The Accused (1988)

Director:

Jonathan Kaplan

Writer:

Tom Topor (written by)

Release Date:

14 October 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The first scream was for help. The second is for justice.

Plot:

A rape victim, enraged at the light sentence her attackers received on account that she was of "questionable character" goads a female prosecutor to charge the men who literally cheered the attack on.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Rape | Court | Rape Victim | Justice

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Kelly McGillis	...	Kathryn Murphy
Jodie Foster	...	Sarah Tobias
Bernie Coulson	...	Ken Joyce
Leo Rossi	...	Cliff 'Scorpion' Albrect
Ann Hearn	...	Sally Fraser
Carmen Argenziano	...	D.A. Paul Rudolph
Steve Antin	...	Bob Joiner
Tom O'Brien	...	Larry
Peter Van Norden	...	Attorney Paulsen
Terry David Mulligan	...	Lieutenant Duncan
Woody Brown	...	Danny
Scott Paulin	...	Attorney Wainwright
Kim Kondrashoff	...	Kurt
Stephen E. Miller	...	Polito
Tom Heaton	...	Bartender Jesse
Andrew Kavadas	...	Defendant Matt Haines
Tom McBeath	...	Defendant Stu Holloway
Rose Weaver	...	Nurse
Linda Darlow	...	Rape Center Woman
Veena Sood	...	Woman Orderly
Allan Lysell	...	Assistant D.A. Massi
Antony Holland	...	Plea Bargain Lawyer
Kevin McNulty	...	Plea Bargain Lawyer
Jerry Wasserman	...	Plea Bargain Lawyer
Barney O'Sullivan	...	Trial Judge
Christianne Hirt	...	Angela
Frances Flanagan	...	Mrs. Albrect
Marsha Andrews	...	TV Commentator
Mike Winlaw	...	TV Commentator
Pamela Martin	...	TV Commentator
Wally Marsh	...	Bail Hearing Judge
Deryl Hayes	...	Court Officer
E. Andrea Klann	...	Court Reporter
Bryan Johnson	...	Bailiff
Dana Still	...	Jury Foreman
Denalda Williams	...	Sarah's Mother on Phone
Babs Chula	...	Woman Lawyer
Peter Bibby	...	Dinner Party Date
Rebecca Toolan	...	911 Operator
Stephen Dimopoulos	...	Complaining Customer
Laurie O'Byrne	...	Complaining Customer
Freda Perry	...	Receptionist
John H. Cox	...	Policeman
Jim Bedard	...	Second Bartender
Kirsten Keane	...	Sally's Daughter
David Sheridan	...	Sally's Son
Gary Chalk	...	Courthouse Reporter
Garwin Sanford	...	Courthouse Reporter
Gloria Lee	...	Courthouse Reporter
Stephen Brent Lambert	...	Courthouse Reporter
Matt LaFleur	...	Courthouse Reporter
Michele Goodger	...	Courthouse Reporter
Scott Walden	...	Record Store Clerk

Directed by
Jonathan Kaplan

Writing credits
Tom Topor		(written by)

Produced by
Stanley R. Jaffe	....	producer
Sherry Lansing	....	producer
Jack Roe	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Brad Fiedel

Cinematography by
Ralf D. Bode		(director of photography) (as Ralf Bode)

Film Editing by
O. Nicholas Brown
Gerald B. Greenberg		(as Jerry Greenberg)

Casting by
Sally Dennison
Julie Selzer

Production Design by
Richard Wilcox		(as Richard Kent Wilcox)

Art Direction by
Sheila Haley

Set Decoration by
Barry W. Brolly

Costume Design by
Trish Keating

Makeup Department
Sandy Cooper	....	head makeup artist
Sherry Linder-Gygli	....	head hair stylist (as Sherry Linder)
Beverly K. Sewers	....	assistant hair stylist
Jo-Anne Smith-Ojeil	....	assistant makeup artist (as Jo-Anne Smith)

