Presumed Innocent (1990)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

27 July 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes it's dangerous to presume.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Prosecutor | Suspect | Attorney | Lawyer

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	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

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:15 (original rating) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Canada:A (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Allendale, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Mirage

Trivia:

The ending was given away in an episode of "The Kids in the Hall" (1988).

Goofs:

Continuity: Carolyn's name is spelled "Polehemus" on the bond slip, while in the credits it is spelled "Polhemus".

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?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Ten (2007)

Soundtrack:

Let The Drummer Loose

Not all punishments come from a court room

Harrison Ford plays a district attourney who is still obsessed with a co-worker with whom he had an affair, which she broke off. She then is found murdered, and all the evidence points back at Ford. We don't want to think he committed this brutal murder, but do we know for sure?

There is a strong moral to this film, which should be obvious to anyone watching. Sometimes our actions have consequences that we never would have believed or intended, but does that make us any less guilty?

If you liked this film, you might want to watch Tightrope.