‘Jury’ witnesses actor pals’ reunion

Runaway Jury

Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman

Fox, $28

Though they have been friends since they were students together in 1956 at the Pasadena Playhouse, Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman never acted together on the big screen until this juicy popcorn thriller based on John Grisham’s bestseller. Oddly enough, there wasn’t a scene between the two in the original script, but when director Gary Fleder learned they were buddies, a confrontational scene between Hackman’s corrupt jury consultant and Hoffman’s earnest attorney was written. And their scene together in a courtroom bathroom is one of the best in the movie.

The DVD edition features fascinating footage of the two friends rehearsing the scene -- and admitting they were nervous about working together -- as well as just chatting about their friendship and their acting styles. Among other features are outtakes, mini-documentaries and savvy commentary from director Fleder.

*

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

David Spade, Jon Lovitz

Paramount, $30

To say “Dickie Roberts” is David Spade’s best film in years doesn’t actually mean it’s a great film. But there is a bit more humor and heart in the film than in “Joe Dirt.” And the film is filled with cameos of former child stars like Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams.

Spade and frequent collaborator Fred Wolf penned this story about a former child star of the ‘70s who has fallen on hard times. To get a meaty role in a new Rob Reiner film, he rents a family for a month so he can discover what real life is like. Of course, Dickie grows up, falls in love and ends up becoming a success.

The digital edition features behind-the-scenes documentaries -- the best being a fun visit with the former child stars who appear in the music video at the film’s finale -- commentary from director Sam Weisman and another commentary track with Spade and Wolf.

*

Dummy

Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich

Artistan, $27

The DVD of this uneven comedy about a young man (Adrien Brody) who gives up his job to become a ventriloquist, features what might be the first commentary track with a ventriloquist and his two dummies. The ventriloquist is award-winning Jeff Dunham and his “figures” are the irascible Walter and sweet Peanut. The end result is pretty funny. The digital edition also features deleted scenes, a “Dummy” trivia test and lessons on “How to Be a Ventriloquist.”

This movie was made in 2001, long before Brody won the Oscar for “The Pianist,” and made the rounds of film festivals for nearly 18 months before it was released last fall. Though Brody and the supporting cast are quite good, “Dummy” is a trifle and probably wouldn’t have been released if the young actor hadn’t won the Academy Award.

*

Stone Reader

Documentary

New Yorker Video, $40

This heartwarming and engrossing documentary is a must-see for any literature fan. In 1972, an 18-year-old named Mark Moskowitz read a rave New York Times review of “The Stones of Summer,” by a young first-time novelist, Dow Mossman. Moskowitz got the book but couldn’t get into it. Twenty-five years later, he picked up his old paperback copy of the book and fell in love with the novel. But when he looked for other works by Mossman, he discovered Mossman hadn’t written another book. So Moskowitz sets out to find out what happened to Mossman. Nearly two years later, he finds him living alone in the house he was born in, in Iowa, working for the local newspaper bundling papers.

Since the release of “Stone Reader,” Barnes & Noble Booksellers published Mossman’s long out-of-print novel, which has since sold 60,000 copies.

Features on the two-disc DVD include deleted scenes, commentary between Moskowitz and Mossman, and Roger Ebert’s Q&A; with them.