The runaway jury is set in the courtroom of what promises to be a landmark big tobacco trial that could deal a fatal blow to the good folks who make, advertise, and sell cancer sticks. To ask other readers questions about the runaway jury, please sign up. Enter rankin fitch gene hackman, one shady jury consultant bent on protecting his clients interests, in this case the gun manufacturer, by any means necessary, even if its by exposing the vulnerabilities of potential. Its a thriller for people who think, and jesse helms wont like it one bit. The runaway jury is a legal thriller novel written by american author john grisham. A 20th century fox release of a regency enterprises presentation of a new regency production. Many of his novels have been turned into films, securing his place as a highly successful crime writer. Her lawyer argues that the firm in question knew the shop which sold the weapon was not following federal regulations. What makes the runaway jury his most rewarding novel to date is that it is fully enlisted in an issue of substance, in which arguments of genuine pith are hammered out and resolved in a manner that is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying. The runaway jury explores the theme of jury corruption during a highprofile tobacco trial. A mysterious young man takes subtle control of the jury as.
Courtroom thriller runaway jury packs allstar cast 20031018. He wants to go home and sit in his barcalounger and let the cable tv wash over him. Runaway jury but one which nonetheless plays a major role in any big trial is the influence of the media. Oct 17, 2003 but you start longing for a gray area. Fitch foresees the selection of the lawyers and consultants. A john grisham novel the runaway jury book summary. Character profile for rankin fitch from the runaway jury page 1.
When nick easter john cusack gets a summons to jury duty, he reacts, as most of us do, with reluctance and a fervent desire not to get chosen for the case. The widow has hired the traditional, decent wendell rohr dustin hoffman to represent her, and the gun manufacturer is defended by a lawyer named durwood cable bruce davison, who is the instrument of the evil, brilliant jury consultant rankin. Novelist john grisham is nothing if not adored by hollywood actors and directors gene hackman, whose role in runaway jury is his third in a grisham film, gushes, he writes highly dramatic kinds of scenes for actors and we like that. The story gives us a peek into what goes on behind the scenes of a news mediasaturated trial. The storys suspense builds like that of a lengthening cigarette ash that. Rankin fitch gene hackman is a highly successful and pricey jury consultant whose firm investigates potential jurors to such a fine degree that they can pretty much help their clients choose a jury that will vote their way.
These predictions come true leaving fitch to wonder if there is a person on the inside. A juror on the inside and a woman on the outside manipulate a court trial involving a major gun manufacturer. Pearson longman released the graded reader edition in 2001. His opponent is ostensibly the attorney representing the corporation. Jul 25, 2001 the runaway jury is a courtroom drama set in new orleans. Rankin fitch, a shady consultant who has directed eight successful trials for the tobacco industry, has placed a camera in the courtroom in order to observe the. It still would have been to nice to see them show more of nicholas easter and the other jury members though. But when juror nicholas easter john cusack and his girlfriend, marlee. The hardcover first edition was published by doubleday books in 1996. The story starts with the very laborious job of jury selection. Runaway jury 2003 gene hackman as rankin fitch imdb.
The verdict is out on a tobacco case, and the decision lies in the hand of one man. Enter also a mysterious juror, nicholas easter, whom fitchs army of jury investigators and manipulators cant quite seem to trackand his equally mysterious girlfriend marlee, who soon shows fitch she knows even more about whats happening in the jury room than he does. Runaway jury grisham legal thriller has some surprises by robert roten, film critic. Everything is going well until they get mysterious calls from a marlee who tells them predictions of the next day like the jury will perform the pledge of allegience. In runaway jury, gene hackman plays rankin fitch, a ruthless expert. Rankin fitch, a shady advisor who has coordinated eight effective trials for the tobacco business, has put a camera in the court keeping in mind the end goal to. Rankins job is to illegally spy on the jurors and ensure the verdict goes in the firearms manufacturers favor, which proves more difficult than he expected when. A miserly jury picker by the name of rankin fitch picks his jury and the case is ready to begin. I like that the focus of the movie is outside of the courtroom. Runaway jury, this latest grisham adaptation, fits that bill nicely. If the jury finds the manufacturer liable in this case, it will open the door countless other lawsuits.
