Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

Remake of the 1956 film noir film "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" in which a writer's plan to expose a corrupt district attorney takes an unexpected turn.

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writers:

Peter Hyams (screenplay), Douglas Morrow

Stars:

Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Michael Douglas

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Metcalfe	...	C.J. Nicholas
Amber Tamblyn	...	Ella Crystal
Michael Douglas	...	Mark Hunter
Joel David Moore	...	Corey Finley
Orlando Jones	...	Ben Nickerson
Lawrence P. Beron	...	Lieutenant Merchant (as Lawrence Beron)
Sewell Whitney	...	Martin Weldon
David Jensen	...	Gary Spota
Sharon K. London	...	Judge Sheppard (as Sharon London)
Krystal Kofie	...	Taieesha
Randal Reeder	...	Survivalist Man (as Randel Reeder)
Ryan Glorioso	...	Animal Shelter Attendant
Jon McCarthy	...	Detective Rawley
Grant James	...	Aaron Wakefield
Eric Gipson	...	Allen

Storyline

High profile lawyer Mark Hunter has an impeccable record putting criminals behind bars and is a shoe-in for governor in the upcoming election. But when ambitious rookie journalist, C.J. Nicholas begins investigating Hunter for tampering with evidence to secure his convictions, the district attorney's perfect record is up for scrutiny. Commencing a risky game of cat and mouse with Hunter, C.J. frames himself as a murder suspect to catch the corrupt D.A. in the act. Romantically involved with C.J. but unaware of his assignment, assistant D.A. Ella Crystal becomes caught between her boss's political ambitions and C.J.'s dangerous expose. As mounting evidence stacks up against both men, Ella's own life becomes threatened when she discovers incriminating proof that puts the fate of both C.J's innocence and Hunter's reputation in her hands.

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to wal mart | strong female | female protagonist | ticket | doubt | 

---

Taglines:

Why would a man frame himself... for murder?

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a sex scene, violence and brief strong language

Details

Country:

USA Saudi Arabia

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Más allá de la duda

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,164, 13 September 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$32,409, 27 September 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Autonomous Films, Foresight Unlimited, Government of Saudi Arabia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was supposed to get a wide release, but ultimately ended up as limited release in 5 theaters.

---

Goofs

(at around 39 mins) Ella's hair falls in front of her right shoulder but in the next shot it's not.

---

Connections

References Frasier (1993)

---

Soundtracks

Mallorca
Composed by Jonathan Adams
Provided by RoyaltyFreeMusic.com

User Reviews

I liked the story

Despite the almost unanimous negative reviews by viewers and professional critics, I liked "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt". Why? This movie is a combination of an old-fashioned mystery story combined with an indie film style.

I have been a longtime fan of old detective films and I also like modern low-budget independent movies like "Management" and "Little Miss Sunshine". This combination of styles; old-fashioned mystery and indie low-budget, didn't bother me.

I accepted that many of the actors were not the greatest around today, or that the lighting and sound was almost never polished and was often primitive. And that the music soundtrack was just adequate.

But what I very much enjoyed was the story itself. This is a great mystery plot which kept me guessing. And I like those kinds of stories.