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 talented sculptor living in the suburbs of New York City with her son Oliver. Although she works a day job as a data entry clerk, Annie has a strong passion for her art and is determined to make a living from it. Her dreams come true just as she is chosen to be one of the jurors in a high-profile trial of mafia boss Louie Boffano, who is accused of ordering the murder of rival Salvatore Riggio and members of his family, including his father and his son, a young child. Annie's life is further complicated when Mark Cordell appears at her studio and buys three of her sculptures. He invites her to dinner and she is charmed by his attention. Little does she know that Mark is a hitman known as "The Teacher", Boffano's enforcer and the actual perpetrator of Riggio's murder, whose real name is Vincent. When Annie finds out the truth, she is horrified. Vince threatens her and her son's life unless she convinces the jury to acquit Boffano. Faced with this impossible situation, Annie finds herself in a desperate fight for survival.

When Oliver senses that she is in trouble, he informs her best friend, a doctor named Juliet, about it. She convinces her to quit jury duty by faking her son a sickness. However, when she tries to do so, the judge refuses to hear her without including the prosecution and the defense. When Vince and his partner Eddie find out about it, as a warning, Vince takes her for a drive and almost kills Oliver and murders the owner of the storage unit Vince was renting to scare her. During the trial, she was scared to take the stand, but despite her fears, she managed to convince the jury to acquit Boffano which makes Vince infatuated towards her. After the trial, Boffano questions whether Annie should disappear, seeing her as a loose end, but Vince and Eddie convince him otherwise. To keep Annie under his control by instilling fear, Vince goes after Juliet. After luring her in by pretending to be a lover named Paul, he reveals himself to be Annie's stalker and forces Juliet to overdose on drugs at gunpoint. Later, he boasts of her murder to Eddie. Unlike Vince, Eddie is sympathetic to Annie's situation, as he is a parent himself.

Annie is determined to keep her son safe, so she takes him to the small village of T'ui Cuch, Guatemala, to place him under the care of her ex-boyfriend Boone. She hopes that by hiding out there, Oliver will be safe from the danger that has engulfed their lives. The prosecutor, who has figured out that Annie was threatened by Vince by finding evidence of irregular money transfers to her bank account, wants her to turn state's witness so they can bring him to justice and prevent him from taking over the Boffano empire. Annie is scared of the consequences of testifying against Vince, but eventually decides that it's the right thing to do to ensure her son's safety. She contacts the prosecutor and agrees to testify, setting in motion a chain of events that will hopefully bring justice to those who have wronged her and her son.

Annie and the prosecutor gather evidence against Vince. She had done all the research and had a feeling she could get him to confess and incriminate himself. After much convincing, the prosecutor agrees to let Annie wear a wire in a scheduled meeting with Vince. On the day of the meeting, Annie removes the wire and gives it to Eddie, insinuating they were now a couple. She gets Mark to boast about his ambitions which include killing Boffano. Unbeknownst to anyone else, she had hidden a tape recorder on her body, which she later gives to Boffano in a meeting that Eddie set up for her.

Later, Eddie lures Vincent to a meeting with Boffano at the New Jersey Palisades, where he confronts Vince about his desire to usurp him, and prepares him for his execution. When he realizes that Annie was plotting to kill him, he detonates a bomb that he had smuggled in Boffano's limousine, and kills the other henchmen, then executes Boffano's son Joseph. Afterwards, he goes to Eddie's house, where he kills him for his betrayal, then calls Annie and declares his intention to kill Oliver in Guatemala.

Vincent then arrives in Guatemala City where he gets a ride from a local who he later kills, and sets off for Tu'i Cuch. When Annie reaches Guatemala City, she convinces the local police with Vince’s money to take her to the village by using one of their planes. In the village, he spots Oliver in the middle of a local festival, and chases after him to an abandoned Mayan temple, where he is ambushed by armed local men who had been organized by Annie. She then reveals herself and confronts Vince, where he declares that if she kills him, they would be "bonded forever". He takes out a pistol hidden in his ankle, but Annie shoots him dead before he could fire. Afterwards, a relieved Annie reunites with her son.

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

12 Angry Men is a 1957 American independent legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, adapted from a 1954 teleplay of the same name by Reginald Rose. The film tells the story of a jury of 12 men as they deliberate the conviction or acquittal of a teenager charged with murder on the basis of reasonable doubt; disagreement and conflict among them force the jurors to question their morals and values. It stars 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 name 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Bugliosi</span> American lawyer and true crime writer (1934–2015)

Vincent T. Bugliosi Jr. was an American prosecutor and author who served as Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office between 1964 and 1972. He became best known for successfully prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate–LaBianca murders that took place between August 9 and August 10, 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manson Family</span> Commune and cult in California led by Charles Manson

The Manson Family was a commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of approximately 100 followers, who lived an unconventional lifestyle, frequently using psychoactive drugs, including amphetamine and hallucinogens such as LSD. Most were young women from middle-class backgrounds, many of whom were attracted by hippie culture and communal living and then radicalized by Manson's teachings. The group is confirmed to have murdered 9 people, though they potentially killed up to 24.

