Presumed Innocent

Director: Alan J. Pakula Alan J. Pakula

Overview

Presumed Innocent, a murder mystery, based on a novel by Scott Turow, and well directed by Alan J. Pakula, tells the story of prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford) who is accused of murdering his mistress Caroline (Greta Scacchi) and must prove his innocence. Sabich, a successful prosecutor, whose marriage is shaken by his wife Barbara's (Bonnie Bedelia) discovery of his affair, finds himself in a nightmare when his former mistress is found dead and all the physical evidence points to him; even his wife seems to believe that he is guilty. Ford is excellent in his role as Sabich, convincing both as an attorney and as a man who wants to take his formerly happy life back. Bonnie Bedelia is wonderful as Sabich's unforgiving wife, and gives a compelling, enigmatic performance in a difficult role. Presumed Innocent both a plausible, believable courtroom drama and an exciting murder mystery is highly recommended.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/09/2010
UPC:	0883929159987
Original Release:	1990
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	2:05:00
Sales rank:	5,746

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Harrison Ford	Rusty Sabich
Brian Dennehy	Raymond Horgan
Raul Julia	Sandy Stern
Bonnie Bedelia	Barbara Sabich
Paul Winfield	Judge Larren Lyttle
Greta Scacchi	Carolyn Polhemus
John Spencer	Detective Dan 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
Ron Frazier	Stew Dubinsky
Jesse Bradford	Nat Sabich
Joe Mazzello	Wendell McGaffney,Wendell McGaffney
Tucker Smallwood	Detective Harold Greer
Leland Gantt	Leon Wells
Teodorina Bello	Ernestine
David Wohl	Morrie Dickerman
Reodorina Bello	Ernestine
J. Bennett	Guerasch
Liz Williams	Prosecuting Attorney,Composer
Ronald C. Frazier	Stew Dubinsky

Technical Credits

Alan J. Pakula	Director
Susan Solt	Executive Producer
Sydney Pollack	Producer
Mark Rosenberg	Producer
C5, Inc.	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Director Alan J. Pakula (The Parallax View, All the President's Men, Klute) yet again offers a study of paranoia in this exceedingly well-made version of Scott Turow's best-selling novel. Presumed Innocent is an ensemble courtroom drama that offers uniformly fine performances, ranging from Brian Dennehy's bullying, burnt-out chief prosecutor to Paul Winfield's street-smart judge. It is class from top to bottom. Pakula paints with somber burgundy hues and restrained performances an understated, adult portrait of a morally infected universe. It's ironic that every major character in Pakula's world of corruption and twisted relationships suffers from a physical or moral defect. Literally, no one escapes untainted. Especially noteworthy is Raul Julia's quiet, compelling performance as defense attorney Sandy Stern. Capable of booming performances, Julia underplays terrifically as a man whose eyes quietly prey for weakness. Like Brando in The Godfather, it's a performance entirely of gestures and nuance that offers glimmers of his coiled power. If there's a real weakness in Presumed Innocent, it is in Harrison Ford's performance as a prosecutor accused of murder. Ford gives himself a bad haircut and plays his character's intensity and explosive temper well, but lacks enough ambiguity to make you really believe that he could be guilty of murder. Still, like The Russia House, which was also made in 1990, Presumed Innocent is an ensemble piece that turns a well-written novel into a very fine and compelling film.