Original subtitles

And saving the best for last, it is my profound pleasure

to congratulate Mike Kuzak on landing this firm's

first Fortune 100 client, Northland Pharmaceutical.

[applause]

They were sufficiently impressed

with Mike's performance in the Stacey Gill case

that they've engaged us to handle a $100 million dollar

products liability suit, a suit brought by five people

who suffered serious neurological impairment

as a result of taking Cold 20.

I take that sometimes.

Well, these people were also taking a drug called Benedol.

It's prescribed for the treatment

of severe schizophrenia.

That, I don't take.

And a combination of the two is what did it.

Aren't they going after the makers of the Benedol as well?

Well, unfortunately, that company's

gone into receivership following a rash of lawsuits

over another drug it was manufacturing,

which just leaves Northland.

Anyway, no pressure, Mike.

But a trial like this could kick us into lunar orbit.

Well, I'm not quite ready to conclude that a trial

is what's indicated here. Who knows?

This may be one to settle.

Well, we should have a better idea this afternoon

when we meet with Northland's chief house counsel.

And two people from a consulting firm

they used called the Taggert Group?

- What's to consult? - Jury selection, I guess.

What points to hammer on, what points not to.

I thought that's what they hired us for.

Well, I don't now exactly what they have planned.

But what's wrong with getting a little help?

You didn't need any help on the Stacey Gill case.

I mean, you won that on your instincts and the facts.

As I recall, my instincts told me to settle

before the verdict came in.

Why don't we just keep an open mind

and see what they bring to the table?

We're adjourned.

Stuart, you got a minute?

- I need to ask you a big favor. - Yeah, what's up?

I think I'm gonna need some help with my taxes.

- Ann? I'm honored. - You mean it?

Sure. Just give a couple of weeks.

Let me get my desk cleared.

- Oh. - That's a problem?

The thing is, I'm a little strapped.

I was hoping to get my refund back early.

Okay, no problem.

You're the best. You know that?

- Mm-hmm. - I'll make it up to you.

Yeah, well, I'm very expensive.

I was thinking maybe you could take it out in trade.

[theme music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[upbeat music]

Sorry I'm late, Arnie.

It's 10:30!

My car broke down. I had to have it towed.

It's the second time this month!

As if I didn't know. What are you looking for?

One lousy fresh pencil. Is that too much to ask?

Thank you.

[sigh]

Points?

How old's your car?

In dog years?

You want my advice, you're throwing good money after bad.

You wanna tell me exactly what's my alternative?

Get a new car.

Rox, I want you to read through this

and make sure it's coherent.

I need it typed up before Landetta comes in.

[sighs]

Arnie, we need to have a talk.

- What about? - A raise.

Rox, can't this conversation wait 'til later?

- No. - What'd you get last year?

Cost of living, but that won't do it this time.

- What will? - $100.

$100 a week?

I don't eat in restaurants, Arnie.

I don't buy clothes that aren't on sale.

I have a 10-year-old car that spends more time

in the shop that it does on the streets.

And with all of that, I've still gotta worry

about my rent check bouncing!

Rox, I gotta tell you.

This is not the year to be pushing for a big raise.

I'm underpaid as it is.

Plus which, I probably average four to six hours a week

extra doing your personal chores for which I receive nothing.

Nothing?

You call my love and appreciation nothing?

Will it buy me a new car?

[sighs]

Okay. Okay, look. I will talk to Brackman.

- I'll see what I can do. - Thank you.

Landetta. Tick-tock.

[sighs]

[knocking on door]

- Hi. - Hi.

This criminal case of mine? Stulwicz?

I was hoping to kick it around with you a little.

- How come? - I value your opinion.

Benny Stulwicz walks into a shoe repair store,

beats up the proprietor and takes off with over $200.

All true.

What's also true is that Benny's IQ

hovers around the mid two-figure range.

Some low-life he knows told him that the shoe repair guy

stole the money and asked Benny to get it back. Key question.

Could Benny form the criminal intent necessary to convict?

Interesting question. Good luck.

Yeah.

Thing is, this case has been assigned to Judge Forstenzer.

Very bad blood there from when I was in the PD's office.

I hate to see it all turn on that.

Forget it.

