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The Verdict (1982),
Director: Sidney Lumet, rated R for language
Frank Galvin
Has One Last Chance At A Big Case.
  Starring: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden,
James Mason, Milo O'Shea, Lindsay Crouse, Edward Binns, Julie
Bovasso
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★★★
- perfect
"All I wanted in this case
is an even shake. You rushed me into court in five days... my
star witness
disappears, I can't get a continuance, and I don't
give a damn. I'm going up there and I'm going to try it.
Let the
jury decide." –
Frank Galvin
Why watch this?
Paul Newman is spectacular in this tense, courtroom drama.
Plot Summary:
Has-been lawyer Frank Galvin, facing the end of his career,
receives an opportunity to handle a seemingly straightforward
medical malpractice suit. Initially inclined to settle, he
decides to take the case to trial against a powerful hospital
and the Archdiocese of Boston, seeking justice and a chance at
personal redemption.
Dad's Preview:
Newman portrays a worn-down, broken, alcoholic lawyer who only takes
on a medical malpractice case, just to make a quick buck. All is
going fine until he starts really diving into the facts of the
case. He uncovers a lot more than he, or the judge, ever
expected him to find. It all culminates in one of the
best courtroom showdowns on film. I really believe that this is Newman's greatest
performance. He perfectly portrays a man broken, at the end of
his rope, but finally resolved to take a stand and see that
justice is achieved. It was nominated for five Oscars, but came
away empty-handed.
The Zanuck/Brown
Company; 20th Century Fox
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