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Runaway Jury

185 statements
35 feature instances
10 referencing feature instances

Runaway Jury	type	TVTItem
Runaway Jury	label	Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury	page	RunawayJury
Runaway Jury	comment	Runaway Jury is a 2003 film adaptation of the John Grisham novel The Runaway Jury, directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman.A failed day trader in New Orleans, Louisiana shows up at his former workplace with a semiautomatic handgun and opens fire on the employees, killing several of them before turning the gun on himself. Two years later, Celeste Wood, the widow of one of the victims, claims that the gun manufacturer's negligence led to her husband's death and takes them to court, represented by lawyer Wendell Rohr (Hoffman).Defending the gun manufacturer is attorney Durwood Cable (Bruce Davison), backed by jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Hackman) and his team of over a dozen employees, who set up an extensive surveillance system in the back of an abandoned costume shop to relay instructions to Cable in the courtroom. Fitch's team gather intelligence on the potential jurors for the case, including easy-going video game store clerk Nicholas Easter (Cusack). Fitch tries to manipulate the selection process to stack the jury with people likely to vote for the defense, but Easter baits the judge into putting him on the jury to give him a lesson in civic duty.It soon becomes apparent that Easter and his girlfriend Marlee (Weisz) have a hidden agenda of their own, as Easter subtly manipulates the jury inside the courtroom (including getting them to vote Herman Grimes, a blind man with extensive knowledge of law, as foreman rather than Fitch's choice of inactive Marine Frank Herrera) and Marlee approaches both Fitch and Rohr with promises to deliver their desired verdicts for $10 million. Rohr decides he'd rather win the case on its merits, but Fitch is angered by the offer and fights back against the two grifters. The battle escalates as Easter's apartment is raided and Marlee is attacked by a hitman, while a key witness has a meltdown on the stand, threatening to scuttle Fitch's case. Just as deliberation begins, Fitch's researchers make a shocking discovery about who Easter and Marlee really are, and why they are so interested in the case.
Runaway Jury	fetched	2023-09-07T16:14:56Z
Runaway Jury	parsed	2023-09-07T16:14:56Z
Runaway Jury	processingComment	Dropped link to Beetlejuice: Not a Feature - ITEM
Runaway Jury	processingComment	Dropped link to Superman: Not a Feature - ITEM
Runaway Jury	isPartOf	DBTropes
Runaway Jury / int_113480b7	type	Canon Foreigner
Runaway Jury / int_113480b7	comment	Canon Foreigner: Several of Fitch's employees (such as his assistant Amanda, Evil Genius Lamb, and Psycho for Hire Jankovitch) have no book counterparts. None of Rohr's jury consultants in the book have Lawrence Green's name or role in the plot. In the book Marlee is an only child, while in the film she has a twin sister who died in a school shooting.
Runaway Jury / int_113480b7	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_113480b7	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_113480b7
Runaway Jury / int_1ba17583	type	The Ghost
Runaway Jury / int_1ba17583	comment	The Ghost: We never see the whistle-blower who knew Vicksburg Firearms didn't care about criminals getting their guns. Director Gary Fleder explained if we saw the whistle-blower played by a name actor, we would wonder how Fitch got to him and where he went. It is kept vague, other than Rohr angrily asking Fitch if the witness was bribed or his family was threatened.
Runaway Jury / int_1ba17583	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_1ba17583	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_1ba17583
Runaway Jury / int_21f3aa44	type	Good Is Not Nice
Runaway Jury / int_21f3aa44	comment	Good is Not Nice: Subverted with Nicholas, but played straight with Marlee. She treats Rohr with the same disdain with which she treats Fitch.
Runaway Jury / int_21f3aa44	featureApplicability	-0.3
Runaway Jury / int_21f3aa44	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_21f3aa44
Runaway Jury / int_23473ae7	type	Adaptation Expansion
Runaway Jury / int_23473ae7	comment	Adaptation Expansion: Marlee makes one phone call to the plaintiff's side in the book, hinting at her influence on the jury, but she never makes a second call, and neither Marlee nor Rohr reference this conversation later on. In the film, she repeatedly calls them, making it harder to tell whose side she's on.
Runaway Jury / int_23473ae7	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_23473ae7	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_23473ae7
Runaway Jury / int_237404cc	type	Ironic Echo
Runaway Jury / int_237404cc	comment	Ironic Echo: "Well, you're only lead counsel for the defense, Mr. Cable. You shouldn't pretend to know very much about jury selection."
