Whatever John Grisham’s literary merits, the big-screen adaptations of his Midas-touched, airport bestsellers have been stunningly ordinary at best. And it’s not as if the books have been recieving the cheapo, shoddy treatment from the worst kind of Hollywood hacks.
Au contraire, Grisham productions have been nothing less than lavish to date. Each one has hit the plexes with star-power attached – Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Susan Sarandon and Matt Damon have all signed up – and the rights alone have collectively generated enough dosh to buy and sell Roman Abramovich’s sorry ass.
But even when the producers have drafted in quality talent – as they did when they teamed up the accomplished acting talents of Kenneth Branagh with the directorial expertise of Robert Altman for The Gingerbread Man – the most avid reviews read ‘meh’, ‘yuk’ or ‘zzzzz’.
Partly, this is a problem inherent to the genre. The claustrophobic courtroom setting is infinitely better suited to the square box in the corner of your living room, and partly, it’s just that Southern gentlemen lawyers look corny in just about every movie but Inherit The Wind.
Whatever the deal is, Gary Fleder and co. haven’t quite cracked it. Runaway Jury’s familiar plot sees Dustin Hoffman’s lawyer trying to persuade a jury that gun manufacturers should be held responsible for a shooting. Between Gene Hackman as the sulphurous consultant for the bad guys, John Cusack as a crooked juror, and Rachel Weisz as Cusack’s scheming girlfriend, Hoffman is battling against the odds in this earnest, if well-paced thriller.
Naturally, the performances are solid – this is Hackman’s third outing as a mustache-twirling Grisham villian afterall – while Cusack’s talents are put to great use in a mischievous, Machievellian role.
Honestly though, if you haven’t been bowled over by The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client or The Rainmaker, then Runaway Jury is unlikely to ring your bell.