# I watched 12 Angry Men this weekend. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350 "2005-09-19T13:12:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/1 "2005-09-19T13:12:12Z")
Well, I missed the first 20 minutes or so, but it didn’t make much difference to my watching experience. What a film! Henry Fonda was great, but they were all great! The best scene was when the one guy (Ed Begley?) was ranting about how you can’t trust “those people.” One by one all the jurors turned their backs to him. He starts screaming, “Listen to me! Listen to me!” Then the one guy says, “We have. Now sit down and shut up.” Powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/2 "2005-09-19T13:26:55Z")
I’ve always thought that Begley gave the best performance in film. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/3 "2005-09-19T13:33:46Z")
Fantastic movie. One of the all-time classics for good reason. Suprisingly, the '90s remake is pretty good too. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/4 "2005-09-19T13:41:12Z")
One of many all time Classis by Henry Fonda. This is a great and compelling movie. A definate 10 on my IMDB list ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/5 "2005-09-19T13:41:18Z")
My only nitpick with the film is the unnecessary last scene where we learn Juror #9’s (?) name. Actually, I could do without the first scene in the courtroom too. Neither of those are in the stage production. Just jump in in the deliberation room and end when they leave it. Great movie nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/6 "2005-09-19T13:45:06Z")
A wonderful film. Interestingly, I first saw it in a social psychology class, with the purpose of showing the class how people DON’T behave. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/7 "2005-09-19T14:06:04Z")
Because of some medication I was taking, I started nodding off near the end. Why did the last guy change his vote? I remember he had issues with his son who he hadn’t seen in a couple of years, and he still had anger over that. Was that somehow related to wanting to convict the guy? And what made him turn around? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/8 "2005-09-19T14:25:17Z")
One of my favorite movies. Great performances by everyone in the cast I think. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/9 "2005-09-19T14:46:56Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Interestingly, I first saw it in a social psychology class, with the purpose of showing the class how people DON’T behave. I first saw it as an assignment for a business class. The object was the various ways people use to influence others. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/10 "2005-09-19T15:00:11Z")
I agree with **Lou**. The new one is good too. George C. Scott is great as juror numer 3. You can just feel his world crumbling in his final speech as he alternates between anger and frustration. Tony Danza is even good. Granted, he’s playing a meat head sports fan so its not much of a stretch, but he’s good. Not to mention Gandolfini, Olmos, Jack Lemmon, Ossie Davis, Hugh Cronyn. Great cast. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/11 "2005-09-19T15:12:17Z")
I just wanted to add the links [12 Angry Men (1957)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/) [12 Angry Men (1997)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118528/) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/12 "2005-09-19T15:14:13Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I agree with **Lou**. The new one is good too. Absolutely. And in this one, we are at last reminded that a jury of one’s peers might actually include men of color. Now if someone would just do a remake called _Twelve Angry Persons_. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/13 "2005-09-19T15:16:30Z")
Why, when Twelve Angry Men works so well do we have to make it politically correct with women. Plus, in the original, there were people of color. Not everyone thinks of Europeans as all white. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/14 "2005-09-19T15:17:57Z")
Oh, and don’t forget Mykelti Williamson, who played Bubba in _Forrest Gump_. “Send the defendant to prison, where he become some dude’s fish. Let’s see, he can be fried fish, broiled fish, fish stew, fish cakes, filet of fish, fish and chips…” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/15 "2005-09-19T15:20:24Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Why, when Twelve Angry Men works so well do we have to make it politically correct with women. Plus, in the original, there were people of color. Not everyone thinks of Europeans as all white. We don’t _have_ to, but I think it would make for a much more interesting plot. But it would necessitate a rewrite, as well as an unfortunate title change. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/16 "2005-09-19T15:44:17Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > We don’t _have_ to, but I think it would make for a much more interesting plot. But it would necessitate a rewrite, as well as an unfortunate title change. I don’t see why a title change would be necessary. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/17 "2005-09-19T16:19:26Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Actually, I could do without the first scene in the courtroom too. Neither of those are in the stage production. Just jump in in the deliberation room and end when they leave it. I agree that the biggest flaw in the film is that Lumet loads the dice for the audience in favor of the defendant by showing his face–a sad-eyed wisp of a youth, who doesn’t look like your “typical” street-tough juvie. It’s a cop-out and unnecessary concession that dilutes some of the ambiguity about his innocence. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Go\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Blue)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/18 "2005-09-19T16:23:54Z")
They should make a sequel where the Fonda character is tried for violating jury rules (and his oath) by going out and submitting evidence in the jury room that he got from his own investigation. It should have been a mistrial. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/19 "2005-09-19T16:28:37Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > I agree that the biggest flaw in the film is that Lumet loads the dice for the audience in favor of the defendant by showing his face–a sad-eyed wisp of a youth, who doesn’t look like your “typical” street-tough juvie. It’s a cop-out and unnecessary concession that dilutes some of the ambiguity about his innocence. Plus it show what minority the defendant is. I’d rather it be a mystery. Could it be a Puerto Rican? African American? Jewish? ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350/20 "2005-09-19T17:37:38Z")
i love this film, although i prefer the original over the re-make (in fact it is hard to watch the remake.) one of my favorite lines, which is completley insignificant in the film, is when the old guy gets hit with the rolled up paper that was tossed at the fan and he says: “that was a damned stupid thing to do!” classic! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-12-angry-men-this-weekend/322350.md?page=2)