The Accused (1988)

After a young woman suffers a brutal rape in a bar one night, a prosecutor assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.

Director:

Jonathan Kaplan

Writer:

Tom Topor

Stars:

Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster, Bernie Coulson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelly McGillis	...	Kathryn Murphy
Jodie Foster	...	Sarah Tobias
Bernie Coulson	...	Ken Joyce
Leo Rossi	...	Cliff 'Scorpion' Albrect
Ann Hearn	...	Sally Fraser
Carmen Argenziano	...	D.A. Paul Rudolph
Steve Antin	...	Bob Joiner
Tom O'Brien	...	Larry
Peter Van Norden	...	Attorney Paulsen
Terry David Mulligan	...	Lieutenant Duncan
Woody Brown	...	Danny
Scott Paulin	...	Attorney Wainwright
Kim Kondrashoff	...	Kurt
Stephen E. Miller	...	Polito
Tom Heaton	...	Bartender Jesse

Storyline

Sarah Tobias goes to her local bar and is gang-raped by three men. The district attorney on the case is Katheryn Murphy who wants to prove that although Sarah had taken drugs that night and was acting provocatively while in the bar, this is no reason for her to be so brutally attacked and the men responsible should be brought to justice.

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Plot Keywords:

bar | rape | justice | district attorney | prosecutor | 

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Taglines:

The first scream was for help. The second is for justice.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Reckless Endangerment

Filming Locations:

Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$32,069,318 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Paramount Pictures Corporation (Canada)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According Jodie Foster in her interview in Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters, producer Stanley R. Jaffe felt she was "not sexy enough" for the role and wanted to cast another actress. He felt that 24-year-old Jodie Foster did not have the right talent for the role.

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Goofs

In both scenes when characters are playing the pinball machine we can hear the ball rolling around, scoring points and making the usual pinball machine noises but the score on the machine never changes.

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Quotes

Sarah Tobias: [Larry tries to kiss Sarah] Stop! Stop!
Larry: When are you going to get over this? Because it's getting really boring!
Sarah Tobias: Get out!
Larry: Fine. I'll be back in a couple of hours.
Sarah Tobias: No. This is my house, and I don't want you in it. Get out!

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Connections

References Deliverance (1972)

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Soundtracks

"Walk In My Sleep"
By Gina Schock, Vance DeGeneres & Paul Sanchez
Performed by House of Schock
Courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc.
Special Markets Division

User Reviews

Jodie Foster Does Justice To This Role

This 1988 Paramount release was the film that made many people take former child star Jodie Foster seriously as an adult actress. Foster won a well deserved Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of a woman who is raped in a bar by a group of perverted drunks while everybody else in the bar encourages it. After the ordeal, she persistently seeks full justice for what she has suffered. Kelly McGillis, who had previously appeared as Tom Cruise's main squeeze in "Top Gun" lends credibility to her role as a tough DA. This genuine thriller of a film (which was based on a true story) deserves high praise for all involved.