While it can't live up to the classic original, William Friedkin's update of the 1957 Sidney Lumet film mainly follows the same teleplay by veteran screenwriter Reginald Rose, preserving the rapid-fire dialogue and character-revealing monologues. A few short scenes have been added to comment on the new multi-cultural cast. Missing an excellent commentary on racial relationships in the mid90s, only years removed from the Central Park Five and L.A. Riots, one wishes Friedkin, and Rose further explored the black experience in a criminal and judicial system so tilted against them. The character of Juror #8, a man with a strong belief in the law and the catalyst for the entire movie, is a once again portrayed by a white man, this time with Jack Lemmon, replacing Henry Fonda.
Lemmon delivers an exceptional performance, but imagine how interesting it would have been to cast a black actor in the role; such a change certainly would have given Friedkin's update a stronger reason to exists. Like in the original, the defendant is a Latino, but the black jurors are revealed to be just as prejudiced against him as the whites. A black Islamic character, delivering almost the same monologue Lee J. Comb spewed in the original, goes on a late-period rant against "those people" in a speech worthy of a Donald Trump rally.
The main reason to watch the remake is the stacked cast. Even Tony Danza, playing the slimmest, unscrupulous juror, does the best work of his career. Director Friedkin, who was experiencing something of a career slump at the time, wisely hands the movies over to his characters and, at times, the results are magnificent.
One hopes for another remake with a few female jurors thrown into the mix. Maybe they can clear out some of the stubbornness and toxic masculinity that hangs heavy in juror room, but, then again, such a movie may only last thirty minutes.
Lemmon delivers an exceptional performance, but imagine how interesting it would have been to cast a black actor in the role; such a change certainly would have given Friedkin's update a stronger reason to exists. Like in the original, the defendant is a Latino, but the black jurors are revealed to be just as prejudiced against him as the whites. A black Islamic character, delivering almost the same monologue Lee J. Comb spewed in the original, goes on a late-period rant against "those people" in a speech worthy of a Donald Trump rally.
The main reason to watch the remake is the stacked cast. Even Tony Danza, playing the slimmest, unscrupulous juror, does the best work of his career. Director Friedkin, who was experiencing something of a career slump at the time, wisely hands the movies over to his characters and, at times, the results are magnificent.
One hopes for another remake with a few female jurors thrown into the mix. Maybe they can clear out some of the stubbornness and toxic masculinity that hangs heavy in juror room, but, then again, such a movie may only last thirty minutes.