Synopsis
Frank Galvin is a down-on-his-luck lawyer and reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing, when a former associate reminds him of his obligations in a medical malpractice suit by serving it to Galvin on a silver platter—all parties are willing to settle out of court. Blundering his way through the preliminaries, Galvin suddenly realizes that the case should actually go to court—to punish the guilty, to get a decent settlement for his clients... and to restore his standing as a lawyer.
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Cast
- Paul NewmanFrank Galvin
- Charlotte RamplingLaura Fischer
- Jack WardenMickey Morrissey
- James MasonEd Concannon
- Milo O’SheaJudge Hoyle
- Lindsay CrouseKaitlin Costello
- Edward BinnsBishop Brophy
- Julie BovassoMaureen Rooney
- Roxanne HartSally Doneghy
- James HandyKevin Doneghy
Recommendations
- 100
Chicago Sun-Times
The screenplay by David Mamet is a wonder of good dialogue, strongly seen characters and a structure that pays off in the big courtroom scene - as the genre requires. - 100
Time Out
Admittedly this is a legal "Rocky, convincing rather than realistic, witty rather than analytical, but it amounts to a far more effective indictment of the US legal system than ...and justice for all, and is the first courtroom drama in years to recapture the brilliance of the form. - 90
The New York Times
A solidly old-fashioned courtroom drama such as The Verdict could have gotten by with a serious, measured performance from its leading man, or it could have worked well with a dazzling movie-star turn. The fact that Paul Newman delivers both makes a clever, suspenseful, entertaining movie even better. - 90
The New Republic
This is realistic American film acting at its veristic/imaginative best. - 90
TV Guide Magazine
Sidney Lumet directs effectively, keeping the tension strong, and unfolding David Mamet's intelligent screenplay slowly but with maximum impact. - 90
The A.V. Club
Though screenwriter David Mamet writes some chewy lines, director Sidney Lumet balances out any pulpiness with a somber mood, making sparing use of the musical score and creating a Boston awash in brown, beige, and gray. - 80
Empire
It's Newman's performance itself that really makes this film work and helps it truly get close to Lumet's own '12 Angry Men'. - 80
IGN
What was boring and dull to our 12-year-old selves back when Dad was watching this film 25 years ago is now a thoroughly engrossing and satisfying film experience, and a reminder that what is old can be new again -- whether it's Newman's Galvin's outlook on life, an old courtroom drama premise, or a movie revisited after a quarter century lapse.
