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The Verdict (1982)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
8 December 1982 (USA)
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Plot:
A lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars.
Another 2 wins
&
6 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(24 articles)
Charlotte Rampling, Shirin Neshat, David Morrissey: London 2009
(From Alternative Film Guide. 30 October 2009, 1:03 AM, PDT)
"The Paul Newman Tribute Collection" Now Available On DVD From Fox Home Entertainment
(From iCelebz. 28 September 2009, 5:20 AM, PDT)
(From Alternative Film Guide. 30 October 2009, 1:03 AM, PDT)
"The Paul Newman Tribute Collection" Now Available On DVD From Fox Home Entertainment
(From iCelebz. 28 September 2009, 5:20 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
one of the best legal dramas ever
more (101 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Paul Newman | ... | Frank Galvin | |
| Charlotte Rampling | ... | Laura Fischer | |
| Jack Warden | ... | Mickey Morrissey | |
| James Mason | ... | Ed Concannon | |
| Milo O'Shea | ... | Judge Hoyle | |
| Lindsay Crouse | ... | Kaitlin Costello | |
| Edward Binns | ... | Bishop Brophy | |
| Julie Bovasso | ... | Maureen Rooney | |
| Roxanne Hart | ... | Sally Doneghy | |
| James Handy | ... | Kevin Doneghy | |
| Wesley Addy | ... | Dr. Towler | |
| Joe Seneca | ... | Dr. Thompson | |
| Lewis J. Stadlen | ... | Dr. Gruber (as Lewis Stadlen) | |
| Kent Broadhurst | ... | Joseph Alito | |
| Colin Stinton | ... | Billy |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
129 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Australia:M |
Norway:16 |
Iceland:L |
Netherlands:12 |
South Korea:15 |
Finland:K-12 |
Sweden:11 |
UK:15 |
USA:R (PCA #26710) |
West Germany:6 |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
After the verdict was announced in the film, director Sidney Lumet filmed two versions of the ending. In one version, the final shots we see are of Newman's character walking away from the courtroom in a series of long shots, never seeing what happens after he leaves the courthouse. In the version that was used, we see a sequence after he leaves the courthouse.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Frank takes Polaroids of Deborah and lays them on the bed apart from each other, but when seen from an overhead view, they are touching.
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Quotes:
Frank Galvin:
I changed my life today, what did you do?
Laura Fischer: I changed my room at the hotel.
Frank Galvin: Why did you do that?
Laura Fischer: TV didn't work.
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Laura Fischer: I changed my room at the hotel.
Frank Galvin: Why did you do that?
Laura Fischer: TV didn't work.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Jeff Goldblum/Aerosmith (#19.3)" (1993)
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FAQ
Is the movie 'The Verdict' based on a book?more
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"The Verdict" is simply one of the best legal dramas ever done. Of course much of what happens in the movie is unrealstic and wouldn't happen in a real case but the movie isn't a study in courtroom procedure (watch the fantastic "Anatomy of a Murder" for that)it is a study about redemption and in that respect it excells.
This movie captures Paul Newman's finest screen performance and that alone makes it an important movie. The scenes where Newman hardly says anything show how great an actor he is---his look of self-loathing when he's thrown out of the funeral home, his palsied hand and lost look when he's trying to drink his whiskey, his panic when Charlotte Rampling lambasts him for being a failure. Then throw into that his terrific courtroom scenes, his arguments with the judge in chambers, it is just a sensational performance all around.
The level of acting is high all around in this movie. James Mason was Oscar nominated for playing the silky smooth, totally corrupt defense attorney. Jack Warden shines as Frank Galvin's world-weary former law partner. Lindsey Crouse has a small role as a nurse but is given the most powerful and dramatic moment in the entire movie. Her cross-examination by James Mason is where the movie really shines and shows that Paul Newman can keep his ego in check. How many movies give the most powerful and dramatic moment of the film to one of the secondary players? How many lead actors would be willing to just sit there quiet in a chair while a bit player and the second male lead share the big moment? It was a bold decision by both Newman, director Sidney Lumet and writer David Mamet and it is unforgettable.
The movie shows the two extremes of the practice of law. James Mason's win-at-all-costs cheating and Paul Newman getting so emotionally wrapped up in the case that he is no longer protecting his client's interests and instead is out to settle his own personal scores. A great, great movie.