The Juror

Last updated

The Juror
The Juror.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Brian Gibson
Screenplay by Ted Tally
Based onThe Juror
by George Dawes Green
Produced by Irwin Winkler
Starring
Cinematography Jamie Anderson
Edited byRobert M. Reitano
Music by James Newton Howard
Production
company
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • February 2, 1996 (1996-02-02)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$44 million [1]
Box office$63 million [2]

The Juror is a 1996 American legal thriller film based on the 1995 novel by George Dawes Green. [3] It was directed by Brian Gibson and stars Demi Moore as a single mother picked for jury duty for a mafia trial and Alec Baldwin as a mobster sent to intimidate her. The film received highly negative reviews and Moore won a joint Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for both her performance in this film and in Striptease .

Contents

Plot

Annie Laird is a New York City sculptor who lives with her son Oliver and works a day job as a data entry clerk. Annie is selected to be a juror in the trial of crime boss Louie Boffano, who is accused of ordering the murders of federal informant Salvatore Riggio, his wife and his young son Tommy.

A rich tourist, Mark Cordell, buys some of Annie's artwork and then wines and dines her before she discovers he is better known as "The Teacher," Boffano's enforcer and the man responsible for the Riggio murders. Mark tells Annie to persuade the jury to acquit Boffano, or she and Oliver will die. Eddie then sent Mark's car with a victim over a cliff, further frightening Annie convincing jury to acquit Boffano through sheer force of personality and persuasiveness.

After the trial, Boffano questions whether Annie should "disappear", seeing her as a loose end. Mark convinces Boffano otherwise, as he has become obsessed with her. After having sex with Annie's close friend Juliet, Mark reveals himself to be Annie's stalker. He pulls a gun and forces Juliet to take a fatal drug overdose. Mark boasts of the murder to fellow gangster Eddie, who proves to be sympathetic to Annie as he is a parent himself and increasingly disturbed by Mark's behavior.

To ensure her son's safety, Annie buys a ticket for him to T'ui Cuch, a rural village in Guatemala where she had previously studied artwork with the local community. The prosecutor on Boffano's case, who figured out Annie was threatened, wants Annie to turn state's witness so they can go after Mark, as they suspect him of planning to murder his boss.

Annie convinces the prosecutor to let her wear a wire before calling Mark to reciprocate his affections. Annie then secretly gives Eddie the wire, insinuating she and Mark are now a couple and that she does not want him to be arrested. With Eddie's help, she tricks Mark into incriminating himself in a boastful rant about his ambitions, which she tapes and gives to Boffano. The boss then orders Mark to a meeting where he will be whacked.

Boffano's plan backfires when Mark, seizing the opportunity, kills Boffano with a car bomb and guns down his son Joseph, before cutting Eddie's throat. Mark, furious at Annie's betrayal, calls her and reveals his intention to travel to Guatemala to kill Oliver.

Annie travels to Guatemala where there is a showdown with Mark. He chases Oliver into a structure, where the locals are able to ambush and disable Mark. Annie gets hold of his gun, and when Mark tries to pull a weapon from his ankle holster, she kills him in a blind frenzy. Oliver is unharmed, and he and his mother return home.

Cast

Production

Columbia Pictures acquired the film rights to the unpublished book for $1.5 million. They then paid Ted Tally over $1 million to write the screenplay. [4]

Reception

Critical response

The Juror was a critical failure. It holds a 22% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The site's consensus states: "Self-serious despite its abundance of trite twists, The Juror is a drab thriller that audiences may hold in contempt." [5] Moore won a joint Razzie Award for Worst Actress for both her performance in this film and in Striptease . She was also nominated for the same joint award at the 1996 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards but lost to Whoopi Goldberg for Theodore Rex , Eddie , and Bogus . Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B+" on a scale of A+ to F. [6]

Box office

The film grossed $22.7 million in the United States and Canada and $63 million worldwide, [7] [2] against its $44 million budget.

Related Research Articles

<i>From Hell</i> Graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

From Hell is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1998. The full collection was published in 1999 by Top Shelf Productions.

<i>12 Angry Men</i> (1957 film) 1957 American film by Sidney Lumet

12 Angry Men is a 1957 American legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet in his feature directorial debut, adapted by Reginald Rose from his 1954 teleplay. A critique of the American jury system during the McCarthy Era, the film tells the story of a jury of twelve men as they deliberate the conviction or acquittal of a teenager charged with murder on the basis of reasonable doubt; disagreement and conflict among the jurors forces them to question their morals and values. It stars an ensemble cast, featuring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, E. G. Marshall, and Jack Warden.

<i>Witness for the Prosecution</i> (1957 film) 1957 American film by Billy Wilder

Witness for the Prosecution is a 1957 American legal mystery thriller film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, and Elsa Lanchester. The film, which has elements of bleak black comedy and film noir, is a courtroom drama set in the Old Bailey in London and is based on the 1953 play of the same title by Agatha Christie. The first film adaptation of Christie's story, Witness for the Prosecution was adapted for the screen by Larry Marcus, Harry Kurnitz, and Wilder. The film was acclaimed by critics and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It also received five Golden Globes nominations including a win for Elsa Lanchester as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Additionally, the film was selected as the sixth-best courtroom drama ever by the American Film Institute for their AFI's 10 Top 10 list.

<i>Charlies Angels: Full Throttle</i> 2003 American film by McG

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film directed by McG and written by John August, and Cormac and Marianne Wibberley. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels and the second film in the Charlie's Angels trilogy, which is a continuation of the story that began with the television series of the same name by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts.