Produced by arnon milchan, gary fleder, christopher mankiewicz. The runaway jury fits with most of grishams other novels in the thriller genre, a category he defines in an oft quoted interview 1993. Runaway jury is a 2003 film adaptation of the john grisham novel the runaway jury, directed by gary fleder and starring john cusack, rachel weisz, gene hackman, and dustin hoffman 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. The hardcover first edition was published by doubleday books in 1996 isbn 0385472943. The runaway jury is a legal thriller about jury corruption and manipulation of a verdict. The runaway jury is a captivating thriller by john grisham who is well known for his legal thrillers, particularly the pelican brief, the client, and a time to kill. Its about a monumental civil lawsuit waged by gunshot victim celeste wood against gttech, the manufacturer of the lady auto handgun. The novel was published again in 2003 to coincide with the release of runaway jury, a movie adaptation of the novel starring gene hackman, dustin hoffman, john cusack and rachel weisz. Fitch is far too deferential, not nearly so explosive as the man in the novel. 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. The legal business in the runaway jury is straightforward enough. Celeste wood is suing the cigarette manufacturers she claims caused her husbands death.
The runaway jury starts out as a great book, slows down, but ends strong. You take a sympathetic hero or heroine, an ordinary. Although durwood cable bruce davison represents the defendants, the real power in the trial lies with rankin fitch gene hackman, a jury consultant who. One normal, busy monday morning, a depressed employee walks into his former office and shoots everyone in. Rohr meets his nemesis rankin fitch gene hackman, a jury selection. Rankin fitch, who administers the fund, has gathered the men together. During jury selection, jury consultant rankin fitch and his team communicate background. This is another john grisham book adapted to the screen. October 17, 2003 runaway jury is a courtroom suspense movie with an allstar cast and a surprise ending that works pretty well despite some problems with the script. Rohr dustin hoffman against shady jury consultant rankin fitch gene hackman. Rankin fitch, which they use, by any means they can, to win their court. Even the ceos of the tobacco companies, for the purposes of the trial, answer to him. Bwhen the widow of the victim of an office shooting takes the gun manufacturer to court, the high stakes trial draws jury selection specialist rankin fitch gene hackman, who guarantees a win to the defendant for a multimillion dollar price tag and lawrence green jeremy piven, a morally motivated upstart who sells his services to prosecuting attorney wendell rohr dustin. They have to play with both sides the plaintiff and the defense and go up against a cunning jury consultant rankin fitch who is an expert in jury manipulations.
The runaway jury follows the case of celeste wood, the widow of jacob wood, who has died from lung cancer after years of smoking three packs of bristols a day, versus pynex, one of the big four tobacco companies in the united states. When satisfied that the entire building was aware of his presence and terrified of his movements, fitch left. Runaway jury registers high on the implausibility meter, but its so well executed that its no great inconvenience to play along. Stay informed about books like the runaway jury and more from penguin random house. In reality, defense counsel is only the front man for rankin fitch gene hackman, a brilliant and ruthless jury consultant. When satisfied that the entire building was aware of his presence and terrified of his movements, fitch. The real action, though, the convoluted million dollar and mostly illegal shenanigans swirling around that courtroom, is what makes this book a bonafide page. When the jurors were selected to be in a landmark tobacco trial in biloxi, mississippi no one expected the jury to have some controlling and manipulation their verdict. Runaway jury is a 2003 film adaptation of the john grisham novel the runaway jury, directed by gary fleder and starring john cusack, rachel weisz, gene hackman, and dustin hoffman.
