Literary Analysis of the Movie "The Verdict"
Literary Analysis: The Verdict
Mandi Dersch
Galen College of Nursing
Literary Analysis: The Verdict
People delegate important personal aspects of their lives to professionals, but not without the risks of unethical behaviors. The word Professional makes one think of wealth and power, which can result in corruption; winning by any means necessary. In the movie The Verdict, Frank Galvin plays a lawyer who has reduced himself to being a drunken ambulance chaser (Brown, Harris, Zanuck, & Lumet, 1982). He is given an opportunity by his good friend, Mickey Morrisey, to morally redeem himself; not only as a lawyer, but most importantly a person.
The Case A medical malpractice suit had been filed against St. Catherine’s Laboure Hospital physicians Towler and Marks involving Deborah Anne Kay. A very pregnant Deborah Anne Kay was administered the wrong anesthesia during a cesarean delivery resulting in the aspiration of vomitus leaving Deborah Anne Kay in a perpetually comatose state. Frank has a strong case and is assured that the hospital will settle without having to go to trial. Deborah Anne Kay’s sister and brother-in-law, Sally and Kevin Doneghy, only want to settle for enough money for Deborah to be properly cared for. Frank goes to visit Deborah and begins to take Polaroid’s of her lifeless body lying there so still and he begins to experience feelings of intense moral vivication.
Frank goes to see Bishop Brophy of the Archdiocese and Mr.Concannon the lawyer for the hospital and they offer $210,000 as a settlement. Frank states that “no one will know the truth” and Bishop Brophy replied, “what is the truth?” Frank then states that: that poor girl put her trust into the hands of two men that took her life. She is in a coma. Her life is gone. She has no family, she has no home, she’s tied to a machine, she has no friends and the people who should care for her-her doctors and you and me-have been bought off to look the other way. We
Mandi Dersch
Galen College of Nursing
Literary Analysis: The Verdict
People delegate important personal aspects of their lives to professionals, but not without the risks of unethical behaviors. The word Professional makes one think of wealth and power, which can result in corruption; winning by any means necessary. In the movie The Verdict, Frank Galvin plays a lawyer who has reduced himself to being a drunken ambulance chaser (Brown, Harris, Zanuck, & Lumet, 1982). He is given an opportunity by his good friend, Mickey Morrisey, to morally redeem himself; not only as a lawyer, but most importantly a person.
The Case A medical malpractice suit had been filed against St. Catherine’s Laboure Hospital physicians Towler and Marks involving Deborah Anne Kay. A very pregnant Deborah Anne Kay was administered the wrong anesthesia during a cesarean delivery resulting in the aspiration of vomitus leaving Deborah Anne Kay in a perpetually comatose state. Frank has a strong case and is assured that the hospital will settle without having to go to trial. Deborah Anne Kay’s sister and brother-in-law, Sally and Kevin Doneghy, only want to settle for enough money for Deborah to be properly cared for. Frank goes to visit Deborah and begins to take Polaroid’s of her lifeless body lying there so still and he begins to experience feelings of intense moral vivication.
Frank goes to see Bishop Brophy of the Archdiocese and Mr.Concannon the lawyer for the hospital and they offer $210,000 as a settlement. Frank states that “no one will know the truth” and Bishop Brophy replied, “what is the truth?” Frank then states that: that poor girl put her trust into the hands of two men that took her life. She is in a coma. Her life is gone. She has no family, she has no home, she’s tied to a machine, she has no friends and the people who should care for her-her doctors and you and me-have been bought off to look the other way. We
References: Brown, D. (Producer), Harris, B. (Producer), Zanuck, R. (Producer), & Lumet, S. (Director). (1982). The Verdict [Motion picture]. USA: 20th Century Fox. Mamet. D. (1982). The Verdict. Galen College of Nursing. Louisville, KY. Principles of Medical Ethics. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/principles-medical-ethics.page?