Gary Fleder's film is based on the novel by John Grisham but with a slight change in story: instead of the tobacco industry, the filmmakers decided to use the firearms industry. Attorney, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) is hired by the wife of a man who died in a shooting. She wants to sue the company that manufactured the gun because they allegedly knew the shop that sold it was not following federal regulations. The company's legal team hire Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), a high-priced and ruthless jury 'consultant' whose job it is to learn incriminating secrets about the jury - and if neccessary use them to secure a favourable verdict. But two members of the jury, Nick Easter (John Cusack) and Marlee (Rachel Weisz) have their own agenda and are not for bending. This was Hoffman and Hackman's first ever film together.