His purpose, in exchange for a multimillion dollar price tag for a fee, is to guarantee that the jury selected will side with the defense. One thing that i liked much more about the book is that you get a more indepth view of how much rankin fitch and his team go after the jury to try and secure. I also heard that rankin fitch is a lot more of a bastard in the book, but gene hackman still brought that assholeness to the. Even when the story specifics and the supporting characters arent always at the top of their game, the four sterling lead actors are. Pearson longman released the graded reader edition in 2001 isbn 058243405x. For the powerhungry ferocity of gene hackmans rankin fitch and the virtuous, quietly imploding force of dustin hoffmans wendell rohr alone, runaway jury is worth seeing. Whether such tactics have grown to such a degree as those employed by rankin fitch gene hackman, an amoral jury consultant in runaway. Martin jankle, ceo of pynex, the defendant in the latest bout of litigation. Additionally, the conduct of the attorneys can be a factor in influencing a jury s verdict. Fitch updates the men on the progress of the case, reassuring a nervous d. Runaway jury makes good use of paranoia baltimore sun. Gene hackman plays rankin fitch, preeminent jury expert and an uncanny.
Based on john grishams novel of the same name, runaway jury is the type of legal drama we hope is not remotely true. Runaway jury follows a groundbreaking lawsuit in the widow of a man shot and killed by his distraught coworker sues the gun manufacturer for bearing some responsibility because it made it too easy for a disturbed person to buy and use a gun. Nicholas easter is a juror with a girlfriend, marlee, on the outside. Runaway jury is a story, which takes place in new orelans, about a conspiracy to buy the jury of a high profile wrongful death suit against a gun manufacturer.
In the book he is the man heading up the defense, in charge of the lawyers, jury consultants, witnesses, everybody. And as has become custom and practice in the legal field, the defense has money to burn and will use every means and every dollar at its disposal to break the plaintiff and her counsel, including bringing in rankin fitch, one of the most ruthless jury consultants in the country. Every jury has a leader, and the verdict belongs to him. Each perspective juror is investigated and watched. It is frightening to contemplate the measures rankin fitch gene hackman goes to in coercing jurors for his own ends. Runaway jury the catholic leaderthe catholic leader. It is an adaptation of john grishams 1996 novel the runaway jury. Oct 16, 2003 that the grisham book runaway jury dealt with the tobacco industry and the film deals with gun control is irrelevant. Lets sum up the ups and downs of this book really quick.
And although its familiar ground for those familiar with this type of movie, it is nevertheless, highly entertaining. The runaway jury follows the case of celeste wood, the widow of jacob wood, who has died from lung cancer after years of smoking three packs of bristols a day, versus pynex, one of the big four tobacco companies in the united states although the case has been filed four years ago, we enter the story just weeks before jury selection, when both sides are frantically trying to discover as much. Millions of dollars are at stake in a huge tobaccocompany case in biloxi, and the jurys packed with people who have dirty little secrets. As the case goes to trial, the firearm manufacturer takes no chances on the outcome, and they hire rankin fitch, a jury consultant who makes. Fitch and the consultants foresee the selection of the jurors. What are he and his secretary trying to figure out. In a small town in mississippi, celeste wood, widow of a lifelong smoker, is suing a tobacco company for his premature death at age fiftythree. The books original plot involved a tobacco company in atlanta, and a few twists and turns aside. In biloxi, mississippi, a landmark tobacco trial with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake begins routinely, then swerves mysteriously off course. To earn the money, though, the firm had to endure the tyranny and ruthlessness of rankin fitch. Enter rankin fitch, a dark genius of jury fixing, who has won many such trials for the tobacco companies and who foresees no special problems here. Oct 17, 2003 rankin fitch is the jury consultant for the defendants and between them the battle is for the hearts and minds of the jury. The firm had been handpicked by fitch himself, and it would earn millions in fees because of this selection. He wants to go home and sit in his barcalounger and let the cable tv.
Runaway jury has its weak parts, but its a worthy viewing, and its a bit underrated as well, it may not be the best courtroom drama, but its not the worst either. Book overview this description may be from another edition of this product. At a hightech command center set up in an old french quarter warehouse, fitch and his team work on the surveillance and assessment of potential jurors. They write great books and then hollywood turns them into utter drivel. The tobacco industry has on their payroll a man by the name of rankin fitch. Oct 17, 2003 the case involves a widow who is suing a gun manufacturer because her husband was killed in an office massacre involving an easilyobtained weapon. Runaway jury is a 2003 american legal thriller film directed by gary fleder and starring john cusack, gene hackman, dustin hoffman, and rachel weisz.
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