12 Angry Men (TV 1997)

Twelve men must decide the fate of one when one juror objects to the jury's decision.

Director:

William Friedkin

Writer:

Reginald Rose (teleplay)

Stars:

Ossie Davis, George C. Scott, Jack Lemmon

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Courtney B. Vance	...	Foreman
Ossie Davis	...	Juror #2
George C. Scott	...	Juror #3
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Juror #4
Dorian Harewood	...	Juror #5
James Gandolfini	...	Juror #6
Tony Danza	...	Juror #7
Jack Lemmon	...	Juror #8
Hume Cronyn	...	Juror #9
Mykelti Williamson	...	Juror #10
Edward James Olmos	...	Juror #11
William Petersen	...	Juror #12
Mary McDonnell	...	Judge
Tyrees Allen	...	Guard
Douglas Spain	...	The Accused

Storyline

Made for cable television remake of the 1957 classic about twelve jurors quick to condemn a Latino youth on trial for murdering his father before reviewing the evidence. Juror #8 holds out with a verdict of not guilty, thus setting the stage for arguments and reasons why or why not the boy may be guilty.

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Plot Keywords:

jury | law | all male jury | real time | dialogue driven | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Douze hommes en colère

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

MGM Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Lemmon appears in Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda, in which he takes over Fonda's position of Morale Officer when Fonda is transferred off the USS Reluctant. In the 1997 remake 12 Angry Men, Lemmon plays the same juror that Fonda played in the original 12 Angry Men.

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Goofs

After it starts raining, and they take a break, Juror #7 picks up a piece of wadded up paper twice between shots.

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Quotes

Juror #3: It's one of those open and shut things. They proved it ten different ways.

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Connections

Referenced in Behind the Rules of Engagement (2000)

User Reviews

unnecessary remake but well-cast

Whether or not we really needed a remake of the famous Henry Fonda film, updated with a range of nationalities and transferred to television, this is a well-enough done update benefiting from some strong actors in the cast. Jack Lemmon takes on the voice of dissent (the Fonda role), while George C Scott is the redneck extremist (played earlier by Lee J Cobb). We also have Hume Cronyn and Ossie Davis, both fine actors in their eighties or thereabouts by the time this was filmed.

The script has been slightly updated but the premise is the same, all about family betrayals and the head-on reassessment of prejudice. Lemmon in particular is excellent as the quiet reasoner ready to debate the whys and wherefores with his fellow jurors. And Scott is memorable in one of his final roles, simmering on the edge of indignation until the pay off moment when he realises not all his problems can be solved by pinning blame on others.

This shouldn't replace the 50s version but is good enough in its own right to stand alongside it.