If you are looking for another trial lawyer,

you're in the wrong office.

Isn't it a little early in your career

to be making those kind of pronouncements?

After what happened the last time out,

I say it's staring me in the face.

The thing is, you can't let it stare you down.

I wouldn't even dream of asking you to go into court

on this if I wasn't sure in my own mind

that you could handle it.

I mean, I'm not about to try to build up your confidence

at the expense of a poor sap like Benny.

You could do the job, Abby.

I'm telling you.

What we've done, Mike, is to assemble a focus group

that should substantially approximate

the real jury you wanna have at the trial.

The people will also be representative of those

you're most likely to draw from the jury pool.

Aren't we being a little premature here?

How so?

Well, I still haven't seen a file on this case

and you're getting ready to pick a jury.

Mike, that's my fault.

I was in court all morning getting rulings

on a set of interrogatories.

You'll have the file this afternoon without fail.

I also need to talk to some of your technical people

about safety testing and FDA approval criteria.

We have five plaintiffs with serious injuries.

I need to see medical reports.

Believe me, everything's at your disposal.

Let's just run through this now.

When you've had a chance to read through the file,

we'll get into a huddle, fill in the blanks

and see where we're going. Fair enough?

- Alright. - Bridget?

[machine whirrs]

This juror, we call the former experiential,

or ex-pothead for short.

37 years old, earns $40,000 a year, married, one child.

Manages a muffler franchise in Encino.

Traits would be low organizational loyalty

tending toward cynicism.

Although he can be counted on to identify

with the corporation's objectives,

their power and size.

Whatever previously held antiestablishment leanings

he may have had got more or less lost

in the conservative shift precipitated by aging,

family responsibilities, and the feeling of betrayal

by his peers.

Now he's a long way from compassionate.

So you don't have to be afraid to portray

the plaintiffs as whiners with this one.

Bridget?

This individual we call martyred and loving it.

53 years old, housewife,

husband's income in the low $50s.

Heavy association with fictional television characters.

High personal bitterness quotient.

Her psychological pivot is greed.

She can be expected to respond well

to the notion that the plaintiffs' attempt

to collect big bucks is nothing but a chance to cash in

on the kind of unfortunate tragedy life is full of.

She's also gonna love your looks.

[chuckles]

I couldn't budge him. When I brought it up, he freaked out.

Rox, I went to the mat for you.

But he said, if he gives it to you, he's gotta give it

to every other secretary in the firm.

How much will he give?

Cost of living like last year.

Rox, I swear I'm not gonna let him off this time.

We'll stay on him.

And if I have to, I'll even go to Leland, okay?

- I guess. - Attagirl.

Hey, we're gonna shake it out of him eventually.

It just may take some time.

Thanks for trying, Arnie.

Rox, you kidding? You're my girl, okay?

- Okay. - Okay.

The thing to remember is that there's more

to finding Benny guilty than whether or not

he took the money.

Benny's never been in any kind of trouble

before, Miss Perkins.

I'm scared to go in front of a judge.

Everybody's nervous when they go to court, Benny.

You're not nervous.

Of course, she's not nervous. She's a lawyer.

The main thing is to just listen

to the questions and answer them.

Listen to the questions. Okay.

Uh, short answer is usually better than a long one.

Alright.

And we have a good case. So I think we'll do okay.

I ain't never been in any kind of trouble before.

- It's true. - I know it.

You just get a good night's sleep

and try not to worry about it.

Put on a jacket and tie for court.

- It would be better. - Okay.

See you in the courtroom.

You have the address and the room number?

- 210 West Temple, 409. - Right.

You'll meet us at the courtroom?

- I'll be there. - Okay.

Thank you, Miss Perkins.

Um...

Do you really think that things look good for Benny?

There's no guarantee.

But I think we have a good case.

He'd die in prison, Miss Perkins.

He'd just die.

Come on, mom. We're at a meter.

I'm coming, Benny.

[sighs]

- Mike, good morning. - Hi.

- Good morning, Mike. - Hi. What's all this?

Oh, not to worry. Just some tricks of the trade.

Ready for a little transformation?

Well, what I'm ready for is that huddle you promised me.

It looks like we have a very reasonable

settlement proposal on the table.

