The Juror is a 1996 film directed by Brian Gibson and starring Demi Moore as Annie Laird, a single mother picked for jury duty for a mafia trial. The film was released on 2 February 1996.
Plot
Annie Laird (Moore) is a sculptor who lives in New York with her son Oliver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Annie works as a data entry clerk. Oliver has a crush on Annie's friend Juliet (Anne Heche), who has a son named Jesse (Brett Barsky).
Annie is selected to be a juror in the trial of mob boss Louie Boffano (Tony Lo Bianco), who is accused of ordering the murders of Salvador Riggio and Salvador's grandson Thomas Riggio (Joseph Perrino).
Annie meets a man named Mark Cordell (Alec Baldwin). He buys some of Annie's artwork, then wines and dines her before Annie discovers that Mark is better known as "The Teacher." He is Boffano's enforcer, and the material perpetrator of the hit job for which Louie is being prosecuted. Cordell tells Annie to convince the jury to acquit Louie, or else Oliver, Juliet, and Jesse will all die.
Annie does persuade the jury to acquit Boffano. The mobster sees Annie as a loose end and thinks maybe she should "disappear," although Cordell seems to have developed feelings for Annie.
In order to exert further pressure on her, Cordell goes after Juliet, whom we discover has been his lover. After the two have sex, Cordell reveals himself to Juliet as having been Annie's stalker. He pulls a gun and forces Juliet to swallow poison.
Cordell boasts of Juliet's murder when speaking to his partner Eddie (James Gandolfini). Eddie is disgusted with the Teacher's sadistic nature and decides to aid Annie, telling her that he also has a child and understands her dedication to protecting her son.
Annie hides Oliver in T'ui Cuch, Guatemala with her friend Boone (Matt Craven). Simultaneously the district attorney wants Annie to turn state's witness so they can go after Cordell, who now plans to take over Boffano's empire with the help of South American drug dealers.
When the DA's office has her wear a wire, Annie succeeds in getting Cordell to incriminate himself in a boastful rant on his ambitions. She then uses the tape to tip off Boffano to the Teacher's plans. Louie schedules a meeting to "deal" with Cordell.
Eddie arranges the meeting but Cordell kills both Louie and the mobster's son Joseph (Michael Rispoli), along with their henchmen. He also slashes Eddie's throat and calls Annie, revealing his knowledge of her son's whereabouts and his intention to travel to Guatemala to kill him.
There is a showdown when Cordell arrives as he threatens to kill Oliver. A native arrives with a rifle and shoots Cordell. Annie reluctantly kills the wounded Cordell to ensure the safety of her son.
Cast
External links
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Films directed by Brian Gibson |
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| 1970s |
The Billion Dollar Bubble (1976)
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| 1980s |
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| 1990s |
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