I’m a fairly avid reader, and as such I have several authors I name as amongst my favorites. When it comes to the world of courtrooms and lawyers, you generally can’t find much better than John Grisham. Books like “The Firm”, “The Pelican Brief” and “Runaway Jury” reside on my shelves along with most of the rest of his work. So far there have been several films made from his writings and to date I can’t think of one that wasn’t a real good nail-biter. The most recent book-to-film was that last one I mentioned, “Runaway Jury.” I caught it recently on DVD and am happy to say that the Grisham momentum is still going strong. The film version of “Runaway Jury” focuses on a landmark trial that pits the common man against the gun manufacturer. The story is set in motion by the death of a day trader who is killed by an ex-employee on a murderous rampage. Years later, the man’s widow seeks justice through the court system and wants to lay blame on the gun industry.

The two warring attorneys, played by Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman soon find out that they are not only up against each other, but persons unknown who seem to have the power to sway the jury in whichever direction they choose.

I thought it was important to mention above that that description was for the film version of the story. Oddly enough, the book has one main difference and that is that it is not the gun industry that is put on trial, but the cigarette manufacturers. This is indeed a big difference, but fortunately it does not take away from the power of the story.

“Runaway Jury” also stars John Cusack and Rachel Weisz, and though neither is really a match for the sheer acting abilities of Hackman or Hoffman, do a fairly good job with their roles. When they are in their own scenes they are fine, but when they share screen time with the two aforementioned powerhouses, that’s when you can tell they are slightly out of their element.

What is so great about “Runaway Jury” is that it takes what could be a simple courtroom drama and turns it into a taught suspense film, where very little can be second guessed. Everytime you think things are going one way, something happens to completely turn the tables. At no point is it obvious who will win or who will lose. And beyond that there is little black or white as far as the characters, everyone has either something to hide, or has an agenda a bit different that what it seems on the surface. Even the subject itself has no easy answers. After watching the movie I had a few debates with friends over the responsibility of the gun manufacturers in certain cases.

The DVD release of “Runaway Jury” is quite the powerhouse itself. Aside from the pristine transfer, there are features upon features. The main commentary is above average in terms of delivery. Delivered by director Gary Fleder, it is full great stories and technical info. Then there are two scene specific commentaries, one each, by Hoffman and Hackman which are a real treat. There are also two deleted scenes with optional commentary by Fleder, which will certainly be of interest to those into deleted scenes.

Moving on to the second screen of extras, we find two opportunities to hear from Hoffman and Hackman again as they are interviewed in two lengthy features. One focuses mainly on the terrific bathroom face off between their two characters, while the other is more about their acting together for the first time in general. Following these is feature that allows us to hear from Cusack and Weisz about their thoughts on the characters and the film itself. Then there is a featurettes that offers an overall look at the entire production which includes more interviews with the cast and crew, while three other additional features about the cinematography, production design and editing close out the disc.

Aside from the changes from the book, “Runaway Jury” turned out to be a really good film that was well-worth the 2 hours it took to watch it. The extra features on the DVD make it a must have for fans of Hoffman and Hackman, whose first time onscreen together I found to be far superior to the letdown that the famous pair up of DeNiro and Pacino in “Heat” was.

Directed by: Gary Fleder
Starring: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Bruce Davison, Bruce McGill, Jeremy Piven, Nick Searcy
Extras: Audio Commentary by Director Gary Fleder, Scene Specific Commentary by Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman, Deleted Scenes with Commentary, 5 Additional Featurettes
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 2/17/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (For violence, Language and Thematic Elements)
Website

We'll give Runaway Jury an A.