- Uh, Joe? - Yeah.

Look, Mike, you've got quite a bit of ground to cover here.

Maybe if we just get started, then you and I can sit down

on that later this afternoon.

Wait a minute.

Now I don't know what all this is for.

But it seems to me we gotta sort through

some of the hard facts in this case

before we get down anything else.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you.

Northland's not just looking for the quickest way

out of this thing nut what I wanna suggest is,

we've got Malcolm and his people here.

They've gotta be in Chicago tomorrow

and we don't have a lot of time before the mock trial.

Well, what about the five people who suffered

massive motor function impairment and memory loss?

I am every bit as aware of the gravity

of this situation as you are.

We're not adversaries, but let's avail ourselves

of the help we're being provided with today

if only for scheduling purposes.

And if settlement's in the cards, so be it.

Okay?

Alright, let's do it.

- We on track? - I'm outta here, Mike.

I'll call you right after lunch.

Mike, that's Shelley and Candy, our stylists.

And basically, what we're all here for today is to see

if we can't sharpen up your instrument a bit.

And, believe me, the adjustments are minor.

You see, by polling the Stacey Gill jury,

we've uncovered a few minor weaknesses.

They're all subject to easy correction.

You polled the Stacey Gill jury?

Well, that was the basis of our recommendation

that Northland engage you.

You were quite a hit, but you could have been stronger.

Really?

A few of the jurors felt you were a bit smug and aloof.

But, hey, we can knock out those characteristics

one, two, three.

May I?

Yeah, okay.

Now this to me reads sincere.

And physical and self-reliant. No.

Let's see.

Hm, I think we can start accessorizing.

Mike?

Yeah, let's get some pictures.

There was one other read we got from the Gill jury

and that was youthfulness.

Which isn't necessarily bad.

Unless it impacts negatively on credibility.

There's a way of nipping that in the bud

that's real fast and dirty.

That band of gold.

[camera shutter clicks]

- [knocking on door] - Come.

This is not gonna work, Leland.

What's not going to work?

I am not going to put my conscience

and my professional responsibility as a lawyer

on hold in order to serve as Northland Pharmaceutical's

equivalent of the Pillsbury Dough Boy!

Oh, back up a little bit. I think I missed something.

I was here until 2:00 in the morning

last night going over the Northland file.

The plaintiffs in this case

have suffered catastrophic injuries.

Due to Northland's negligence?

Approximately due?

Approximate enough so that the settlement proposal

made by the plaintiff's attorneys

makes a hell of a lot of sense.

This isn't a game, Leland.

These people suffered devastating injuries.

And you couldn't find 12 people in America

to sit in a courtroom

and give these people any less than

they're already asking for.

You've taken up the settlement proposal with Northland?

Well, who am I supposed to take it up with?

The people I've been dealing with think in terms

of how many buttons there are on my coat.

What about Zweibel?

The consummate corporate game player.

We go to trial and we win, he gets the credit.

We go to trial and we lose, we get the blame.

Look, I know that this is a very big client for us.

But either I get to function as an attorney in this case

or Northland can put an ad in Variety

and find themselves another spokesman.

Well, before you do anything rash,

might I suggest that you do what you have to

to make your feelings known.

And if that means marching into Baldred Townsend's office

and talking directly to him, that's what it means.

[knocking on door]

Are you very busy right now?

Just getting my tax stuff together. What's up?

It's the Stulwicz case.

In the long run, you know,

you're gonna be happy you took it.

You should meet him. He is so sweet and trusting.

Ann, if I blow it for him,

I swear to God I'll kill myself.

Maybe that's a little extreme.

Don't worry.

The first few are always the worst.

I've been roughing out some notes on my closing argument.

Do you think you could stand to listen to it?

Shoot.

[clearing throat]

Our system of juris prudence recognizes the element

of Mens Rea, or guilty mind, to be essential

to a finding of guilt.

But where was the guilty mind in Benny Stulwicz?

The prosecution hasn't shown any to have existed.

And what you have before you now, Your Honor,

is a simple man, a man given to trust, not cunning.

For Benny Stulwicz, there was only

one possible response when asked for a favor by a friend.

- Is this too preachy? - Sounds good.

