The Seven Minutes

After the teenager Jerry Griffith purchases the erotic novel The Seven Minutes, he is charged with rape. The case becomes a spark for a broader political battle over pornography. A prosecutor uses the scandal to push the book into the realm of obscenity and frames the ensuing events as a moral test.

The prosecutor leverages the scandal to label The Seven Minutes as obscene, signaling an upcoming political win. He frames the book as a symbol of societal danger rather than a work of literature. This move paves the way for a police sting to target outlets selling the book.

A sting operation is set in motion where two detectives enter a bookstore and purchase a copy of The Seven Minutes. The operation aims to prove the book is being sold as obscene material. This event shifts the case from a private crime to a public moral battle.

Following the sting, the prosecutor brings charges against the bookstore for selling obscene literature. The case tests the boundaries of what is permissible to sell and emphasizes the political stakes of censorship. The outcome could influence future distribution of controversial works.

The trial commences, and the courtroom becomes a battleground for free speech vs. moral regulation. Lawyers present arguments about censorship, artistic value, and the impact of pornography on society. Ordinary members of the public are summoned to testify on their feelings about the book.

The prosecutor puts the young man who committed the rape on the stand, attempting to show that the book drove him to his crime. His testimony is used to reinforce the book's supposed harmful influence. The defense counters with questions about causation and context.

Mike Barrett, the defense attorney, digs into the book's history and discovers the real author, J.J. Jadway. He learns the book originated in Europe and was published by various publishers in the United States with sensationalist marketing. The history reveals extensive censorship and a rumored suicide connected to the author.

Constance Cumberland, a member of a decency society, approaches the defense and agrees to testify in court. She has information about the young man and the surrounding circumstances that could change the case. Her involvement introduces questions about motive and legitimacy of the book's influence.

During her testimony, Constance acknowledges she knew J.J. Jadway and reveals that she is the author, having staged a fake suicide to mislead investigators years earlier. She explains that the book was not meant to be pornographic but an exploration of a woman's sexuality. Her confession reframes the entire trial.

The jury returns a verdict that The Seven Minutes is not obscene. The decision hinges on the absence of proven harm and on recognizing the book as a literary work rather than a mere catalog of titillation. The outcome challenges the prosecutor's earlier framing of censorship.

The prosecutor notes that the not-obscene ruling may apply only to that part of California, leaving open efforts to prosecute in other jurisdictions. The defense critiques the approach as an overreach that would restrict adult reading in homes. The courtroom atmosphere remains tense as the legal battle continues symbolically.

An epilogue note clarifies a benchmark: for a woman's lovemaking, the average time from arousal to orgasm is about seven minutes. The line is presented as a factual closing remark that echoes the film's focus on sexual dynamics. It serves to remind viewers of the book's central topic and the discussion of sexual experience.