The Accused

Starring: Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster, Bernie Coulson, Leo Rossi, Ann Hearn, Carmen Argenziano, Steve Antin, Tom O'Brien
Directed by: Jonathan Kaplan
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A lawyer (Kelly McGillis) seeks justice for her client (Jodie Foster) by prosecuting the crowd that cheered on and encouraged her rape.

Review:

Tim: The Accused was nominated for only 1 Academy Award- Best Actress for Jodie Foster, and it ended up winning that award. That's still the main reason to check this movie out, although it's a very solid courtroom drama. It's a difficult movie to watch, as it tackles an unsavory and disturbing act that occurs all too frequently in the United States and around the world. That sad fact was true in 1988, and it's true today in 2016 as I write this. Knowing that, it's difficult (but important) to watch this movie.

The film was based on a true event, but that's not front and center here. It almost doesn't matter- the events in this film happen all the time. True, not to this disturbing extreme, but this is not uncommon. The movie does a great job of exploring all the different facets to this. As so often happens, the victim is blamed- what were you wearing, did you provoke the rapists, how much did you drink? As if any that makes a brutal gang rape okay. While difficult to watch, it was important to explore those aspects of the story.

Jodie Foster gets second billing, but came home with the Academy Award. I thought her performance was very strong. She is a firecracker in many ways- she brings this bottled up energy that feels like it could explode at any moment. And yet, she shows a bitter, vulnerable side as well. Her hurt- physically and longer-term, emotionally come through on screen. Her character experienced one of the worst things that could happen to anyone, and yet she survived. Dealing with what that means, and whether her attackers (and the bystanders cheering the rape on) would be held accountable. I believe it took a certain amount of bravery to play this role, and to play it as well as Foster did. While I very much liked her performance, I was slightly surprised it was deemed good enough to win the Academy Award. Kelly McGillis arguably has the lead role in this film. She's fine in the part- she plays it straight and reserved. She has a few moments where she can show real emotion, but for most of the film, she's bottled up (and dare I say, a little wooden?). McGillis might be the lead, but it's Foster who gives the most memorable, lasting performance of the film. So, I question Foster's win, but only slightly- she is indeed very strong here.

The film is structured well- it begins with the aftermath of the rape, then moves onto the legal aspect of the story. It feels like the film wants to focus on what comes after, and is less concerned with showing the actual event. That's all to lull the audience into a false sense of security. During one character's testimony, we do see the crime as it unfolded. That scene is disturbing on so many levels- to some extent, that something like that could happen in a public place. It's disturbing that others would stand by and do nothing while a woman was raped. It's disturbing that others would cheer that on and encourage others to participate. And yet, perhaps most disturbing of all is that the rape scene may be visually shocking, but it's not surprising that things like that happen. I hated that scene because it shows the evil side of humanity, but I loved the way it was portrayed- it's incredibly believable in its depiction. It shows how innocent actions can suddenly turn into a horrific crime when scumbags decide to become rapists. The movie needed to show that brutal scene, and it's the most powerful, awful part of the film.

I wouldn't say I loved The Accused, but it is an important film that makes you reflect on a crime that still happens too often. Jodie Foster gives a strong, award-winning performance. This certainly isn't a feel-good movie, but it's one absolutely worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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