Runaway Jury

From master storyteller John Grisham comes Runaway Jury, a suspense-thriller about a high-priced and ruthless jury "consultant" (Gene Hackman) who will stop at nothing to secure a verdict on an explosive trial. With lives and millions of dollars at stake, the fixer wages a deadly battle with a jury member (John Cusack), a mysterious woman (Rachel Weisz) and an honest lawyer (Dustin Hoffman).

When a young widow brings a civil suit against the powerful corporation she holds responsible for her husband's murder, she sets in motion a multi-million dollar case. But it's a suit that may be won even before it begins - based solely on the selection, manipulation and, ultimately, the attempted "theft" of the jury.

Representing the widow is Wendall Rohr (Hoffman), a courtly Southern lawyer with a moral center and a heartfelt passion for the case he's presenting. His opponent is ostensibly the attorney representing the corporation. But in reality, defense counsel is only the front man for Rankin Fitch (Hackman), a brilliant and ruthless jury consultant.

At a high tech command centre, Fitch and his team work on the surveillance and assessment of potential jurors. He will know everything about their lives, and strategically manipulate the jury selection process. The only acceptable result is the perfect jury to vote in favour of his client.

Fitch and Rohr soon realize they're not the only ones out to win the jury. One of the jurors, Nick Easter (Cusack), seems to have his own plan for swaying the panel. And a mysterious woman known only as Marlee (Weisz) contacts both Rohr and Fitch telling them the jury's for sale to either of them - and that the verdict won't come cheap.

What the critics are saying:

"The movie hums along with a kind of sublime craftsmanship, fueled by the consistent performances of Hackman and Hoffman, the remarkable ease of John Cusack, and the juicy typecasting in the supporting roles."
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"A breezily entertaining courtroom thriller that again clarifies why Grisham sells so well."
- Jami Bernard, New York Daily News

"A smooth, comfortable ride all the way, with Hackman and Hoffman, of course, the ultimate in fine engineering."
- Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times