Newman relates to the girl in the coma. He's spent his days in a coma, an alcoholic coma. No friends, no family, nobody to care for him. Drifting through life, chasing ambulances, without dignity. He sees his life has slipped away, just as has hers.... but seeing her lying there really hits home for him. He re-evaluates himself in that moment and decides to wake up from his own coma and help her, to make a difference. She's a human being, he's a human being. And it dawns on him that he is the only one who has been granted the power to help her. He still has the power to get her a shot at justice. And to find his own redemption. Such a superb film that uses silence as articulately as it uses dialogue. Newman is simply brilliant, as always
@@mark-shaneThe symbolism in this film is very powerful. When Newman speaks about her lying in the hospital ward, attached to a machine, it's as if he's talking about himself. His attachment to alcohol, to the pinball machine. Both of them have nothing left in life. But he still has the option to fight for her, because she cannot fight for herself
What a performance. Should have won two Oscar's. Love his disdainful look and response after his heart rending explanation elicits a sarcastic response from the bishop's cleric.
This is one of my favorite scenes and I sort of JUST noticed that....he's looking at the younger priest as if to say "go piss up a rope pal" because it was an unnecessary shot.
What a good scene. Really well written, and Paul Newman really gets everything from the writing. Galvin is such an interesting character. Actors live to play characters like this. And Newman really rose to the occasion.
The SCENE where Newman sits and takes several snapshots of his dead-in-life client lying in bed, tied to the machine in her irreversible coma. Newman realizing just then, pic after pic, that she is not an object, not just a quick way to get a lot of easy money, but a helpless woman without a single friend to fight for her rights. Newman realizing, with deep grief, that he has been an asshole for years and years, until that moment of illumination. Newman realizing, suddenly, that she deserves Respect and Help. Script by David Mamet and Sidney Lumet directing one of the most memorable films about human dignity and about the true search for Justice. I'm full of tears everytime I watch Newman's eyes in that brief scene at the hospital. They contain what I believe is the most important clue about what EMPATHY means.
I agree. In the hospital he realizes his life is a mess. But in this scene he actually does something about it by saying it out loud and refusing the money. True courage.
But what gets you later, is... Is he really doing it for that girl or is he doing it just to save himself? Y'know, it's not so clear as the film moves on. Regardless, it truly is a great film.
RIP Edward Binns (September 12, 1916 - December 4, 1990), aged 74 And RIP Paul Newman (January 26, 1925 - September 26, 2008), aged 83 You both will always be remembered as legends.
This is the moment that the lawyer , Frank Galvin , finds that he can redeem himself-his self respect , his deep reverence for the law and justice , his values- by turning down money : a quick and painless payday for himself , all the while pursuing justice for a person who cannot obtain justice for themselves.
baloney. he was a drunk. He should have negotiated an even greater sum from the church and he would have received it and then he could have retired knowing he did the right thing by not forcing the coma woman's relatives to have to undergo a painful trial.
This was a great movie and a great scene. I really like the scene when the husband approaches Galvin when he found out that he turned down the money. Just a fantastic movie!
Excellent movie, have seen many times but only just noticed now that when he's describing the girl he's also describing himself. "No family, no friends". Even more poignant.
Tem várias. Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy, The Sting, Torn Curtain, Cat in Tin Hot Roof. Mas, realmente, ele está excelente em The Verdict, é um dos melhores trabalhos da carreira dele.
There are several great films of his I’ve not seen, (Cat on a hot tin roof, Hud, Exodus and some others) but this is the best acting I’ve ever seen from him in any movie I’ve seen. And I’d bet others who’ve seen all his films are willing to say he was never better than in this one.
Good scene. It portrays Frank Galvin as noble, but, as any attorney will confirm, huge problems here. 1. Galvin rejects a settlement offer without even communicating it to the clients. Bad. Very bad. Breach of duty. If they wanted to settle, he could not go to trial, under any circumstances. (Of course, then there wouldn't be a movie at all.). 2. Galvin's clients are the relatives of the comatose girl, not the girl herself. They wanted to settle, as it turns out later. He is obligated to do what they want, not anyone else. He cannot act on his own moral convictions. Despite his nobility, Galvin is a terrible lawyer.
One line pitch: A bitter, alcoholic, has-been lawyer takes his last shot at redemption by fighting an uphill battle for a woman put in an irreversible coma by incompetent doctors.
As a Catholic myself I don't like the idea of a bishop uttering those words, considering who first did. Such good symbolism there. The archdiocese was led by a dirty prelate more concerned with how they looked and all the big power players rallied together. It's incredible that they finally were held accountable in the end.
0:08 replicates a scene from the Gospel of John: “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him."
The church was there to talk money. Galvin was stupid. He should have insisted on twice the amount that the church was prepared to offer and he most likely would have gotten it or at least something more the Church was prepared to offer other than its original offer. Back in 1982, 200K was a lot of money, but 400K is even more and Galvin could have retired on it, or at least not have to work for some time. But he said he would be "lost" if he accepted the church's offer. He was already lost. He was a drunk in the midst of a failing law practice. And now he has a change of heart?
Edward Bins as Bishop Brophy. The Verdict What is the Truth? (1982) Paul Newman too. Mister Galvin RIP. Senator Ted Cruz with a pater short a couple of sarnies to make a satisfactory picnic - Senator Cruz' Pod Cast is called?????????????
Sorry, I clicked something in error and didn't finish my comment. The film has a major factual flaw related to the outcome of the trial. Paul Newman's character produced a surprise witness, played by Lindsay Crouse, who was the admittance nurse when his client was admitted to the hospital for her delivery. Lindsay Crouse's character (Kaitlyn Costello Price) testified that the OBGYN doctor (played by Wesley Addy) threatened to fire her if she didn't change some information on the admittance form, namely the number of hours that had passed since the patient ate a full meal (from one hour to nine hours). The problem is that in 1982, and for a long time before that, as is the case today, hardly any doctor had the power to fire a nurse! My father is a retired eye surgeon, and he can definitely speak to this. 99% of the time, the nurses are employed by the hospitals, not the doctors, and, moreover, the nurses were all unionized then, and for a years before that, again as they are today. So if a surgeon or doctor threatened to fire a nurse like that, the nurse could tell the doctor to go screw himself or herself, because not only the hospital, but the nurses' union would come down on them like the proverbial ton of bricks! Sure, the scene is compelling drama, but it bears no relationship to reality, then as now, and Sidney Lumet and David Mamet (the screenwriter), not to mention the producers and the actors, must have known that at the time. So even while I love David Mamet's work (and especially love his more recent turn against the Left), I still get the uncontrollable urge to throw things at the screen when this scene is on.
Thsi Movie which I haven't seen in years is very similiar to Pacino's= And Justice for All. JUistice for all I have never seen except for the YOUTube Clips. I will need to try to get hold of that Movie.
Love to put my feet by that fire 🔥 ...it helps, when your living in your Buick Allure ...ahhhh, just a few moments over the fire 🔥 my feet ...ahhh ...so niceee ..."chestnutssss roasting over an open fireeee" 🌰 ...dooby ...dooby, dobby, dooo
It was the scriptwriter "plagiarized" Pontius Pilate, if you feel the need to put somebody quoting Christian scripture in those terms. And even if this film was a factual documentary of real events, a Catholic bishop involved in a lawsuit over malpractice in a hospital that his diocese governs isn't "representing the Vatican". On the level of either the scriptwriting or within the storyline itself, there were no "representatives of the Vatican" involved.
No, he would have just taken the easy money offer if he was just in it for the money. He wouldn’t have went through all the obstacles and rejection and adversity if he didn’t care about the girl.
