Physical Evidence (1989)

A police officer suspended and now accused of murder is forced to join forces with his court-appointed attorney to assemble the pieces of a deadly puzzle to find the missing link before time runs out.

Director:

Michael Crichton

Writers:

Steve Ransohoff (story), Bill Phillips (story),

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Theresa Russell, Ned Beatty

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Reynolds	...	Joe Paris
Theresa Russell	...	Jenny Hudson
Ned Beatty	...	James Nicks
Kay Lenz	...	Deborah Quinn
Ted McGinley	...	Kyle
Tom O'Brien	...	Matt Farley
Kenneth Welsh	...	Harry Norton
Ray Baker	...	Strickler
Ken James	...	Hank Carruth
Michael P. Moran	...	Tony Reugger
Angelo Rizacos	...	Tony Sklar
Lamar Jackson	...	Delmar Fraser
Paul Hubbard	...	Burt Knight
Larry Reynolds	...	Trial Judge
Peter MacNeill	...	Brannigan

Storyline

Extortionist Jake Farley is found strangled, and the clues lead directly to former detective Joe Paris, who insists on his innocence but can't provide an alibi. Public defendant Jenny Hudson gets the case, but has problems unravelling the case, complicated by the fact that virtually everyone hated Farley, and Paris has a few enemies as well. She rejects the prosecution's offers to plea bargain, but meanwhile the witnesses she finds are discredited or silenced, and an unidentified patrol car shadows Paris and Hudson wherever they go.

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Plot Keywords:

police | murder | killed by woman

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Taglines:

If he's innocent, the truth could save him. If he's guilty, the lies could kill her.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az igazság törvénye

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$3,560,932 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The meaning and relevance of this courtroom drama movie's title Physical Evidence is that it is a legal term that refers to evidence that is of the form of a physical object that is used to prove a fact, the proving in issue derived from the object's demonstrable physical characteristics. Physical Evidence can be the whole or just a part of a physical object.

User Reviews

Badly paced film does sustain your interest.

Few would argue that this is a badly paced film. The fact that it feels much longer than it is proves just that. But it sustains one's interest due to its dense plot, filled with intrigues and mysterious supporting characters. Reynolds is much more convincing in his role than his female co-star, although his screen time is strangely limited.