``The Verdict'' Paul Newman makes a comeback as Reborn, an elderly lawyer addicted to alcohol.

Initial scenario with no The Verdict scene

The project continued to have problems. As is often the case in Hollywood, the scenario never solidifies due to constant rewrites. Perhaps because David Mamet was in overdrive, the script he wrote was too heavy and downer, and to make matters worse, the movie ended right after the jury had left their seats for deliberations, leaving the audience in a state of limbo. ending. Although the title was ``The Verdict,'' there was no The Verdict scene, and the content was too hard-edged. It was definitely too much! Arthur Hiller objected, and ended up withdrawing from the project.

Robert Redford, who had been approached to play the lead role, stepped in to try to settle the situation. First, he approached James Bridges, the director and screenwriter of ` `China Syndrome '' (1979), and began rewriting the script. He decided that the character of the main character, Frank, a hard-drinking womanizer, was not suitable for him, and requested that he be portrayed as a more genuine human being. However, James Bridges' rewritten script did not satisfy Robert Redford or the producers. No matter how much I rewrite and rewrite, I never come up with a scenario that satisfies me. In the end, James Bridges left the project and Robert Redford also left the project.

“The Verdict” (c)Photofest / Getty Images

Sidney Lumet came forward to make a film version of `` The Verdict ,'' which had hit a dead end. He is a master craftsman who has released a series of social masterpieces such as `` Serpico '' (1973), `` Dog Day Afternoon '' (75), and `` Network '' (76). He looked through all the scripts that had been written and decided that David Mamet's original script was the most suitable for the film. Let's take a look at some of his comments.

"David Mamet was the first to turn The Verdict into a movie. A big star was interested in the movie, and he thought he needed to flesh out his character more. A screenwriter was brought in, paid handsomely just to fill in the blanks in Mamet's script, and the script fell apart, so the star actor was brought in with a third writer. I asked him to give it a try. They rewrote it five more times. At this point, the script cost for the movie was $1 million. The script kept getting worse and worse. The star actor said, Gradually, the focus became more on the characters. Mamet is a drunk who solves dirty cases one after another, and one day he comes across an Being There to lend a helping hand, and he takes it despite his trepidation. He was writing a story. This star actor continued to remove the unpleasant aspects of this character and make him more lovable so that the audience could empathize with him."

This "big star" is clearly Robert Redford. Although it was decided to include The Verdict scene at the ending with the producers' wishes, they decided to make the film based mostly on David Mamet's version. Thus, ``The Verdict'' (1982) made a fresh start under the new system.

Characters far different from before