Until last August NewMexiKen was unaware there had been a 1997 remake of the 1957 classic 12 Angry Men, a movie which tells the story of jury deliberations in a murder trial. The original is superb. Directed by Sidney Lumet (Network, Serpico, The Pawnbroker) and starring Henry Fonda as the protagonist, it is well written, exceptionally well acted, and a film worth seeing again and again.
Reginald Rose’s screenplay remains remarkably intact 40 years later in the 1997 version. Produced for the cable network Showtime, the film was directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) and stars Academy Award winners Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott. It is a surprisingly fine film in its own right, made even more compelling by comparisons with its predecessor.
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1957 |
1997 |
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| Juror #1 | Martin Balsam | Courtney Vance |
| Juror #2 | John Fiedler | Ossie Davis |
| Juror #3 | Lee J. Cobb | George C. Scott |
| Juror #4 | E.G. Marshall | Armin Mueller-Stahl |
| Juror #5 | Jack Klugman | Dorian Harewood |
| Juror #6 | Edward Binns | James Gandolfini |
| Juror #7 | Jack Warden | Tony Danza |
| Juror #8 | Henry Fonda | Jack Lemmon |
| Juror #9 | Joseph Sweeney | Hume Cronyn |
| Juror #10 | Ed Begley, Sr. | Mykelti Williamson |
| Juror #11 | George Voskovec | Edward James Olmos |
| Juror #12 | Robert Webber | William L. Petersen |