This doesn't sound like a law school moot court brief?

No. It sounds thoroughly professional.

I'm gonna go work on it. Thank you.

- Hi, Stuart. - Morning. You ready for me?

Yeah, I brought everything with me.

You sure you don't mind this, Stuart?

Let's do it.

You have all your receipts in a shopping bag, huh?

Is that all right?

That's the way I always used to bring it in to Irwin.

- Who's Irwin? - My accountant.

Ann, if you have an accountant and he knows your history,

why don't you just send it over to him?

Well, that's the problem. Um, Irwin is in New Zealand.

And I don't think he'll be coming back

unless they extradite him.

I won't ask.

Stuart, when it comes to managing my own finances,

Stuart, I admit it. I'm just not too sharp.

Look, if this is too much trouble,

I'll try to find another accountant.

No, no, no. It's fine.

I was just afraid you weren't gonna be organized.

What I would like from you, Mr. Townsend, is authorization

to settle this case for between $5 and $6 million.

Joe?

Mike, I can't help but feel

you're throwing in the towel a little early.

Well, I don't consider it throwing in the towel

to recognize that Northland has an accountability

for what it does.

Now there are five people with 100% disability

as a direct result of taking Cold 20

together with other medication.

I'm not about to sit here and tell you

that your corporation ought to ignore that

because it's what you wanna hear.

Mr. Kuzak, sounds to me like you bought

the other side's argument.

Do you think I've got a responsibility

to cross-check my product with every other substance

on the face of the earth?

Because, if that were true, a bottle of aspirin

would cost about $50, assuming you could buy it at all.

People assume some risks in this world.

I'm not about to sit still and take a direct hit

because of some freak occurrence.

Well, you go to court on this issue

and you could be faced with a jury award

that makes this settlement proposal look like chump change.

Taggert seems to feel differently, Mike.

Well, Taggert, for all of his dog and pony shows,

doesn't know juries.

Let me tell you something, as far as I'm concerned,

there's nothing magical about a jury.

It's 12 American consumers waiting to be sold.

Joe: In addition, Mike, the mood of the country

seems to be shifting away from big awards to plaintiffs.

I mean, besides the fact that that's an excellent case

to be made for all the good Northland does,

we've got five plaintiffs that were diagnosed chronic schizos.

Well, you could punch holes in the other side's case...

- ...with that alone. - Oh, that's great.

I'll just march into court and say as long as the plaintiffs

were nuts anyway, they might as well be paralyzed too.

Come on, Mr. Kuzak. Get in there and fight, will you?

That's what we're paying you for.

You're paying me to be your lawyer,

which is exactly what I am doing.

Since we've already got this mock trial scheduled,

why don't we wait to see what the outcome is

before we make our decision on how to proceed?

That's what I've had in mind right along.

We're not locked into anything.

Yeah, well, whether this trial is mock or not,

I've only had the file for one day.

I'm not exactly prepared to go to court on this.

Don't worry about it.

Taggert's got your script all written.

Kuzak: Yeah, forget meaning and substance.

They're lost forever.

A juror in a courtroom, a voter in an election booth?

They might as well be standing in a supermarket aisle

deciding what brand of mouthwash to gargle win.

Hi. I'm Mike Kuzak, attorney.

I eat Cold 20 with every meal.

- Oh, my God. - You believe this?

A sports jacket to go into court?

Oh, they want me to be my own man.

To dispel the corporation image of slick uniformity.

Kind of like one of those giant wine companies

pretending to be two bumpkins sitting on a porch.

I, uh...

I think, I think you look great.

This is packaging, you understand?

- That's all it is. - So what?

So you're telling me that all you're drawn to here

is the package?

[instrumental music]

Just what was it that drew you to me?

Seems like the skirt and a pair of high heels

had something to do with it.

Huh!

Package, huh?

Yeah, but I get to unwrap it.

[upbeat music]

Abby: Benny Stulwicz believed that Ron Shaw was his friend.

We may disagree with that.

But in Benny's mind, there was no doubt.

Nor was there any doubt that, when asked to do a favor

by a friend, he did it.

Rox, it's Wednesday. Where are my shirts?

At the laundry.

Roxanne, I have wall to wall meetings through dinner.

