Star cast carries 'Mystic River'

By Nathan Hathaway

John Grisham is a literary genius, a master of the law-based novel. And movies based on his books are almost always winners.

His résumé of books-turned-movies is impressive to say the least. “The Firm.” “The Pelican Brief.” “A Time to Kill.” “The Chamber.” “The Rainmaker.” “The Client.”

Now there’s a new one to add to the list. “Runaway Jury.”

“ Runaway Jury” stars John Cusack as Nicholas Easter, a regular, everyday schlub who works at a video game store in the mall.

When Easter gets called in for jury duty, he looks for any way possible to wiggle his way out of having to perform his civic duty. Or so it seems. Easter, of course, is selected to serve on the jury.

Meanwhile, infamous jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), hired by the defense to ensure a favorable verdict, is digging up dirt on each prospective juror, finding how he can blackmail him or her. “Everybody has a secret they don’t want you to find,” Fitch says. “Find something on every one of them.”

Fitch is a master at finding how he can manipulate people. And when all else fails, just buy a verdict. Everyone has a price.

Fitch’s most telling line: “Trials are too important to be left up to juries.”

Things get interesting when Easter and his girlfriend, Marlee (Rachel Weisz), decide they are going to spin the jury from the inside—for a price. Marlee contacts Fitch and lets him know who’s really in charge.

It becomes a crazy back-and-forth battle as Marlee plays both sides.

“ Runaway Jury” creates a suspenseful atmosphere unparalleled in recent memory. The audience can’t figure out which way the jury will vote. Who’s really in charge of the jury? Can Fitch truly buy this verdict? Can he strongarm enough jury members to make things go his way? Does Easter have the power to spin the group? How will it all play out? The trial itself turns the audience into a de facto jury. The viewer is forced to decide which way he or she would vote.

Cusack turns in a very good performance as the juror who does his best to look objective when, in reality, he’s playing the jury, making sure it votes the way he wants.

Hackman is great as Fitch. Fitch is soul-less and was born without a conscience. He will do whatever needs to be done to win the trial for his clients. It doesn’t matter whom he has to step on or whose life he ruins in the process.

Dustin Hoffman plays the ill-fated prosecutor, Wendall Rohr. Everyone knows he doesn’t have much of a chance when the defense has Fitch on its side. But he still manages to stay in the game and make his client’s case winable.

Weisz plays a shrewd, conniving girl determined to outwit Rankin and spin the jury her way, whether either lawyer wants to cooperate or not.

“ Runaway Jury” provides the audience with two hours of movie-going bliss. Suspense. Betrayal. Intimidation. Bribery. Blackmail.

Based on an excellent book and armed with an excellent cast, “Runaway Jury” turns out to be an excellent movie.

And fortunately, a lot of Grisham’s books have not yet made the transition to the big screen. Movie fans have a lot to look forward to.

Final Grade: B