Hoffman gets personal on gun control in film (Runaway Jury)

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 15 December 2002 | Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith

[CounterCounterCulture]

Expect the big-screen version of ``Runaway Jury'' to hit hard on the gun-control issue -- certainly if Dustin Hoffman has anything to say about it.

Davison points out that all the jurors are well-known actors in ``The Runaway Jury'' jury. He says the story is layered with what's going on in court and what's going on behind the scenes among the jurors -- including a corrupting bid from John Cusack's character to sway the verdict for big cash -- making for several different points of tension simultaneously.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Screwed up the TITLE...should say Runaway Jury (must have gotten that Soul Asylum song stuck in my head or somethin')

;-)

[lelio]

If this case were down in Mississippi the John Cusack character would be working for the plaintiffs and expecting a big payout. Will we ever see a movie about that? No, because Big Law likes it that way.

[Captain Kirk]

Boy what a nonconformist! Hoffman is actually challenging the "gun lobby." What a stunner?!

[CounterCounterCulture]

Thank you :-)

[CounterCounterCulture]

BANG

[robertpaulsen]

"The numbers are real," Nicholas said. "The company has eight hundred million in cash, equity of over a billion. Last year our country spent six billion on medical costs directly related to smoking, and the number goes up each year. The four largest tobacco companies had combined sales last year of almost sixteen billion. And their numbers are going up. You gotta think big, okay. These guys'll laugh at a five-million-dollar verdict. They won't change a thing, business as usual. Same ads directed at kids. Same lies to Congress. Same everything, unless we wake them up."

"I have an idea," Jerry said. "Let's round it off to four hundred (million), half their cash. That shouldn't bankrupt them. They can tighten their belts, load up some more nicotine, hook some more kids, and, presto, they'll have the money back in a couple of years."

"Hopefully, one day cigarettes will be outlawed," Rikki added.

"That, or the companies will not be financially able to manufacture them," said Nicholas.
The Runaway Jury -- John Grisham

This movie will not bode well for the gun industry.

[Dick Vomer]

Who gives a rat's ass about what a movie says about guns... the people that will need or use them won't be influenced any more than the patients with COPD/asthma/bronchitis were influenced to stop smoking. It's all about what makes them "feel" good. I'm sure if someone broke into Dustin's house somebody with a GUN would stop them.... 'nuff said. The only "up-side" is that a lawyer is made to look sleazy. .. wow I like that premise.

[Straight Vermonter]

Its hardly a surprise that Hollywood would take on teh gun lobby but it is more telling that they moved away from a story about tobacco. The movie industry is greatly indebted to the tobacco industry. Big tobacco spend huge amounts of money to get their products front and center in movies. Maybe the gun industry needs to spend some money to be sure the Terminator carries their product.

[robertpaulsen]

The movie will have an impact on future jurors of gun suits. IMO.

[Jarhead_22]

This is just one more movie I won't be spending any money on. It joins "The Sum of All Fears" on that list.

In this one they changed smoking, which is a cause of concern to many people of every political stripe, to guns. "Sum" changed Islamist terrorists to neo-Nazis.

Is that a pattern I see developing?? Naaah, couldn't be.{/sarcasm}

[American Soldier]

He's speaking with his heart and soul -- very committed.

I'd like to have him committed. Wacko anti-gun nuts. 50% of them have arms-bearing bodyguards to keep their families safe. Oh but they're "high-profile" figures. Why would the proles need protection?

[arly]

Hey cool another Hollyweird flick not to waste any of my money on!

[SteveH]

Is the author John Grisham? If so, it would be interesting to learn if he needed to give permission to permit such a rewrite of the book's plot, and if not, whether or not he condones the plot change. If he does not condone the changes, it should make for some interesting off-screen entertainment.

The majority of lawyers that I know (not too many, granted) are pro gun rights rather than pro gun control. I wonder what the overall statistic is.

[OT] It seems to me that being a lawyer would be a difficult career in most situations. My imagination tells me that to do so successfully, a person would have to keep two sets of references, one for how the law should work in theory, and the other for how the law works in practice. (Ulcer city?...)

[Travis McGee]

self bump