Monday, October 18, 2004
Why is it that the heros in American courtroom thrillers all have to be smug liberals? Take for instance Runaway Jury.
It's a very slick (but implausible) tale of good versus evil. The good guys are a legal team of smug liberals trying to nail the gun industry (I'll call it "Big Ammo") and make it pay for the death of some poor share trader who got his head blown off by some disgruntled worker (and by inference, the death of every other poor sap who went the same way).
Then there are John Cusack and his spunky girlfriend, who are manipulating the jury for what at first seem like purely selfish reasons, but finally turn out to be noble and compassionate ones (that is, they are smug liberals, too). The bad guys are Big Ammo, of course, and "jury consultant" (that is, jury manipulator) Gene Hackman and his creepy team of headkickers and cyber-dorks.
But it just didn't work for me. I was siding with Big Ammo! Why should they have to pay for what some nutjob did with their product? And frankly I think most viewers would agree with me.
One day I want to see a thriller in which the heros are gun-toting, Dubya-loving Republicans who stick it right up the liberal intelligentsia. Or, better still, just blow the fuckers away!
It's a very slick (but implausible) tale of good versus evil. The good guys are a legal team of smug liberals trying to nail the gun industry (I'll call it "Big Ammo") and make it pay for the death of some poor share trader who got his head blown off by some disgruntled worker (and by inference, the death of every other poor sap who went the same way).
Then there are John Cusack and his spunky girlfriend, who are manipulating the jury for what at first seem like purely selfish reasons, but finally turn out to be noble and compassionate ones (that is, they are smug liberals, too). The bad guys are Big Ammo, of course, and "jury consultant" (that is, jury manipulator) Gene Hackman and his creepy team of headkickers and cyber-dorks.
But it just didn't work for me. I was siding with Big Ammo! Why should they have to pay for what some nutjob did with their product? And frankly I think most viewers would agree with me.
One day I want to see a thriller in which the heros are gun-toting, Dubya-loving Republicans who stick it right up the liberal intelligentsia. Or, better still, just blow the fuckers away!
