Twelve Angry Men, at the American Airlines Theater, is exceptionally well directed by Scott Ellis and
offers an exceptionally well-cast ensemble of recognizable character actors, all of whom delivers
perfectly tuned performances. Boyd Gaines, as the lone holdout voting not guilty in a 1954 murder trial, is appropriately low key but a commanding
presence, as the deliberations bring out both the best and worst human qualities. The script remains surprisingly contemporary and
relevant. Although a jury comprised exclusively of white males speaks volumes about mid-Twentieth Century America, the personal and
societal issues they confront are strikingly similar to those that continue to plague our legal system. In fact, the ability of twelve angry white
men to battle their own biases to fairly judge the life or death of a deprived young black man accused of murder, stands in stark contrast to
the jury system today, when so many pre-determined ethnic and societal stereotypes interfere with true justice. Twelve Angry Men remains a
strong reminder of the injustice built into the jury system even today. Gaines should be a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination, with Supporting
Actor nods deserved for several others in the cast, most notably Philip Bosco, James Rebhorn, John Pankow, Robert Clohessy and Tom
Aldredge. Bosco again proves he's one of Broadway's finest performers.
Jack Myers Entertainment Report's entertainment rating system is based on a
maximum of five jacks and a minimum of zero jacks. 0 = awful; 1 = pretty bad; 2 = okay but don't go out of your way to see it; 3 = reasonably good but not special; 4 = very
good and worth paying attention to; 5 = exceptional. Opinions are based on my own likes, dislikes and preferences.
