Warning: contains spoilers

Runaway Jury
PG-13
20th Century Fox
2003

Based on the John Grisham novel, this movie packs far more political punch 
than would be expected from the description. The film revolves around a 
trial with the widow of a shooting victim bringing suit against a gun 
manufacturer. The gun industry hires a jury "consultant" who uses millions 
of dollars and many illegal tactics to rig the trial in the favor of the gun 
company. 

One of the jury members and his girlfriend are also trying to rig the trial, 
asking for a bribe from either side to ensure a verdict  in their favor. In 
the end the unethical jury consultant pays $15 million to the juror member 
and his girlfriend, but instead of giving the trial to the gun company, they 
help swing a verdict against the gun company, and turning the $15 million 
over to people who were victims of gun violence in their home town.

The movie does a good job exposing the lack of impartiality in the Amerikan 
criminal injustice system. Not only can jury consultants be bought who will 
help influence the outcome of the trial by picking jurors who will be 
predisposed to rule in the favor of their clients, but jurors themselves can 
be threatened and bought in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Most 
Amerikans seem to know that money can buy an excellent legal defense to win 
trials, but they only get really outraged when Black men like O.J. get off, 
while they're undisturbed when Enron officials walk away. 

This film was only wrong in the conclusion that the just verdict came from 
the jury voting their hearts, as the juror member said at the end. With all 
the capitalist propaganda telling people what to think about Black men, 
corporations, and the government, it's unrealistic to think that all we need 
is to let Amerikans vote their hearts. Oppressed nations (particularly 
Blacks, Latinos and First Nations) can not get a just trial of their peers 
within Amerika.