I don't have time to get my shirts.

Neither do I.

Would you come on? What is the problem?

The problem is, I can't just accept

another cost of living raise, not and live with myself.

I understand you're disappointed.

But do you have to take it out on me?

Who else is there?

Rox, come on. I sympathize.

But what can I do?

Arnie, don't you think I'm worth another $100 a week?

If it were up to me, you'd be worth another $1,000 a week!

But do you want me to pay you out of my pocket?

That's like me taking a pay cut.

- Is that fair? - I could live with it.

Could you give us a minute?

You want me to take a pay cut?

Arnie, you spend $100 on flowers every week.

What's going on here? I've never heard you so, I don't know.

- Assertive? - Try hostile.

I am finally starting to take responsibility for my life.

I can't be your doormat anymore.

I can't let you wipe your feet on me

and then say thank you, Arnie.

Thank you for letting me be your slave.

Thank you for letting me take

your dirty shirts to the laundry!

- Rox, this is not you talking. - Oh, yes, it is me.

With a little help from my therapist maybe, but it's me.

- You're unhappy? - Yes!

What do you need with a shrink?

When you don't have a life?

When you let people walk all over you?

When the only man you ever want to be with

is totally unavailable?

When you start dating 18-year-old boys?

It is time to take a good hard look at yourself!

Rox?

Did it ever occur to you that, if you weren't

seeing this shrink, you wouldn't need such a big pay raise?

What I do with my raise is my business.

Do I get it or not?

I'm gonna have to think about it.

Tick-tock, Arnie.

You wanted to see me?

Sit down for a second, would you?

[sighs]

Ann, I have to tell you, I'm very concerned

about the state your finances are in.

Look at this.

Um do you have any idea how much you spent on clothes last year?

Over $7,000.

That's what clothes cost.

You don't think that's a trifle excessive?

Well, that's why you're 36 years old

and you have $540 to your name.

For example, you spent over $5,200

in various charitable contributions last year.

Now the Coalition for the Homeless, I understand.

But the Fund for Rare Welks?

Ann, you can't afford to be that magnanimous.

Irwin didn't think it was a problem.

Yeah, well, Irwin must have been on drugs.

Because I just went back and reviewed

your '83 and '84 returns.

And?

And I can't believe what this guy did.

Worse, what you allowed him to do.

Like what?

Like taking a depreciation allowance on a car you paid

for 10 years ago. Ann, you can't do that.

Like deducting the sofa in your living room

as office furniture.

- I work there sometimes. - Yeah?

Well, I hope you aren't audited.

Because my idea of relationship isn't driving 200 miles

every Saturday to visit you at the women's penitentiary

at Lompoc, you know.

What is the point of this little diatribe, Stuart?

Okay, the point is, I want you to sit down

and do some long-term financial planning.

- I want you on a budget, Ann. - Stuart--

Look, I've taken the liberty of putting together

some investment options for your perusal.

Hold on a minute. I did not ask you to do all of this.

Well, if you didn't revert to infancy the minute

you started thinking about managing your money,

- I wouldn't have to. - Excuse me!

How I choose to manage my money is my business and not yours!

I should have known better than to think

you were capable of having a professional relationship

with me without letting it become

a forum for your personal feelings.

Hey, wait a minute! I actually spent two hours putting

that stuff into little piles.

Well, it's my tax return. I'll file it.

Fine! Go get indicted! See if I care!

- I will! Fine! - Fine!

[machine whirring]

Oh, that's fantastic!

Yeah, now that reads pure JFK to me, young JFK.

Oh, I did take the liberty of making one change.

I hope you don't mind.

I asked someone to play the lawyer for the plaintiffs.

- What? A different actor? - A lawyer.

A lawyer? What about the script?

Well, I thought we might get a truer reading

if we had someone who wasn't working from a script.

[clearing throat] I'm troubled by that.

It shouldn't make any difference as long as

you don't deviate from the script.

Absolutely not.

Speaking of which, take a look at this guy.

This is supposed to be the plaintiff's attorney?

It is totally wrong.

Totally.

Mr. Stulwicz, how old are you?

Benny Stulwicz, 38.

My birthday's the day after the Fourth of July.

And where do you live, Benny?