Runaway Jury / int_237404cc	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_237404cc	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_237404cc
Runaway Jury / int_23a06c52	type	TheUnReveal
Runaway Jury / int_23a06c52	comment	The Un-Reveal: It isn't revealed which two jurors vote for the defense. Herrera makes a strong pro-defense argument during deliberations, but Nicholas's response may have given him a Heel Realization. Fitch is shown exerting influence on Eddie, Lonnie, and Millie, but it's unclear if his efforts succeed with any of them.
Runaway Jury / int_23a06c52	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_23a06c52	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_23a06c52
Runaway Jury / int_26ac510e	type	Mythology Gag
Runaway Jury / int_26ac510e	comment	Mythology Gag: In the original novel the Lawsuit of the Week had the plaintiff suing a tobacco company for her husband's death from smoking-related illness. The movie retains a number of references to the pros and cons of smoking (e.g. The Protagonist telling a neighbor that he should quit), which are a leftover from the source material.
Runaway Jury / int_26ac510e	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_26ac510e	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_26ac510e
Runaway Jury / int_2854b56d	type	Uncertain Doom
Runaway Jury / int_2854b56d	comment	Uncertain Doom: Jacob's secretary is last seen hiding near him, trying to call the police. While the gunman almost certainly shoots her right after Jacob, it's unclear if she's one of the eleven fatalities or is only wounded.
Runaway Jury / int_2854b56d	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_2854b56d	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_2854b56d
Runaway Jury / int_2b5ea43c	type	Bland-Name Product
Runaway Jury / int_2b5ea43c	comment	Bland-Name Product: Vicksburg Firearms. They dolled up a handgun with a 36 round magazine for the film. Hitch's team finds out that Nick Easter went to Bloomington University, which is a thinly veiled expy of Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana.
Runaway Jury / int_2b5ea43c	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_2b5ea43c	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_2b5ea43c
Runaway Jury / int_2d6f00e4	type	Psycho for Hire
Runaway Jury / int_2d6f00e4	comment	Psycho for Hire: Mr. Janovich. He torches Nick's place and then assaults Marlee in her apartment.
Runaway Jury / int_2d6f00e4	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_2d6f00e4	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_2d6f00e4
Runaway Jury / int_2dc0d2bf	type	Hidden Depths
Runaway Jury / int_2dc0d2bf	comment	Hidden Depths: Herman Grimes was almost excused from jury duty because of his blindness, but once he threw his knowledge of the law in the judge's face, he was accepted. It was this event that caused the jury to vote him as foreman.
Runaway Jury / int_2dc0d2bf	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_2dc0d2bf	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_2dc0d2bf
Runaway Jury / int_3322dd48	type	Hollywood Law
Runaway Jury / int_3322dd48	comment	Hollywood Law: Several examples are relied on for the plot. Super Lawyer: Rankin Fitch. He's evil, has a command center filled with computer screens, and apparently capable of quickly breaking into encrypted files. Dream Team: Wendell Rohr and the two conspiring protagonists. In real life, it would mean serious prison time if caught (just as with Hackman's own attempted jury tampering.) Deus ex Machina Lawyer: The Hero lawyer only wins because one of the Super Lawyer's employees betrays him.
Runaway Jury / int_3322dd48	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_3322dd48	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_3322dd48
Runaway Jury / int_34889673	type	Gender Flip
Runaway Jury / int_34889673	comment	Gender Flip: Male juror Eddie Weese is a loose counterpart to female juror Angel Weese from the book.
Runaway Jury / int_34889673	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_34889673	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_34889673
Runaway Jury / int_3bd0924c	type	Jury and Witness Tampering
Runaway Jury / int_3bd0924c	comment	Jury and Witness Tampering: At the core of the plot are attempts to coerce or incapacitate the jurors in a lawsuit against a gun manufacturer for gross negligence leading to the plaintiff's husband's death from an office shooting.
Runaway Jury / int_3bd0924c	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_3bd0924c	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_3bd0924c
Runaway Jury / int_3f45f1e6	type	Adaptational Heroism
Runaway Jury / int_3f45f1e6	comment	Adaptational Heroism: While Rohr represents the "good" side in the original novel, it also explains how he is also manipulating the jury with his simple, country lawyer act in the same way that the antagonists are. In the film he is much more honest and only has one jury consultant who asked to work with him.