Production Management
Warren Carr	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wendy Chesal	....	third assistant director
Paul Etherington	....	additional second assistant director
Patrice Leung	....	second assistant director
Gina Power	....	dgc trainee
David W. Rose	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John G. Anderson	....	carpenter helper
Mel Bourne	....	design consultant
Kim Brown	....	lead painter
Gordon Brunner	....	set dresser
Hope Caton	....	set decoration buyer (as E. Hope Caton)
Richard H. Fahlman	....	set dresser
Jurgen Gottschlag	....	head painter
Dan Hanen	....	set dresser
Kenneth H. Hawryliw	....	assistant property master (as Ken Hawryliw)
Alan Hoffman	....	storyboard artist
Avo Liva	....	greens
William Matthews	....	set decorator laborer
Kim Mooney	....	draughtsman
Peter Nicol	....	carpenter
Michael O'Connor	....	assistant set decorator
Lawrence F. Pevec	....	graphic designer
Mike Rennison	....	construction foreperson
R.M. Stranan	....	carpenter
Grant Swain	....	property master (as Grant R. Swain)
Faye Thorp	....	set dresser
Elizabeth Wilcox	....	set decoration buyer
Arthur Wills	....	lead carpenter
David Willson	....	construction coordinator
Dean Willson	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Andy Aaron	....	sound effects recordist
Louis Bertini	....	sound editor
Kristine Bulakowski	....	assistant sound editor (as Kris Bulakowski)
Randall Coleman	....	assistant adr editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marco Costanzo)
Graham Crowell	....	boom operator
David M. Cyr	....	cable person trainee
Rick Dior	....	re-recording mixer: New York
Ken Eluto	....	assistant sound editor
Harriet Fidlow	....	adr editor (as Harriet Fidlow Winn)
David W. Gray	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Cecelia Hall	....	dubbing editor: Los Angeles
Neil L. Kaufman	....	sound editor (as Neil Kaufman)
Michael Kirchberger	....	supervising sound editor
Dan Korintus	....	assistant sound editor
Gregg Landaker	....	re-recording mixer: Los Angeles
Robert Nichols II	....	sound re-recordist: Los Angeles
Bitty O'Sullivan-Smith	....	sound editor
Sergio Reyes	....	re-recording mixer: Los Angeles
Gary Ritchie	....	sound re-recordist: Los Angeles
Elizabeth Schwartz	....	assistant sound editor
Paul P. Soucek	....	apprentice sound editor (as Paul Soucek)
Ira Spiegel	....	sound editor
Leo Trombetta	....	assistant sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	re-recording mixer: Los Angeles
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor
George Watters II	....	dubbing editor: Los Angeles
Rob Young	....	sound mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gary Paller	....	special effects supervisor
Roy Schultz	....	special effects assistant (as Roy Schulz)

Stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunt coordinator
Tony Morelli	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Oliver Berg	....	grip
Paul F. Birkett	....	camera operator
Rob Bojeck	....	grip
Peter Borkent	....	lamp operator
John L. Brown	....	dolly grip (as John Brown)
Richard Buckmaster	....	generator operator (as Richard James Buckmaster)
Douglas Craik	....	first assistant camera
Barry Donlevy	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Theo Eglseder	....	additional first assistant camera
Les Erskine	....	chief lighting technician
Dale Garrison	....	lamp operator (as Dale 'Tiny' Garrison)
John G. Helme	....	lamp operator (as John Helme)
R.K. Hill	....	second grip
Tim Hogan	....	key grip
Richard G. Mason	....	additional camera operator
Rob McEwan	....	still photographer
Klaus Melchior	....	video playback operator
Rod Parkhurst	....	additional camera operator
John Sprungman	....	second assistant camera
Peter A. Stursberg	....	camera trainee (as Peter Stursberg)
Peter F. Woeste	....	additional camera operator (as Peter Woeste)

