The Accused
The Accused is a 1988 American legal drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan from a screenplay written by Tom Topor. The film is loosely based on the 1983 gang rape of Cheryl Araujo in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Set in Washington state, but filmed mainly in Vancouver, British Columbia, the film stars Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias, a young waitress, who is gang raped by three men at a local bar. With the aid of an attorney, Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), she sets out to prosecute the rapists as well as the men who helped induce the assault. Bernie Coulson, Leo Rossi, Ann Hearn, Carmen Argenziano, Steve Antin and Tom O'Brien are featured in supporting roles.
Plot
Sarah Tobias is brutally gang-raped by three men at a local bar while several patrons watch and cheer. District Attorney Kathryn Murphy is assigned to the case. Although there is strong physical evidence corroborating Sarah's rape, Kathryn feels that Sarah will not make a credible witness due to her checkered past and flirtatious behavior with the men prior to her attack. She agrees to a plea bargain, allowing the three rapists to plead guilty to the lesser offense of reckless endangerment, a felony without a sexual offense, and serve nine months in prison.
Awards
More details
| author | Tom Topor |
|---|---|
| award | Academy Award for Best Actress National Board of Review: Top Ten Films |
| contentLocation | Washington |
| director | Jonathan Kaplan |
| editor | Gerard B. Greenberg O. Nicholas Brown |
| genre | crime drama |
| keywords | attack betray college student district attorney endangerment parking lot rape victim reckless endangerment want young man |
| musicBy | Brad Fiedel |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Actress |
| producer | Sherry Lansing Stanley R. Jaffe |
| publisher | Paramount Pictures |
| recordedAt | Vancouver |
| theme | feminist legal drama rape |