Runaway Jury / int_3f45f1e6	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_3f45f1e6	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_3f45f1e6
Runaway Jury / int_3fca462c	type	Deus ex Machina
Runaway Jury / int_3fca462c	comment	Deus ex Machina Lawyer: The Hero lawyer only wins because one of the Super Lawyer's employees betrays him.
Runaway Jury / int_3fca462c	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_3fca462c	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_3fca462c
Runaway Jury / int_52c0c7cf	type	Motive Decay
Runaway Jury / int_52c0c7cf	comment	Motive Decay: Doyle works for the defense. He's sent to find out some information about someone on the jury. Near the climax of the movie, his boss (played by Gene Hackman) tells Doyle he needs information before the jury deliberates. Doyle blows him off and continues to investigate, which makes no sense at all. Instead of telling his employer that the juror is using an assumed name, which would get him thrown off the jury, Doyle continues to investigate as if finding out what the juror's motivation is would be more important than winning the case. The point of this is that if said juror really is neutral, they can get him to win the case for them. This is quicker and simpler than derailing the court proceedings, which would just restart the process.
Runaway Jury / int_52c0c7cf	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_52c0c7cf	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_52c0c7cf
Runaway Jury / int_603f1a80	type	Pragmatic Adaptation
Runaway Jury / int_603f1a80	comment	Pragmatic Adaptation: Tobacco in the book was swapped for guns in the movie.
Runaway Jury / int_603f1a80	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_603f1a80	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_603f1a80
Runaway Jury / int_6b2b3b59	type	The Reveal
Runaway Jury / int_6b2b3b59	comment	The Reveal: Two of them. First, Doyle learns that Nick Easter is actually Jeff Kerr, a law school drop-out whose girlfriend, Gabby, is actually Nick's "accomplice", and her sister was killed in a school shooting years ago, and Fitch had successfully defended the manufacturer in a lawsuit brought by Gabby's mother. After the verdict, Nick informs Fitch that despite accepting the bribe from Fitch's team, Nick never had control over the jury - he was just countering attempts at tampering with them, though being able to blackmail Finch into retirement was an added bonus, and that the money will instead go to the victims in the school shooting.
Runaway Jury / int_6b2b3b59	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_6b2b3b59	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_6b2b3b59
Runaway Jury / int_6edc54d5	type	Here We Go Again!
Runaway Jury / int_6edc54d5	comment	The point of this is that if said juror really is neutral, they can get him to win the case for them. This is quicker and simpler than derailing the court proceedings, which would just restart the process.
Runaway Jury / int_6edc54d5	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_6edc54d5	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_6edc54d5
Runaway Jury / int_717d735a	type	Suicide by Pills
Runaway Jury / int_717d735a	comment	Suicide by Pills: Rikki Coleman attempts this but is saved before she can die. She was Driven to Suicide by blackmailers who were going to reveal the fact that she had an abortion if she remained a jury member.
Runaway Jury / int_717d735a	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_717d735a	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_717d735a
Runaway Jury / int_7453bc5b	type	Spared by the Adaptation
Runaway Jury / int_7453bc5b	comment	Spared by the Adaptation: Marlee's mother is long dead in the book, but she's alive in the movie.
Runaway Jury / int_7453bc5b	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_7453bc5b	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_7453bc5b
Runaway Jury / int_75f612a3	type	Simple Country Lawyer
Runaway Jury / int_75f612a3	comment	Simple Country Lawyer: Dustin Hoffman plays this as Wendell Rohr, against Gene Hackman's jury rigger Rankin Fitch.
Runaway Jury / int_75f612a3	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_75f612a3	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_75f612a3
Runaway Jury / int_77922c8c	type	Batter Up!
Runaway Jury / int_77922c8c	comment	Batter Up!: After Nicholas catches Doyle breaking into his apartment, he chases him out. Doyle gets to his car and is about to pull out when Nicholas swings a pipe against the window - as if it was a baseball bat - breaking it.
Runaway Jury / int_77922c8c	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_77922c8c	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_77922c8c
Runaway Jury / int_90769dd0	type	Evil Genius
Runaway Jury / int_90769dd0	comment	Several of Fitch's employees (such as his assistant Amanda, Evil Genius Lamb, and Psycho for Hire Jankovitch) have no book counterparts.