Casting Department
Michelle Allen	....	casting: Canada
Nancy B. Black	....	extras casting coordinator
Coreen Mayrs	....	casting assistant
Patrick Rush	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Debbie Geaghan	....	costume supervisor
Grace Keating	....	costumer
Tish Monaghan	....	assistant costume designer
Diana Patterson	....	costumer
Maria Taipale	....	costumer
Monique Long	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Susan Sklar Friedman	....	apprentice editor (as Susan Sklar)
Bruce Giesbrecht	....	second assistant editor: Canada
Terry Haggar	....	color timer
Michael Smith	....	first assistant editor: Canada
Tara Timpone	....	first assistant editor
Bryan H. Carroll	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	music scoring mixer
Brad Fiedel	....	orchestrator
Allan K. Rosen	....	supervising music editor
Shirley Walker	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Wayne Becker	....	driver
Rodney Beech	....	driver
Bob Dennett	....	driver
George A. Grieve	....	transportation co-captain (as George Grieve)
Larry Hafichuk	....	driver
Dennis Houser	....	transportation captain
Scott Irvine	....	transportation coordinator
Ron James	....	driver
Dale Johnson	....	driver
Wayne Johnson	....	driver
Mitch LaFleur	....	driver
Bill McCurraugh	....	driver (as Bill McCurrach)
Murray Mills	....	driver
Terry Newton	....	driver
Mike Porohowski	....	driver

Other crew
Geoffrey Abrams	....	courtroom technical consultant
Lynn Elston	....	accountant
Lara P. Fox	....	script supervisor (as Lara Fox)
Sulla Hamer	....	assistant: Mr. Kaplan (as Sulla Kay Hamer)
Andrea Jaffe	....	publicity consultant
Gloria Lee	....	production assistant
Robert Lee	....	production assistant
Carol Mann	....	assistant to producers
Colleen Nystedt	....	location manager
Tammy Oates	....	production coordinator (as Tammy S. Oates)
Trisha O'Brien	....	assistant to producers
Robin O'Neil	....	animal handler
Don Petrie	....	production auditor
Timothy Prince	....	consultant: 24 frame video (as Tim Prince)
Brigitte Prochaska	....	unit publicist
Michael A. Provost	....	production assistant (as Michael Provost)
Vanessa Ross	....	title designer (as Ross)
Joanne Ryan	....	craft service
Joanne Ryan	....	first aid
Nina Saxon	....	title designer
Carol Schafer	....	assistant to producers
Emilia Wagner	....	assistant production coordinator
Scott Walden	....	assistant location manager
Howard Blank	....	live audience coordinator: ice hockey scenes (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures Corporation (Canada) (in association with)
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1989) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Alpha Cine Service  color by
• British Columbia Buildings  the producers wish to thank
• City of Vancouver, The  the producers wish to thank
• EFX Unlimited  opticals
• Pacific National Exhibition (PNE)  the producers wish to thank
• Panavision Canada  lenses and Panaflex camera (as Panavision®)
• Record Plant Scoring  orchestra recorded at
• Reel Appetites  catering
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting
• Saxon/Ross Film Design  titles designed by
• Technicolor  prints by (as Technicolor®)
• University of British Columbia  the producers wish to thank
• Vancouver Art Gallery  the producers wish to thank
• Vancouver General Hospital  the producers wish to thank

Also Known As:

Appel à la justice (Canada: French title)
Reckless Endangerment (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | USA:R (No. 28980) | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:12 | Ireland:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Australia:R (DVD rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:16 | Peru:18 | Canada:18A | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures Corporation (Canada)

Trivia:

The movie's release was affected by the WGA strike in 1988. Originally, its date of release was for April 21, but was delayed until October.

Goofs:

Continuity: Kelly McGillis's Character is credited as "Kathryn Murphy", but after Sarah walks out of her office and the door is shut, we can see a sign on the office door with the name "Katheryn Murphy"

Quotes:

Sarah Tobias: What are our chances?
Kathryn Murphy: 50-50 at the most. Good night.
Sarah Tobias: Good night.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wedding Crashers (2005)

Soundtrack:

I'm Talking Love

Amazing Performances Raise Rough Film.

One of the roughest films ever produced that is pure misery to sit through due to its realism and Jodie Foster's striking Oscar-winning performance. Foster stars as a sexual victim who tries to get prison sentences imposed upon the men who cheered on her gang rape at a sleazy roadhouse. Foster is far from being an angel herself and every little thing in her past seems to come back and haunt her. A great supporting turn from Kelly McGillis (who plays Foster's lawyer) just adds to Foster's show-stopping role. Not a film I love, but a good film that displays the seemingly ungodly cinematic talents of Jodie Foster. 4 stars out of 5.