<i>G.I. Jane</i> 1997 film by Ridley Scott

G.I. Jane is a 1997 American action drama film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, and Anne Bancroft. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo special operations training similar to the U.S. Navy SEALs.

<i>Runaway Jury</i> 2003 American legal thriller film by Gary Fleder

Runaway Jury is a 2003 American legal thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz. An adaptation of John Grisham's 1996 novel The Runaway Jury, the film pits lawyer Wendell Rohr (Hoffman) against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Hackman), who uses unlawful means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. Meanwhile, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins when juror Nicholas Easter (Cusack) and his girlfriend Marlee (Weisz) appear to be able to sway the jury to deliver any verdict they want in a trial against a gun manufacturer. The film was released October 17, 2003.

<i>The Jury</i> (TV serial) 2002 British TV series or programme

The Jury is a British television serial broadcast in 2002. The series was the first ever to be allowed to film inside the historic Old Bailey courthouse.

<i>Jury Duty</i> (film) 1995 American film

Jury Duty is a 1995 American legal comedy film directed by John Fortenberry, written by Neil Tolkin, Barbara Williams, and Adam Small, and starring Pauly Shore, Tia Carrere, Stanley Tucci, Brian Doyle-Murray, Shelley Winters, and Abe Vigoda.

<i>Two Much</i> 1995 film

Two Much is a 1995 romantic screwball comedy film based on Donald Westlake's novel of the same name, and is also a remake of the 1984 French comedy film Le Jumeau, which was also based on Westlake's novel. Directed by Fernando Trueba, Two Much stars Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah and Danny Aiello. It was released in the United States by Touchstone Pictures. Lew Soloff performed music for the film.

<i>Too Young to Die?</i> 1990 American TV series or program

Too Young to Die? is a 1990 television movie starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. It touches on the debate concerning the death penalty. It is based on a true story. Three years later, Pitt and Lewis would reunite, portraying somewhat similar characters, in Kalifornia.

<i>Mortal Thoughts</i> 1991 film by Alan Rudolph

Mortal Thoughts is a 1991 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Alan Rudolph and starring Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, Bruce Willis, John Pankow, and Harvey Keitel. Told in narrative flashbacks set in a police interrogation, the film centers on a woman implicated in the violent murder of her friend's abusive, drug-addicted husband. Its title is derived from a quote in William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth.

<i>No Small Affair</i> 1984 film by Jerry Schatzberg

No Small Affair is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Jon Cryer and Demi Moore. Cryer, Jennifer Tilly, Tim Robbins and Tate Donovan make their film debuts.

<i>12 Angry Men</i> (1997 film) 1997 television film directed by William Friedkin

12 Angry Men is a 1997 American made-for-television drama film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by Reginald Rose from his original 1954 teleplay of the same title. It is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. The film aired on August 17, 1997 on Showtime.

<i>12</i> (2007 film) 2007 Russian film

12 is a 2007 Russian legal drama film by director, screenwriter, producer and actor Nikita Mikhalkov. The film is a Russian-language remake of Sidney Lumet's 1957 film 12 Angry Men, which in turn was based on Reginald Rose's 1955 stage play, Twelve Angry Men, itself based on Rose's 1954 teleplay of the latter's same name.

<i>Striptease</i> (film) 1996 film by Andrew Bergman

Striptease is a 1996 American black comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Andrew Bergman, and starring Demi Moore, Armand Assante, Ving Rhames, Robert Patrick and Burt Reynolds. Based on Carl Hiaasen's 1993 best-selling novel of the same name, the film centers on an FBI secretary-turned-stripper who becomes involved in both a child-custody dispute and corrupt politics.

<i>Trial by Jury</i> (film) 1994 American film

Trial by Jury is a 1994 American legal thriller film directed by Heywood Gould and starring Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Gabriel Byrne, Armand Assante and William Hurt.

The Razzie Award for Worst Screen Combo is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film pairing or cast of the past year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of the awards, along with the film(s) for which they were nominated.

<i>Juliet, Naked</i> (film) 2018 American romantic comedy film

Juliet, Naked is a 2018 romantic comedy film directed by Jesse Peretz based on Nick Hornby's 2009 novel of the same name. It centers on the story of Annie and her unlikely romance with singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe, who is also the subject of her boyfriend Duncan's long-time music obsession. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demi Moore filmography</span>

American actress Demi Moore made her film debut in 1981 and joined the cast of the daytime soap opera General Hospital that same year. After departing the show in 1983, she came to prominence as a member of the Brat Pack with roles in Blame It on Rio (1984), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and About Last Night... (1986). Moore established herself as a bankable star with Ghost, the highest-grossing film of 1990. Her performance was praised and earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. She had further box-office success in the early 1990s with A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), and Disclosure (1994).

<i>Juror No. 2</i> 2024 film by Clint Eastwood

Juror #2 is a 2024 American legal thriller film co-produced and directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jonathan Abrams. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough and Kiefer Sutherland. In the film, a man serving on the jury of a high-profile murder trial realizes that he may be responsible for the victim's death.

References

  1. "The Juror (1996) - Financial Information".
  2. 1 2 "Top 100 worldwide b.o. champs". Variety . January 20, 1997. p. 14.
  3. George Dawes Green (1995-01-01). The Juror . Grand Central Publishing. ISBN   9780446518857.
  4. Frook, John Evan (May 9, 1994). "Ted's tally: $1 mil to pen 'Juror' for Winkler, Col". Variety . p. 30.
  5. The Juror at Rotten Tomatoes
  6. "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  7. The Juror at Box Office Mojo