The Verdict (1982)
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A down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer takes on a medical malpractice case that forces him to confront his own past and his integrity.
The story
Frank Galvin is an alcoholic ambulance chaser in Boston who is sent a medical malpractice case by his former partner. The case involves a woman left comatose after receiving general anesthesia during childbirth at a Catholic hospital. While the plaintiffs intend to use a settlement to pay for her care, a Catholic diocese representative offers Galvin a significant sum to drop the case. Deeply affected by the victim, Galvin declines the offer and decides to take the case to trial, despite facing a masterful legal team from the hospital and a hostile judge.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Frank Galvin, an alcoholic ambulance chaser, accepts a medical malpractice case involving Deborah Ann Kaye, who was left comatose during childbirth. Despite a $210,000 settlement offer from a Catholic diocese, Galvin chooses to go to trial. During the process, he becomes romantically involved with a woman named Laura Fischer. Galvin faces numerous hurdles: his medical expert disappears, the hospital's attorney Ed Concannon employs a masterful legal team, and Judge Hoyle threatens him with disbarment. Galvin eventually tracks down a nurse, Kaitlin Costello, who reveals she was coerced into falsifying medical forms. Despite the defense's objections, Costello's testimony regarding the anesthesiologist's error is a pivotal moment. In a heated courtroom battle, Galvin delivers an impassioned closing argument. The jury finds in favor of the plaintiffs. After the trial, Galvin sees Laura watching him and later ignores a phone call from her, choosing to remain in his current state.
- First release year
- 1982
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sidney Lumet
- Writers
- David Mamet · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Paul Newman · Attorney Frank Galvin; Charlotte Rampling · Laura Fischer; Jack Warden · Attorney Mickey Morrissey; James Mason · Attorney Ed Concannon; Milo O'Shea · Judge Hoyle; Lindsay Crouse · Kaitlin Costello Price; Edward Binns · Bishop Brophy; Julie Bovasso · Maureen Rooney
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- alcoholism; justice; integrity; legal ethics
- Premise and plot tags
- legal drama; courtroom drama; medical malpractice
- Source material / true-story basis
- Barry Reed's 1980 novel of the same name.
- Reception
- The film garnered critical acclaim and box office success, receiving generally favorable reviews for its performances and script. It was a commercial success, grossing $54 million.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · review count: 40; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Director · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Actor in a Leading Role (Newman) · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Mason) · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Several high-profile actors, including Frank Sinatra and Dustin Hoffman, expressed interest in the lead role.; The producers initially wanted to remove the scene where Newman strikes Rampling, but Newman insisted on keeping it.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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