The Verdict

The Verdict (1982)

  • 96% of critics liked it
    (26 reviews)

  • 85% of users liked it
    (8,925 ratings)

In Sidney Lumet's powerful courtroom drama The Verdict, Paul Newman stars as Frank Galvin, an alcoholic Boston lawyer who tries to redeem his personal and professional reputation by winning a difficult medical malpractice case. Frank, down on his luck, is presented with the case of his life when… More

Play Trailer

R,
Directed By
Written By
David Mamet
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Dec 8, 1982 Wide
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    There are many fine performances and sensitive moral issues contained in The Verdict but somehow that isn't enough to make it the compelling film it should be.

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    Sidney Lumet's direction, like David Mamet's patchy script, may not be quite good enough to justify the Rembrandt-like cinematography of Edward Pisoni and the brooding mood of self-importance, but it's good direction nonetheless.

  • , Time Out

    The first courtroom drama in years to recapture the brilliance of the form.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    The performances, the dialogue and the plot all work together like a rare machine.

  • James Plath, Movie Metropolis

    Count me among those who think the Best Actor Oscar that Paul Newman won for "The Color of Money" was a make-up call. The groundwork was laid right here in "The Verdict," and with the equally accomplished "Absence of Malice" a year earlier.

Read all 15 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Josh M


    The Verdict is one of the finest courtroom dramas ever filmed, the only reason I've given it less than the full stars is that the plot has some convenient points in its last act to provide a studio imposed 'happy ending' that border on cheap. The excellence is wall… More

  • Melvin W


    Judge Hoyle: It seems to me, a fellow's trying to come back, he'd take the settlement, get a record for himself. I, myself. would take it and run like a thief.  Frank Galvin: I'm sure you would.  The Verdict is one of the best courtroom dramas you'll ever see.… More

  • Dan S


    A solid, entertaining legal thriller concerning a beat-up veteran lawyer (Paul Newman) looking for redemption from his alcoholism-driven ways, and finds it in a negligence case concerning a Catholic hospital. Newman's performance is just so effortless, so nuanced, and so… More

  • Saskia D


    If you've seen Hud and Cool Hand Luke you'll understand that he's cut out for this part as a drunk who's trying to save his career as a lawyer. Perfect for a lazy and rainy Saturday afternoon!! <div style="width:970px;"><a… More

  • Conner R


    Newman+Mason+Mamet=Perfection. This isn't just another movie about a courtroom case, it's about the people behind it. Paul Newman gave a performance that almost completely different from anything he'd done before, a truly vulnerable and wounded person. It was great to… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

UltraViolet Retailers

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Cast

See more (29)

Trailers & Clips