The Juror (R)

The 1990s saw the explosive rise of American author John Grisham and his signature style legal thrillers – several of which (“The Firm,” “The Pelican Brief“) were made into terrific and exciting movies. Attempting to ride the Grisham wave of courtroom dramas and legal thrillers is the 1996 Brian Gibson movie “The Juror.” Based on the novel by George Dawes Green, “The Juror” employs the talents of five Hollywood superstars but fails miserably at reaching the Grisham plateau’s lofty standards.

The plot is simple though owns a fearsome premise. Single mother Annie Laird (Demi Moore) is excited when she is selected for jury duty, wanting to fulfill her civic duty and experience some intrigue in her mundane life. The trial will be for reputed mob boss Louie Boffano (Tony Lo Bianco), who is accused of ordering the murder of Salvatore Riggio – such great names and one at this point would ask if that is the type of jury Annie would really be excited about being on.

To ensure an acquittal, The Boffano clan enlists the help of a hitman nicknamed ‘The Teacher’ (Alec Baldwin). When asked in court why the mysterious man is referred to as ‘The Teacher,’ a Boffano associate known as DeCicco comically answers on stand: “When you see him, school’s out.”  Baldwin’s character begins to seduce Annie but quickly unveils his campaign of intimidation. To ensure the safety of her son Oliver (a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt) Annie is ordered to vote not guilty when the trial goes to deliberations. Despite advice from her best friend Juliet, (Anne Heche) Annie is unable to go to the police. ‘The Teacher’ has her house and car wired so he can record all her conversations, and another Boffano goon Eddie (James Gandolfini) follows her and Oliver wherever they go.

Had this been the entire story, “The Juror” would have been a solid movie. Alec Baldwin, known for more comedic roles such as TV’s “30 Rock“ does a great job as the handsome and charming hitman, and Moore plays the helpless single mother well. “The Juror” loses its credence with its outlandish final act that takes a great story and puts it through the glamorized Hollywood ringer. A perfect ending was in place but further twists were infused, such as ‘The Teacher’ having an infatuation with Annie and a contemptible distrust of Boffano’s son Joey (Michael Rispoli) – plot devices that seem contrived and included for no other reason than to make the movie longer and weaken the product. One of Grisham’s best qualities as a writer is that his stories, and specifically the endings, have highly believable and realistic outcomes. “The Juror” does it’s best to make the ending so outrageous there’s no doubt at all it’s just a movie.

If you want a great legal thriller, check out John Grisham’s “The Firm” (the movie or, dare I say, the book) for a real treat. Though somewhat similar in plot, “The Juror” is hardly a kid brother of John Grisham – it’s more like an obnoxious in-law.

– by Matt Christopher