Both a rich character study of a defeated middle-aged alcoholic and an engrossing "little guy against the system" courtroom drama, the budget-priced DVD release of this Paul Newman vehicle shows that The Verdict merits repeated viewings. A major hit in its day and nominated for five Academy awards, this is the kind of mainstream American movie that rarely gets made in Hollywood anymore. The disc returns the movie to its original theatrical aspect ratio with a pristine widescreen anamorphic transfer that shows off Andrzej Bartkowiak's starkly beautiful cinematography. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono track is crisp, well-balanced, and does justice to Johnny Mandel's subtle score. The finest of the DVD extras is top director Sidney Lumet's audio commentary track. This highly rewarding master class in filmmaking also features Newman, but he basically turns up for what can be described as an audio cameo appearance and offers a few comments towards the end of the movie. While Newman is always a welcome presence, this really is basically Lumet's show. Unlike so many directors, Lumet uses the opportunity go into the decision-making process of his movie with great depth, rather than just give off-the-cuff praise to actors or amusing anecdotes. The disc also comes with a featurette on the movie itself, but it doesn't come anywhere near being as in-depth or interesting as Lumet's commentary track.