DVD Release Date: February 17, 2004

Cast: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Beals

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By Mark Zlotnick

The name John Grisham has become synonymous with suspense thriller. Actually, maybe more like courtroom thrillers. His stories focus on highly debatable, as well as meaningful topics. His latest novel-turned-movie is no exception. Featuring a stellar cast and controversial storyline, Runaway Jury is on its way to DVD.

Two years after the brutal shooting of 11 people, the manufacturers of the guns used in the killings find themselves in the defendant’s chair, being sued by the wife of one of the deceased. To help assure the defense a victory, they recruit ruthless jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman). To his opposition is an idealistic prosecuting attorney, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman). They, however, are not the only people out to secure a verdict. Two apparent cons, jury member Nicholas Easter (John Cusack), and his outside contact "Marlee" (Rachael Weisz) claim to be able to assure the verdict to the highest bidder. With many twists and turns, it is uncertain who is going to win what could be one of the most important trials in history.

Runaway Jury keeps the audience in suspense throughout most of the movie, and how the ending comes about is surprising, but the ending itself is rather predictable. I'm not trying to knock John Grisham's stories since I am a fan, but most of them do have a "happy ending." Consider that a spoiler if you want, but if you have ever read or watched any of his stories than the ultimate end to the movie should come as no surprise.

The theme of the movie is very intriguing. It gives you a lot of information about the gun industry and whether or not gun makers should be responsible for their products. Of course, more is needed for a movie, so corruption and illegal practices are thrown in to add more controversy to the fire. Aiding in the suspense created by this storyline is the actors. Each of the stars gives an excellent performance. Runaway Jury is composed of a great ensemble cast, and nobody disappoints.

The DVD for Runaway Jury comes loaded with the following special features:

- "Commentaries": Choose from either full length commentary from director Gary Fleder or selected scene commentary with Dustin Hoffman or Gene Hackman. While all are interesting, I think it would have been nice if Hoffman and Hackman did a full length commentary together. One scene of their commentary makes you yearn for more.
- "Deleted Scenes": Two deleted scenes with optional director commentary. Neither was vital to the storyline and both were scenes you could assume happened by watching the movie.
- "Exploring the Scene: Hackman and Hoffman Together": A featurette on the first ever on screen meeting between these two acting legends. This feature seems to drag on, and I just don't find this collaboration to be as big as say Pacino and Deniro sharing the screen for the first time in Heat (they don't in Godfather II). I found the next feature to be more interesting, and that is...
- "Off the Cuff: Hackman and Hoffman": The two actors tell about how they met in acting class, became friends, and moved in together. Their stories are a lot more interesting than a feature on a seven minute scene in the bathroom.
- "The Ensemble: Acting": Many of the actors involved in Runaway Jury introduce you to their character, and their role in the film. They also talk about the experience working with one another.
- "Making of Runaway Jury": A typical background overview of the movie. This feature might be worth watching before you see the film so you can get a better grip on the story and characters.
- "Shadow and Film: Cinematography": This featurette discusses how the
Cinematographer uses camera and lighting to work with the actors to create the perfect shot. One of three featurettes dedicated to the "men behind the man", along with...
- "A Vision of New Orleans: Production Design": This feature discusses the creation of the sets used in Runaway Jury. I found this interesting, along with the cinematography feature because when they are done well, you don't notice and the work is unappreciated, but when it is done poorly, you notice it all too well.
- "Rhythm: The Craft of Editing": Editor William Steinkamp discusses his contributions to the film. He speaks of fine-tuning specific scenes to add more drama and suspense to the film. It is nice to see some props going out to someone other than the director.

While the special features are excellent and a great addition to the Runaway Jury DVD, Grisham is an acquired taste. From what I have noticed, people either love his stories or hate them. In the end, that is what is going to be the deciding factor on whether or this is a DVD for you. Fans of his work will not be disappointed, as Runaway Jury contains all the aspects that make Grisham stories great. On the other hand, his critics will site these same aspects as reasons they dislike the movie. My final verdict: If you are a John Grisham fan or have not seen/read any of his stories, Runaway Jury is an excellent movie with top notch special features, making this a great addition to your DVD collection.

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