On Orange Grove Street.

With your mother?

And Hogan. He's my dog.

Are you presently employed?

Do you have a job, Benny?

Sometimes I do the grass and leaves for Mrs. Ratner.

She's a lady down the block.

And once I had a paper route.

Only the man said it took too long getting them there.

Do you know Ron Shaw, Benny?

Sure. He's my friend.

He lets me go to the liquor store for him.

And do you remember the day you were arrested

by the police?

Sure.

Did you go somewhere with Ron that day?

I went to a store where they fix shoes.

Can you tell us why?

Ron told me the man in there had stole money from him.

Ron said he wanted his money back

only he wasn't strong enough.

So what did you do, Benny?

I went in there and I said give me Ron's money.

And the guy just looked at me.

So I said it again.

"Give me Ron's money!"

Then the guy picked up this hammer

and he looked like he was gonna hit me with it.

So I went like this and I pushed him.

Then I took the money and I gave it to Ron.

And what happened then?

Ron told me to walk home, so I did.

And when I got to my house,

there was two policemen there waiting for me.

I never seen Ron again after that.

Did they arrest you, Benny?

Yeah, they did.

My mom was crying when they put me in the police car.

I'm sorry, mom.

Thank you, Benny.

I have nothing further at this time.

Mr. Berenbaum?

[clearing throat] When Ron Shaw asked you to steal money,

you agreed to do that, didn't you?

He wouldn't ask me to do that.

Mr. Berenbaum: You agreed to get the money for him

when he asked you to, though, didn't you?

Sure. Ron's my friend.

I have nothing further.

Witness may step down.

You can return to your seat now, Mr. Stulwicz.

Have you any further witnesses, Miss Perkins?

No, Your Honor.

I am prepared to begin my closing argument.

I don't believe that will be necessary.

From testimony presented, expert and otherwise,

it is my opinion that the defendant was incapable

of forming the requisite intent to commit this crime.

Accordingly, I find the defendant,

Benny Stulwicz, not guilty.

Does that mean you don't wanna hear any closing arguments?

How not guilty do you want me to find him?

You won, counselor. Case dismissed.

Miss Perkins, you were really something in there.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate

what you done for Benny.

Well, I'm just glad that everything worked out.

And if that bastard shows up here again,

I want you to stay away from him. Do you hear?

Mr. Shaw's all right, Ma.

What am I gonna do?

Well, good luck, Benny.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

You're welcome and you take care, okay?

[instrumental music]

Doctor, how common is the use of Benedol

for the treatment of schizophrenia?

Sifuentes: Objection.

Outside the witness's stated expertise.

I'll allow it.

It's quite uncommon.

Hmm. Have you yourself ever prescribed the drug, doctor?

Oh, yes, I have.

Do you continue to prescribe it?

No. I haven't prescribed it in four or five years now.

Why is that?

Well, because there are other drugs that attain

the same if not better results without the side effects.

Kuzak: Uh-huh.

To the best of your knowledge, is that opinion

shared by the medical community at large?

- Yes, it is. - Thank you.

Oh, by the way, doctor, what is your opinion of Cold 20?

It's one of the better over-the-counter

cold remedies available.

No further questions.

Counselor?

Dr. Schwartz, before you would prescribe Benedol

or any other drug, for that matter, do you inquire

as to what other medications a patient might be taking?

If a patient is under my care, I expect to know exactly

what medication that patient is taking.

What about over-the-counter medications?

I like to know about those too.

Do you have your patients keep logs recording every time

they take a cold pill or an antacid?

Schwartz: No, I don't. Sifuentes: Why not?

Well, it seems excessive, unnecessary.

Isn't it because you assume the over-the-counter medications

to be safe, doctor or it wouldn't be on the market?

I would assume them to be safe, yes.

Isn't it a fact that the reason that you assume

these over-the-counter remedies to be safe to be taken

with other medications is that there would be

a warning printed on the label if they weren't?

That would be one way to tell.

The other being your faith in a major pharmaceutical

company like Northland, isn't that right?

Well, I've placed my faith in Northland

for more than 35 years.

What would it do to your faith, doctor,

if five of your patients were rendered permanently disabled

by one of Northland's products?

