Jury Duty

Jury Duty

Year: 1995

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: John Fortenberry

ComedyDrama

Jobless Tommy Collins learns that jurors in a sequestered murder trial receive free room and board plus a modest $5 daily stipend. Seeing an opportunity, he secures a spot on the jury and does everything he can to drag out the proceedings, extending deliberations and turning the confinement into a comfortable, almost leisurely stay for himself.

Light-hearted
Happy ending
Emotionally light
Medium intensity
Steady pacing
Simple story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Jury Duty (1995)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Jury Duty (1995). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Las Vegas, Trailer Park, Holiday Suite Hotel, City Dump, Public Library

Las Vegas serves as the film's glittering backdrop for a wedding plot and the jurors’ getaway, contrasting with Tommy's working-class life. The story also moves through a rough trailer park where Tommy lives with his mother and his chihuahua Peanut. Key scenes unfold in a remodeled Holiday Suite hotel used by the jurors, at the city dump where polystyrene and fast-food traces appear, and in the public library where the truth about the case begins to surface.

🎰 Las Vegas 🏚️ Trailer Park 🏨 Holiday Suite Hotel 🗑️ City Dump 📚 Public Library

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:28

Main Characters – Jury Duty (1995)

Meet the key characters of Jury Duty (1995), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Tommy Collins – Pauly Shore

An unemployed dancer living in a trailer park who adores his chihuahua Peanut and Jeopardy!. He is elected jury foreman and uses delay tactics to protect his coveted luxury suite, showing a mix of charm and self-interest. The experience pushes him to pursue law school and a more responsible path, revealing a personal growth arc.

🎭 Comedy 🧭 Ambition 🐶 Pet-lover

Monica – Tia Carrere

A juror who becomes Tommy's love interest and moral counterbalance. She pushes for fairness and genuine examination of the evidence, challenging Tommy’s initial manipulation. Their relationship evolves through conflict and reconciliation as the case unfolds.

❤️ Romance 🕊️ Trust

Carl Wayne Bishop – Richard T. Jones

A former fast-food employee who is on trial for murdering coworkers. The jurors initially suspect him, influenced by the appearances of threats and the circumstances of his firing. As the truth slowly emerges, the case highlights how easily guilt can be presumed and how fragile justice can be when evidence is misread or manipulated.

🎯 Suspect 🛡️ Innocence

Frank – Rick Ducommun

The Real Frank, an apparent helper who volunteers for jury duty but is later revealed as the killer manipulating the jury to cover his crimes. He frames others and exploits the jury system to maintain control, creating a sense of danger beneath the surface of a routine civic process.

😈 Villain 🕵️‍♂️ Deceiver

Peanut – Gizmo

Tommy's loyal chihuahua who adores Jeopardy! and provides moments of warmth and comic relief. Peanut indirectly influences events, and helps in the climactic efforts to restrain Frank. The dog embodies the film’s lighter, sentimental side amid the twists.

🐶 Loyal 🐾 Companion

Judge Powell – Abe Vigoda

The judge presiding over the trial who must navigate the escalating tension and procedural demands. His decisions, including a mistrial, shape the rhythm and stakes of the jurors’ deliberations. He embodies the authority that sustains or unsettles the quest for truth.

⚖️ Authority 🗺️ Fairness

Murphy – Jack McGee

A hotel security guard who follows Monica, representing the enforcement side of the jury environment. He plays a practical role in maintaining order as emotions run high among the jurors. His presence underscores the tension between personal agendas and institutional oversight.

🛡️ Protector 🏨 Security

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:28

Major Themes – Jury Duty (1995)

Explore the central themes of Jury Duty (1995), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Justice

Jury duty is treated as a microcosm of the legal system, testing what counts as truth and fairness. Tommy’s attempt to protect his comfort leads him to stall deliberations, highlighting how personal motives can influence justice. The other jurors become entangled in tension as they weigh evidence against their own interests. Ultimately, the film questions whether truth can prevail when convenience and self-interest push the process astray.

🌱 Growth

Tommy begins as an unemployed dancer living in a trailer park, spinning along the edge of responsibility. Through jury service and the pursuit of lawful means, he shifts toward personal accountability and a possible path to law school. His relationship with Monica and his bond with Peanut mark milestones in his moral development. The narrative frames his evolution from self-serving stasis to purposeful change.

♻️ Environment

Environmental motifs appear as the plot reveals a killer connected to environmental concerns and activism. The polystyrene dump and fast-food clues link consumer habits to the crime, underscoring a tension between reformist motives and violent action. The twist that the murderer operates under an environmental pretext comments on how causes can be manipulated. This theme ties satire of modern life to the crime plot.

❤️ Love

Monica acts as Tommy's love interest and moral counterweight, challenging his early self-centered behavior. Their evolving trust tests the limits of forgiveness and integrity within the jury and their relationship. The romance reinforces the film’s message about accountability and positive change. In the end, love helps steer Tommy toward a more honest, forward-looking future.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:28

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Jury Duty Summary

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Jury Duty Timeline

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