Runaway Jury

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Runaway Jury

PG-13

Released Oct 17, 2003

2h 7m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

161 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), who uses illegal means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. But when juror Nicholas Easter (John Cusack) and his girlfriend, Marlee (Rachel Weisz), reveal their ability to sway the jury into delivering any verdict they want, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.

Critics Consensus

An implausible but entertaining legal thriller.

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David Germain

Associated Press

Director Gary Fleder's brisk, assured pacing also makes the implausibilities go down easier.

Nov 12, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Legal thriller isn't aimed at kids.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Apr 1, 2006

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Another John Grisham book forms the basis for another decent (if not dazzling) courtroom drama.

Rated: 3/5

May 4, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

It's [John] Grisham at his finest. Spellbinding. Riveting. Intriguing. Hackman, Hoffman, Cusack and Davison. Put me in that courtroom now.

Nov 9, 2019

Full Review

PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

A lovely little dash of Hollywood hokum.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 16, 2019

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mike f

Great cast and acting in another movie made from. Grishman novel. The king of courtroom dramas

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/25/25

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Ted B

3.5 stars; I really love John Grisham's books (should have been a lawyer). For the most part, the movies captured the spirit of his books, as was the case with "Runaway Jury." For its time, it introduced all the sophisticated technology that went into jury selection for most successful lawyers. Director Gary Fleder converted the story into an action-suspense movie, for the most part successfully. I guess the biggest complaint about the movie was that, for an all-star cast, the acting effort did not satisfy. Up to a point, I can agree with that. However, that did not detract from the suspense that was generated. The technology, while somewhat dated by today's standards, was pretty awesome for the early 2000s. I enjoyed it!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

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Alejandro E

The familiar debate on the free carrying of firearms feels light, and the plot, reduced to near-comedy level. And that's its biggest flaw, as it doesn't make the most of Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman (RIP).

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/21/25

Full Review

A B

A lot of potentially great (or at least fairly decent) actors wasted when put to work in a flashy, down right stupid story. Lawyers who watch may vomit. For the really dumb and gullible only.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

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Aldo G

Not a bad movie. But, Dustin Hoffman, a great actor, did an awful job with his southern accent and sounded like Dorothy Michaels from Tootsie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/18/25

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Audience Member

The best scene of the film was the Hoffman and Hackman argument in the bathroom. The rest of the movie, however, was a chaotic mess in need of a better script. I did like how the film was political. That was captured well. Overall, the film was good. The film could have been better had it focused more on Hoffman and Hackman characters.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

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Gary Fleder

Director

John Cusack

Nicholas Easter

Gene Hackman

Rankin Fitch

Dustin Hoffman

Wendall Rohr

Rachel Weisz

Marlee

Bruce Davison

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Synopsis

After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), who uses illegal means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. But when juror Nicholas Easter (John Cusack) and his girlfriend, Marlee (Rachel Weisz), reveal their ability to sway the jury into delivering any verdict they want, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.

Director: Gary Fleder
Producer: Gary Fleder, Arnon Milchan, Christopher Mankiewicz
Screenwriter: David Levien, Brian Koppelman, Matthew Chapman, John Grisham
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: New Regency Pictures, Mojo Films
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Language|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $49.4M
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Surround

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