Runaway Jury

A widow in New Orleans sues a gun manufacturer over her husband's death, and the case becomes a high-stakes battle over the jury itself. Wendell Rohr, the plaintiffs' lawyer, argues the case on principle, while the defense is effectively run by Rankin Fitch, a jury consultant who works from a command centre and uses questionable methods to shape the panel. Into this contest steps Nicholas Easter, a juror who proves harder to read than the rest, and Marlee, a woman who claims she can deliver the verdict to whichever side pays. What follows is a contest of manipulation in which the trial's outcome matters less than who controls it.

Gary Fleder directed, working from a screenplay by Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Matthew Chapman. It was his fifth feature, arriving between Impostor and The Express. John Cusack plays Nicholas, Gene Hackman plays Fitch, Dustin Hoffman plays Rohr and Rachel Weisz plays Marlee, with Bruce Davison and Bruce McGill among a credited cast of 84.

Made for around 60 million dollars, the film took roughly 80 million worldwide. It holds a 7.1 rating on IMDb from about 121,000 votes and a 6.9 on TMDB from a much smaller base, while critics' reviews average 6.8. The gap between the two audience scores suggests the film has travelled less widely than its IMDb tally implies.