Movie: 12 Angry Men
Screenwriter: Reginald Rose
(32 words)
When the other 11 jurors pressure him to convict an 18-year-old accused of murdering his father, a soft-spoken loner must convince them to let go of their biases, question their morals, and save the defendant from the electric chair.
“When a jury of 12 men face reasonable doubt, while deliberating the case of an 18-year-old accused of murdering his father, they must overcome their personal biases and question their own morals.”
I think this overlooks the hook of the story. There is one man who believes there is reasonable doubt and it is up to him to convince the other 11 that the accused is “not guilty”. There is a clear protagonist in the film, played by Henry Fonda, with a very clear goal, so this logline should most definitely be structured with that in mind.
I also think it’s not essential to know that the accused is an 18-year-old accused of murdering his father. Murder trial yes – and if my memory serves me right it would be a death sentence if convicted – but the age of the accused and his victim… not sure. If anything, I think it would be more interesting to say that he was Puerto Rican as – again if memory serves – his race plays a part in some of the juror’s prejudices.