Movies
“The Verdict” Is A Courtroom Classic
Paul Newman is excellent in The Verdict as Frank Galvin.
“An outcast, alcoholic Boston lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.”
Director: Sidney Lumet
Writers: Barry Reed, David Mamet, Jay Presson Allen
Cast: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O’Shea
Release Date: December 17, 1982
IMDB
Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is an ambulance-chasing drunkard who thinks he’s past his legal prime. His friend Mickey Morrisse (Jack Warden) giift-wraps him a case that promises a pretty settlement, but dollar bills start to mean nothing as Galvin begins working on the case. With doubt crowding in from him from all directions, Galvin decides to go the distance in in very personal medical malpractice case that pins the small guy against the power of the Archdiocese of Boston and some of the city’s most power doctors.
Now that the plot is explained…let’s spoil The Verdict (1982). I mean, it was released in 1982.
We can all agree that there is no legal way that Frank Gavlin should have won that case for the Doneghy family. After the testimony of Kaitlin Costello Price (Lindsay Crouse) was made inadmissible in court, what did the Doneghy case have left to stand on? The poor showing from Dr. Thompson (Joe Seneca)?
But with that being said, who gives a fuck. It’s a great moment of silent relief and happiness when the jury says they hold on behalf of the plaintiff. It’s even better when juror number one asks if they can award more than the previous mentioned amount of $210,000.
How much money do you think the jury will award the Doneghy family? The question is never answered, so why not speculate? When Galvin first takes the case and meets with St. Catherine Labouré Hospital for settlement discussions, he has dollar signs next to amounts greater than 600K. Do we think the jury wants to go that high?
Paul Newman is excellent in The Verdict as Frank Galvin. When we first meet him, the ten-time Oscar nominee portrays a man down bad, down real bad. Newman does an excellent job slow-playing the growth of his character while always keeping an ounce pittifulness in Galvin’s pocket. The lawyer never turns invincible. He never has the cliche “light bulb – I’ve got my mojo back.”
The final statement from Galvin is not filled with gusto, hope, or optimism. It fits the character delivering the words. Galvin is tired, battered, and seemingly convinced of a losing decision. Such depressive thoughts create a final statement that has to be one of the most convincing in cinematic history. It’s monotone, it’s bleak, and it’s true. It is the reason Gavlin wins the Doneghy case, and Newman does a phenomenal job of keeping both feet on the ground and not letting the importance of the speech change his character. And the fact that Newman did it all in one take…well that proves why he is one of the best to ever do it.
You know, so much of the time we’re just lost. We say, “Please, God, tell us what is right; tell us what is true.” And there is no justice: the rich win, the poor are powerless. We become tired of hearing people lie. And after a time, we become dead… a little dead. We think of ourselves as victims… and we become victims. We become… we become weak. We doubt ourselves, we doubt our beliefs. We doubt our institutions. And we doubt the law. But today you are the law. You ARE the law. Not some book… not the lawyers… not the, a marble statue… or the trappings of the court. See those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are… they are, in fact, a prayer: a fervent and a frightened prayer. In my religion, they say, “Act as if ye had faith… and faith will be given to you.” IF… if we are to have faith in justice, we need only to believe in ourselves. And ACT with justice. See, I believe there is justice in our hearts.
Frank Galvin closing statement.
And how about a Charlotte Rampling appearance? I admit that I don’t know much of her filmography, but the one-time Oscar nominee came onto my radar with her outstanding portrayal of Reverend Mother Mohiam in Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Seeing a young Rampling through me for a happy loop.
And a final closing thought. The Verdict is an excellent Boston movie. Galvin traverses the city in taxis to visit various characters, giving the audience a distinct view of the two sides of Beantown. You have the big, hilly streets by the water, the cobble stone streets, and the lifeless cement of the judiciary system.
The Verdict was nominated for five Oscars at the 1983 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Newman), Best Supporting Actor (James Mason), Best Director (Sidney Lumet), Best Adapted Screenplay (David Mamet).
The Verdict did not win anything at the 55th Academy Awards. Gandhi (1982) was the major award winner, taking home Best Picture, Best Director (Richard Attenborough), and Best Actor (Ben Kingsley). Louis Gossett Jr. won Best Supporting Actor for An Officer And A Gentleman (1982) and Missing (1982) writers Costa-Gavras, Donald E. Stewart and Thomas Hauser won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Verdict is streaming on The Criterion Collection.
STANKO RATING: B+
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