Jury Duty

by Adam Huddleston

So, I have recently been summoned for jury duty. I’m one of those strange folk who have always wanted to perform my civic duty by serving on a jury, but circumstances have always conspired against me. I wanted to tie-in my summons with my weekly blog, so I began to think about the film “Twelve Angry Men.”

Written by Reginald Rose as a teleplay in 1954, “Twelve Angry Men” centers around a homicide trial and the jurors’ deliberation concerning the defendant’s fate. Each character is fleshed out and the dialogue is technical enough to make them believable.

I remember reading the play in high-school and both film versions are excellent, sporting all-star casts. The 1957 version stars Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Klugman. The 1997 edition features Jack Lemmon, Hume Cronyn, and George C. Scott. I highly recommend both.

Hopefully, my experiences won’t be quite as dynamic as those in this wonderful work!