- Objection. Sifuentes: Withdrawn.

By the way, doctor, how much you receiving

to testify here today?

My rate is $3,500 per day.

No further questions.

Pretty good.

Kuzak could blow him away in summation.

He wears an earring, for God's sake.

It would be easy to think of this case as being

five innocent and unfortunate people

against a huge, profit-hungry corporation.

But it wouldn't be true.

Northland Pharmaceutical is working men and women,

chemists, secretaries,

factory workers, truck drivers.

All working toward providing the public with the most

recent advances in pharmacological research.

All doing their part as healthcare providers.

Now keep in mind, ladies and gentlemen,

that it was risk-taking by drug companies

that brought us such modern-day miracles

as insulin, penicillin, tetracycline.

That gave us vaccines for polio,

small pox, whooping cough.

And Northland is proud to be part of an industry

that accomplished all of that.

The reaction of five plaintiffs to Cold 20,

a cold remedy that has been used safely by millions

for more than 18 years, were freak occurrences

that no amount of research or planning

could have been expected to predict.

Now we are all familiar with the human desire

to find a villain, particularly a villain

with a great deal of money.

But each of you as jurors has a moral obligation

to weigh the facts.

We may feel for the plaintiffs' pain.

But if the facts indicate that Northland could not have

reasonably expected that Cold 20 would be used

in conjunction with Benedol to the detriment of the user,

then you as jurors have an obligation

to find in favor of the defendant.

I wish to thank you in advance for your lending

a careful eye and ear to the arguments

raised in this courtroom.

- How's the basal skin response? - Excellent.

Plus a rough body language analysis shows

that we're hitting on all cylinders.

Jurors 5 and 10 look like they'd give it up to Kuzak

on the first date.

Let's just get through Clarence Darrow's summation

and we've got what we need.

Sifuentes: Kevin O'Neal, Ruth Hodges,

Corbin de Genowitz, Quan Tan Yu,

Mildred Hipolitto.

Not long ago, all five were struggling mightily

to overcome their mental illness and succeeding.

Their friends and their families were proud of them.

Happy to have them back.

Then one winter, they along with millions

of other people caught colds.

Each of them went to a drugstore looking for the pill

that they had seen advertised countless thousands

of times on television,

the cold remedy that promised fast,

effective relief without drowsiness,

without side effects,

safely and instantly and without a doubt.

They each bought a bottle of Cold 20, went home.

Took it without a second thought and had their lives

shattered like a wine glass thrown out of a window.

They will never work again nor will they be able

to walk through a park, go to a movie.

Their existences will be maintained only by elaborate,

enormously expensive and intrusive care.

All semblance of independence and spontaneity gone...

...forever.

Now Northland Pharmaceutical has told you

that this was a freak occurrence.

They have told you how careful they are,

how sorry they are.

How, despite their massive advertising

and promotion to have people buy their products

and ingest them into their systems,

they owe these five people nothing

but a shrug of their shoulders.

But the simple fact is that these five lives

might very well have not been destroyed

if Northland would have given them a simple warning.

A little extra ink is all it would have taken.

While it is true that money will never make

these lives whole again,

tragically, money is all

that Northland now has to give.

At least let it give them that.

Alright.

By my read, earring was close, but no cigar.

What do you think?

- How's the basal? - Huh?

- How is he tracking? - I'm not sure.

What do you mean, you're not sure?

All right, juror number six, could you give us

some of your immediate impressions, please?

Particularly about Mike Kuzak and how you would vote?

It's a tough one.

I mean, well, you can't expect the company

to baby-sit everyone that takes one of their pills.

Kuzak seems like a straight shooter to me.

I don't know. I mean, you know,

if they'd have received a warning,

I'd say it was a tough break.

But without a warning, maybe give 'em

a couple million dollars apiece and call it a day.

Juror seven?

I thought the doctor was very good.

I thought Mr. Kuzak was terrific, but fair is fair.

These people can't even work.

What are they supposed to do, go on welfare?

I'd make the company pay.

And, excuse me, but $2 million each

is nothing for people who have suffered the way they have.

I think they deserve at least $5 million apiece.

Juror number eight?

Juror #8: I thought Mr. Kuzak was very sincere.

