Runaway Jury

PG-13

Released Oct 17, 2003

2 hr. 7 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

73%

162 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

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Critics Consensus

An implausible but entertaining legal thriller.

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Jack S

Competently made, but hilariously far-fetched, Runaway Jury is a legal drama that's believable only in an overwrought screenplay (or a John Grisham novel)! However, the veteran cast is able to make the silliness mostly watchable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/17/23

Full Review

Randall K

Well executed propaganda. This video is well acted, well directed, well shot, and so forth. The problem is that it's anti-gun propaganda thinly (or not so thinly) disguised as a major motion picture. How a case like this would end up in court in the first place is beyond me. It's ludicrous that someone would attempt to hold accountable the manufacturer of a product for how the product gets used by the consumer. The pro-gun jury members, gun manufacturers, defense attorneys, and team are painted as evil, heartless, ruthless people. The anti-gun prosecution never does anything ethically questionable. These portrayals are the polar opposite of how it typically is in the real world. It's a very one-sided video. I hesitate to call it a movie because I don't believe it deserves quite that much credit.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/07/23

Full Review

George R

Implausible so as to delve into the genre of magic realism, somewhat popular in literary circles these days. If you like that genre, you might be able to enjoy this movie. If you don't, do almost anything else, besides throwing a portion of your life away.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/25/23

Full Review

Cody W

That's the first time I've seen a major court case go absolutely bonkers, and it literally works well in the jury's hands. RUNAWAY JURY is something else. It reminds me of a lot of crime shows I watched with my grandparents. I think that this movie is a perfect combination of Dateline and 48 hours, but with a lot of twists and turns in every corner.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/08/23

Full Review

Tony S

Based on a John Grisham book, this movie about a jury and the trial process shows the lengths that lawyers will go to win their cases. Fiction? Perhaps, but given the high-profile trials, we've seen how important jury consultants are. Two of them figure prominently in this story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/16/23

Full Review

John R

When it first came out I really liked it. I thought Rachael Weisz was adorable and I'm a fan of John Cusack. As time has gone by and I see just how Hollywood tries to bend people's opinions, I've noticed a few things. And not in a favorable way. Let me say I think the acting is good. No one, except Dustin Hoffman, tries to overact. I hate when that happens. Spoiler: The surprise ending was excellent except for when Hackman asks him how did he do it. Cusack's answer is nothing, he just let them vote their hearts. 1) that's bs, he totally manipulated everyone in that room. And 2) (and I could not believe in this more) juries shouldn't vote their hearts. They should vote the facts of the case and in my mind they didn't present a lot of facts that the gun manufacturer did anything wrong. Their job is to sell weapons, which is legal. We don't blame liquor companies for alcoholism and drunk driving. So I probably won't watch it again.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

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

Durwood Cable

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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

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Jeffrey Downer
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
Sound Mix: Surround

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