''Finch:''' You think your average juror is King Solomon? No! He's a roofer with a mortgage. He wants to go home and sit in his Barcalounger and let the cable TV wash over him. And this man doesn't give a single, solitary droplet of shit about truth, justice or your American way.\\

'''Finch:''' [[HumansAreFlawed My point, exactly.]]

''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 film adaptation of the Creator/JohnGrisham novel ''The Runaway Jury''. It starred Creator/JohnCusack, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/GeneHackman, and Creator/DustinHoffman.

* DamselFightAndFlightResponse: Marlee hit the guy twice and, when he still catches her before she manages to escape, she stabbed his leg with a piece of wood.

* GoodIsNotNice: Subverted with Nicholas, but played straight with Marlee. She treats Rhor with the same disdain she treats Fitch.

** Super Lawyer: Gene Hackman. He's evil, has a command center filled with computer screens, and apparently capable of quickly breaking into encrypted files.
** Dream Team: Dustin Hoffman and the two conspiring protagonists. In real life, it would mean serious prison time if caught (just as with Hackman's own attempted jury tampering.)

* SimpleCountryLawyer: Creator/DustinHoffman plays this as the DA, against Creator/GeneHackman's jury rigger character.

''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 film adaptation of the Creator/JohnGrisham novel ''The Runaway Jury''. I starred Creator/JohnCusack, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/GeneHackman, and Creator/DustinHoffman.

-->--''Film/RunawayJury''

''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 film adaptation of the Creator/JohnGrisham novel ''The Runaway Jury''.

** [[HistoryMarchesOn Currently,]] it's not actually possible to sue a firearms manufacturer for criminal misuse of their products, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_of_Lawful_Commerce_in_Arms_Act thanks to Congress.]]