Presumed Innocent (1990)

When the woman deputy prosecutor R.K. Sabich had an affair with is murdered the prosecutor asks him to lead the investigation. When Sabich digs too deeply he finds himself framed for the murder.

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

Scott Turow (novel), Frank Pierson (screenplay),

Stars:

Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harrison Ford	...	Rozat 'Rusty' Sabich
Brian Dennehy	...	Raymond Horgan
Raul Julia	...	Alejandro 'Sandy' Stern
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Barbara Sabich
Paul Winfield	...	Judge Larren Lyttle
Greta Scacchi	...	Carolyn Polhemus
John Spencer	...	Det. Lipranzer
Joe Grifasi	...	Tommy Molto
Tom Mardirosian	...	Nico Della Guardia
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Eugenia
Sab Shimono	...	'Painless' Kumagai
Bradley Whitford	...	Jamie Kemp
Christine Estabrook	...	Lydia 'Mac' MacDougall
Michael Tolan	...	Mr. Polhemus
Madison Arnold	...	Sgt. Lionel Kenneally

Storyline

After his former girlfriend is killed and he becomes the prime suspect, D.A. Rusty Sabich goes on a search to find the real killer and finds out he/she may be closer to him than he thinks.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | prosecutor | suspect | lawyer | courtroom | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes it's dangerous to presume.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

The Joseph Mazzello Fan Page, Presumed Innocent

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aus Mangel an Beweisen

Filming Locations:

Allendale, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$86,303,188 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Mirage

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First cinema feature of Jeffrey Wright(I).

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Goofs

A reporter thrusts a small tape recorder in front of Sandy Stern outside the courthouse, and it is possible to see that there is no tape in it. Although this is a mistake, it may be a mistake by the character holding the tape recorder, not the filmmakers.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rusty Sabich: [voiceover] I'm a prosecutor. I'm part of the business of accusing, judging and punishing. I explore the evidence of a crime and determine who is charged, who is brought to this room to be tried before his peers. I present my evidence to the jury and they deliberate upon it. They must determine what really happened. If they cannot, we will not know whether the accused deserves to be freed or should be punished. If they cannot find the truth, what is our hope of justice?

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Connections

Referenced in The Ten (2007)

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Soundtracks

"MacNamara's Band"
Music by Shamus O'Connor
Original Lyrics by John J. Stamford
American Version Lyrics by Red Latham, Walter Carlson (as Wamp Carlson) and Guy Bonham

User Reviews

Excellent legal drama

Presumed Innocent presents a stiff challenge to its principal actors. Many of them must read their lines and convey body language that is ambiguous, suggesting both guilt or innocence and good or evil. The talented cast accomplishes this superbly. The story (based on a book of the same name which I haven't read) intelligently and knowledgeably examines the morality of the legal system and how it is compromised because of human fallibility. All in all, this was a very engrossing motion picture. Strongly recommended, 8/10.