Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: The opening credits – Paul Newman playing pinball, drinking, and smoking alone in a bar. 'A masterclass of how to start a movie.'
• Bill: James Mason's first scene prepping his team of 20 lawyers – a masterpiece of exposition.
• Bill: Frank goes to see the Cardinal – 'It struck me how neatly three goes into 210.'
• Bill: Kaitlin Costello's rebuttal testimony – 'I didn't write a nine. I wrote a one.' and the double take from the doctor.
• Bill: Frank's final speech to the jury – filmed in one take.
• Bill: The verdict itself – 'Your honor, are we limited on the size of the award?' Jack Warden looking up.

• Bill: The wide, stationary camera angles by cinematographer Bartkowiak, who studied Caravaggio.
• Bill: The first seven minutes laying out what a broken-down drunk scumbag Frank is without a word of exposition.
• Bill: Charlotte Rampling's performance on rewatch – knowing her motives makes her early scenes fascinating.
• Bill: The Catholic Church as a villain – 20 years ahead of the curve.
• Chris: The breakfast of a powdered donut and shot of whiskey.
• Chris: The shot of the Polaroids developing – represents Frank's awakening to the stakes.

• The Polaroid developing scene – the camera holds for 25 seconds as the picture develops, symbolizing Frank gaining clarity.
• Frank's final speech – Lumet films it as a slow ride shot, starting wide and gradually coming closer to Newman.

Bill: Roxanne Hart as Sally – 'everyone else is throwing 120 mph and she's from a TV movie of the week.' Her attempted Boston accent is an abomination.

• Bill: The opening credits graphics – weird font that looks like writing from a hymn book.
• Bill: Frank slapping Laura – 'might be the all-time definition of a what's aged the worst.' Newman insisted it stay because it's what the character would do.
• Chris: Raw eggs in beer.

Chris: Galvin should have lost by legal standards – without Kaitlin Costello's testimony (struck from the record), the evidence doesn't support a win.

• Robert Redford was originally attached but was fired after trying to make the character more likeable and secretly meeting with Sydney Pollack to direct.
• Burt Lancaster was supposed to play Concannon instead of James Mason.
• Julie Christie turned down the role of Laura (Charlotte Rampling's part).
• Frank Sinatra wanted to play the lead and offered to do it for free.

• Chris: Julie Bovasso as Nurse Rooney – she gets after it.
• Sean: Milo O'Shea as the judge – 'basically acting like a Muppet.'

• Julie Bovasso as Nurse Rooney (also the mom in 'Saturday Night Fever').
• Winner: Lindsay Crouse as Kaitlin Costello Price – two scenes, knocked it out of the park.

Glenn Close for Roxanne Hart's role – just three scenes, learn a Boston accent, it's a better movie.

• Frank's bar is actually the Horseshoe Tavern on 7th Avenue in NYC – same bar where Frank Pentangeli gets strangled in 'The Godfather Part II' and also appeared in Crocodile Dundee.
• Newman used eye drops to hide the redness in his eyes from alcoholism – Newman's idea.
• Lumet almost got killed when a lighting rig fell three feet from him during filming.
• Edward Binns and Jack Warden both appeared in 12 Angry Men (1957), Lumet's film.

• Paul Newman: Bill says yes – where people realized he had this in him.
• Sidney Lumet: Sean says Network.
• Jack Warden: 'Shampoo' (Bill) – paved the way for his incredible 1975-1982 run.
• David Mamet: 'Glengarry Glen Ross'.
• Charlotte Rampling: Probably The Night Porter (Sean).
• Boston movies: 'Good Will Hunting'.
• Cinema bars: The Horseshoe Tavern – Godfather II and 'The Verdict'.

• Why doesn't Frank have a Boston accent? None of the main actors do.
• Why didn't the couple just fire Frank? Not telling them about the settlement offer is malpractice.
• Why didn't Frank counter the initial $210,000 offer instead of rejecting it outright?
• Why does Laura keep Concannon's check in her purse for days?
• Why wasn't Frank interested in a mistrial? The defense planted a spy on his team.

Philip Baker Hall – Chris and Bill both picked him independently. He'd play the Cardinal.

• What is Mickey's actual business? Why does he give Frank $70K and work as second chair for free?
• Does Frank reconnect with Laura? Sean says no.
• Does Frank clean up his drinking? The hosts say no way – 'he had coffee for two days.'
• Would every lawyer in this movie be disbarred? Probably yes. And the judge too.

• Bill: The Disco Fever pinball machine (his stepdad actually had this exact machine).
• Chris: The doctor's car – a '69 Jaguar.

• Bill: Always counter the first offer.
• Bill: If you're paying off witnesses, get all of them – you can't pay off 9 out of 10.

• Chris: 'Michael Clayton' – the ending on an ellipsis, likely an inspiration for Gilroy.
• Sean: 12 Angry Men for obvious reasons.
• Bill: Cool Hand Luke to compare Newman's greatest performances.

Paul Newman won the movie.