And I don't mind saying I think he is gorgeous.

It's just that, well, what are you gonna do?

I mean, you have to give these people some money

for what happened to them.

It's not like Northland can't afford it.

I'd give them maybe $20 million altogether.

Mr. Kuzak? Can I see you for a minute?

Uh, thank you very much. We'll pick this up in a moment.

Mike, you've got your authorization to settle.

Malcolm, I'm not going near a jury with this one.

Well, hold on a second. This is one focus group.

The data we're getting is very raw.

Kuzak: It seems to me that I recall your saying

this was a representative sampling, Malcolm.

Don't tell me your methods are anything less

than fully accurate.

Well, perhaps the delivery wasn't all it could have been.

I mean, the script is only as strong

as the one speaking the lines.

That's not where the problem lies.

We've got an exposure. Why not just accept it?

Pay the $2 like the man says and be done with it.

It's your $2. I'm just here to pinpoint your options.

And you do a damn good job of it.

Gentlemen?

[sighs] Someone will be around to pick up the clothes tomorrow.

[sighs]

'Night.

[sighs]

Rox? This isn't any fun.

For either of us.

Look, if you're unhappy, if you can't live with things

the way they are, maybe you oughta think about another job.

Maybe that's a good idea.

I'm gone all next week anyway for jury duty.

You can start interviewing then.

- [sighs] In my office. - What's the point?

Can we talk about this in my office? Please?

Look, I'm sorry.

I was way out of line, that business about replacing you.

- It's your option. - Rox, nobody can replace you.

Then pay me what I'm worth.

You are absolutely refusing to see this thing through my eyes!

I'm sorry, Arnie. I'm worth what I'm worth.

And if I can't get it here, then I'll get it somewhere else!

I thought we were friends.

I thought, I thought that we could count on each other.

Your idea of friendship is a little uneven if you ask me.

You are driving a skewer through my heart, Roxanne.

I've never been so hurt in my entire life.

Will you please don't say that?

I am not trying to hurt you!

Ever since Carolyn Glasband shot her husband,

never mind that I could have been killed,

I have been living with a nightmare.

I have had to wrestle with the question of whether or not

I was responsible for what happened in there!

It has been the worst two weeks of my life!

Plus which, I have just moved into a new house.

I am financially on the ropes myself.

Roxanne, I thought that we loved each other!

But to find out that you have reduced our relationship

into nothing more than a couple of lousy dollars?

And all I am to you is a paycheck?

- Arnie, please. - No!

[mellow music]

Hi.

[breathes heavily] Hi.

Can we just pretend that this whole thing never happened

and be friends again?

What about your taxes?

I'll figure something out.

Actually, I could forward all your docs over

to Alan Duke at Crosgrove, Climan. You'd like him.

He's your basic everything in a shopping bag kind of guy.

[chuckles]

Ann, I really feel like I have to get to the bottom of this.

I mean, don't you care what happens to you after you're 65?

Maybe I don't wanna retire.

Maybe I just plan to work until I drop.

What if you got sick, God forbid?

Okay, when I talk to Alan Duke,

I'll ask him about setting up a retirement plan, okay?

Can we stop talking about it now?

And go have some dinner?

- One more thing. - Stuart...

It'll help for next year's taxes, okay?

- Sell your condo. - What?

Given your situation and property values

in your neighborhood, it's really the best time.

I mean, the market's absolutely topped out.

Interest rates have got to go back up.

Stuart, it's my only asset.

Right, so convert it and make a quick $60, $70,000 profit.

You remember what I told you about capital gains taxes?

Got all that money to play with.

Great, if I wanna live under a park bench.

Well, Ann, the whole thing doesn't make sense

unless you move in with me.

Whoa. Back up.

Are you saying I should move in with you for tax purposes?

No, not primarily.

I mean, you're there most of the time anyway.

[chuckles]

Certainly not the most romantic proposition

I ever imagined.

Well, I was gonna propose you move in because...

because I love you

and because you give my life meaning

and joy

and because the thought of waking up next to you

is my profoundest happiness.

But I thought, if I did that, I might scare you off.

It's a big step. Can I think about it?

Absolutely.

Okay, I thought about it.

And?

Let's go home.

[theme music]

[music continues]