A lesson in truth and justice! People like to think that truth is one sided, that it is easy to see, and that a few simple “facts” should undoubtedly lead to certain outcomes. In reality, if people are willing to admit it, the answer to a question is more often, “I don’t know.” There is room to suppose another option, another interpretation of the “facts” may be possible. Lots of people like to think they’re serving justice, but this movie shows some things that get in the way: weaker personalities who maybe haven’t developed their own opinion yet go along with the louder members of the group early on as to not be singled out, lawyers may not always represent their clients to the best of their ability, people are in such a rush, resent having to spend time serving jury duty, and may be willing to spend less time coming to a well-informed decision because of something as simple as uncomfortable weather conditions. There are more hindrances to justice, the big three to hold out till the end are: bigoted prejudice, stoic righteousness, and personal revenge agendas. I know America’s court system does not always work so well, the system can get it wrong, and juries probably do not regularly make a total turn around in their decision like in this hit stage play. Still I have more faith in our justice system with men and women like you and me sorting through the truth and deciding what is just for the accused, rather than appealing to some justice from God. Why is it that those big three things standing in the way of truth and justice in this movie are most often associated with people claiming it is not for us to decide because God’s justice will be served later, or that God’s will must be served now because His law is not the same as man’s law. I believe laws are made by man, have been developed over time to keep society civil, will continue to be changed occasionally, hopefully for the better, and that our laws can serve truth and justice.

Each character is uniquely fleshed out and played. It is well paced, nearly in real time. A film everyone should see, deserving of its classic status.