<i>Whos Harry Crumb?</i> 1989 film by Paul Flaherty

Who's Harry Crumb? is a 1989 American comedy-mystery film featuring John Candy as the title character. Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith. An uncredited cameo appearance is made by Jim Belushi. The story concerns the often incompetent, sometimes brilliant, private investigator Harry Crumb, who searches for a kidnapping victim.

<i>Murder One</i> (TV series) American legal drama television series

Murder One is an American legal drama television series that aired on ABC from September 19, 1995, until May 29, 1997. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.

<i>Moonlight Mile</i> (film) 2002 American film

Moonlight Mile is a 2002 American romantic drama film written and directed by Brad Silberling, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Holly Hunter, with Ellen Pompeo and Dabney Coleman in supporting roles. The film was loosely inspired by Silberling's experiences from grieving for his girlfriend, Rebecca Schaeffer, after she was murdered in 1989, as well as his relationship with her parents following her death.

<i>The Jury</i> (TV serial) 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.

Nixzmary Brown was a seven-year-old American girl from Brooklyn, New York, whose physical abuse, parental neglect and murder led to reforms in New York City's Administration for Children's Services.

<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.

Payment Deferred is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film, starring Charles Laughton as a man so desperate for money, he resorts to murder. It was based on the 1931 play of the same name by Jeffrey Dell, which was in turn based on the 1926 novel of the same name by C. S. Forester. Laughton also played the lead role in the play, which opened on Broadway on September 30, 1931 and ran for 70 performances.

<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 Floridian crime writer 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.

"Twelve Angry Men" is a 1954 teleplay directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and written by Reginald Rose for the American anthology television series Studio One. It follows the titular twelve members of a jury as they deliberate a supposedly clear-cut murder trial, and details the tension among them when one juror argues that the defendant might not be guilty. Initially staged as a CBS live production on September 20, 1954, the drama was later rewritten for the stage in 1955 under the same title, and as a feature film in 1957 titled 12 Angry Men. The episode garnered three Emmy Awards for writer Rose, director Schaffner, and Robert Cummings as Best Actor.

<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.

Letters from Three Lovers is a 1973 made-for-television drama film directed by John Erman. An ABC Movie of the Week and a sequel to The Letters (1973), the film is co-produced by Aaron Spelling, written by Ann Marcus and stars Martin Sheen, Belinda Montgomery, Robert Sterling, June Allyson, Ken Berry and Juliet Mills, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Travis Alexander</span> 2008 murder in Mesa, Arizona

Travis Victor Alexander was an American salesman who was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Ann Arias, in his house in Mesa, Arizona while in the shower. Arias was convicted of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on April 13, 2015.

State of Florida v. George Zimmerman was a criminal prosecution of George Zimmerman on the charge of second-degree murder stemming from the killing of Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012.

<i>Ladies of the Jury</i> 1932 film

Ladies of the Jury is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Lowell Sherman and written by Marion Dix, Edward Salisbury Field and Eddie Welch based on the 1929 play of the same name by John Frederick Ballard. The film stars Edna May Oliver, Jill Esmond, Ken Murray, Roscoe Ates and Kitty Kelly. It was released on February 5, 1932 by RKO Pictures.

The Tate–LaBianca murders were a series of murders perpetrated by members of the Manson Family during August 9–10, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, United States, under the direction of Tex Watson and Charles Manson. The perpetrators killed five people on the night of August 8–9: pregnant actress Sharon Tate and her companions Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Wojciech Frykowski, along with Steven Parent. The following evening, the Family also murdered supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Joey Fischer</span> 1993 murder of American high schooler

On March 3, 1993, Saint Joseph Academy high school senior Albert Joseph "Joey" Fischer Jr. was shot dead outside his home in Rancho Viejo, an upscale community north of Brownsville, Texas. Dora Cisneros, the mother of his ex-girlfriend, was responsible for orchestrating Fischer's murder after he broke up with her daughter Cristina. Fischer and Cristina had broken up the previous summer, but Cisneros became obsessed with their relationship and insisted that Fischer date her daughter again. After he refused a US$500 offer from Cisneros, she consulted María Mercedes Martínez, a fortune teller, to cast a spell on him.

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