Runaway Jury / int_90769dd0	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_90769dd0	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_90769dd0
Runaway Jury / int_a2e6a827	type	Damsel Fight-and-Flight Response
Runaway Jury / int_a2e6a827	comment	Damsel Fight-and-Flight Response: Marlee hits the guy twice and, when he still catches her before she manages to escape, she stabs his leg with a piece of wood.
Runaway Jury / int_a2e6a827	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_a2e6a827	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_a2e6a827
Runaway Jury / int_accd97de	type	Actionized Adaptation
Runaway Jury / int_accd97de	comment	Actionized Adaptation: The office shooting, bailiffs dragging a belligerent anti-gun potential juror from the courtroom, and Marlee's fight with Fitch's Psycho for Hire are all unique to the film.
Runaway Jury / int_accd97de	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_accd97de	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_accd97de
Runaway Jury / int_b6287eff	type	Briar Patching
Runaway Jury / int_b6287eff	comment	Briar Patching: Nick makes sure that he is selected by trying to get himself excused note In real life, this would never work because of ethics and possible legal problems .
Runaway Jury / int_b6287eff	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_b6287eff	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_b6287eff
Runaway Jury / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
Runaway Jury / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: One replacement juror is a goth-looking young woman named Lydia Deets. Those would be some Bohrok-Kal in the opening. Fitch's line stating that "this man doesn't give a single, solitary droplet of shit about truth, justice or your American way" is a reference to Superman. Gene Hackman, who plays Fitch, used to play Lex Luthor in Superman films.
Runaway Jury / int_c75df49a	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_c75df49a	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_c75df49a
Runaway Jury / int_c9868780	type	Playing Possum
Runaway Jury / int_c9868780	comment	Playing Possum: Marlee plays possum to stab a hitman's leg.
Runaway Jury / int_c9868780	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_c9868780	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_c9868780
Runaway Jury / int_d56607ad	type	Jury Duty
Runaway Jury / int_d56607ad	comment	Jury Duty: Subverted. The protagonist uses Obfuscating Stupidity and gives the judge all these trivial excuses not to serve as part of a Batman Gambit to make sure he is selected.
Runaway Jury / int_d56607ad	featureApplicability	-0.3
Runaway Jury / int_d56607ad	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_d56607ad
Runaway Jury / int_df410b77	type	Decoy Protagonist
Runaway Jury / int_df410b77	comment	Decoy Protagonist: Deconstructed down to the core with Jacob Wood, who is introduced as a protagonist, and then promptly killed.
Runaway Jury / int_df410b77	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_df410b77	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_df410b77
Runaway Jury / int_fd16495f	type	Answer Cut
Runaway Jury / int_fd16495f	comment	Answer Cut: When Nicholas tracks down the judge at a restaurant and explains to him the jurors haven't had their lunch yet (thanks to the machinations of Nicholas and Marlee), the judge asks, "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?" Cut to all of the jurors enjoying lunch in that same restaurant.
Runaway Jury / int_fd16495f	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_fd16495f	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_fd16495f
Runaway Jury / int_ff934825	type	Evil, Inc.
Runaway Jury / int_ff934825	comment	Evil, Inc.: Fitch's company specializes in fixing court cases for the right price and are willing to do anything to win. Fitch's team blackmails uncooperative jurors, breaks into Nick's apartment and sends a hitman to kill Marlee. Vicksburg Arms is a downplayed example. The audience learns in the trial that Vicksburg Arms products are heavily used in violent crime and Vicksburg's president states that he doesn't care where their weapons end up, but the company isn't explicitly evil.
Runaway Jury / int_ff934825	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_ff934825	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_ff934825
Runaway Jury / int_name	type	ItemName
Runaway Jury / int_name	comment
Runaway Jury / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
Runaway Jury / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Runaway Jury / int_name
Runaway Jury / int_name	itemName	Runaway Jury

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

RunawayJury	seeAlso	Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Damsel Fight-and-Flight Response / int_c83338b1
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Every Man Has His Price / int_c83338b1
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Hidden Depths / int_c83338b1
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Jury and Witness Tampering / int_c83338b1
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Jury Duty / int_c83338b1
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Playing Possum / int_c83338b1
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Suicide by Pills / int_c83338b1
TheRainmaker	seeAlso	Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury	hasFeature	Thriller / int_c83338b1

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