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Presumed Innocent streaming

1990 Movie United States Mystery, Thriller, Crime 126 min FSK 16
By: Alan J. Pakula With: Janis Corsair, John Ottavino, Bonnie Bedelia, DeAnn Mears, Brian Dennehy

Rozat Sabich - Rusty to most that know him, even in formal circumstances - is the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Kindle County, Illinois. His wife, Barbara Sabich, has been struggling with focus on completing her Ph.D. dissertation in Mathemetics - a thus far ten year process - she who nonetheless is applying for a college teaching position. They are generally in a loving, supportive marriage, Barbara who seems to have gotten over Rusty's infidelity with his colleague Carolyn Polhemus, an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. Carolyn is ambitious, she who, in part, used Rusty to try and climb up the ladder. Barbara will still throw the issue of Carolyn in his face whenever there are problems between the two. Rusty and Carolyn's affair is unknown to others in their personal and professional circles. Rusty is handed the most personal case of his career when his boss and mentor, Chief Prosecuting Attorney Raymond Horgan, assigns him the case to discover who killed Carolyn, her dead body found in her apartment in what looks initially to be a violent rape, with Carolyn eventually strangled and no sign of forced entry, leading to the belief her killer was whoever her lover or possibly someone she prosecuted. Raymond, who is in a difficult reelection campaign, wants a quick resolution to the investigation, as "finding the killer" will greatly increase his chances of getting reelected. Rusty tries to dissuade Raymond from giving him the case because of the affair of which Raymond is unaware, with Rusty eventually having no choice but to accept barring disclosure of the affair. As Rusty proceeds with the investigation, he takes steps to hide the affair largely to protect Barbara and their adolescent son, Nat Sabich. Those measures come back to bite him when they and other evidence collected by the police lead to him being charged for Carolyn's murder. Rusty hires Sandy Stern, one of his toughest adversaries in a number of previous cases. During the court proceedings, many involved do whatever they can protect their own interest regardless of the truth. Beyond Rusty being convicted or acquitted, a question thus becomes if the truth matters or if the murderer will ever be discovered.

Filmium rating
69%

Festival Achievements

San Sebastian International Filmfestival 1990
Selections:
Official Section

Mood

Dark
Intelligent
Thrilling

Cast & Crew

Alan J. Pakula
Frank Pierson
Scott Turow
Jeffrey Wright
Jesse Bradford
Joe Grifasi
Ted Neustadt
Joseph Carberry
John Seitz
Brian Dennehy
Teodorina Bello
Anna Maria Horsford
John Spencer
Raúl Juliá
Richard L. Newcomb
Tucker Smallwood
Michael Genet
Sab Shimono
Bo Rucker
David Wohl
Allison Field
Madison Arnold
Carla Barnett
John C. Vennema
Christine Estabrook
David Hummel
Leland Gantt
Anibal O. Lleras
Ron Frazier
Miles Watson
Greta Scacchi
Paul Winfield
Bill Corsair
Bill Winkler
Bonnie Bedelia
DeAnn Mears
Sheri Mann Stewart
Ricky Rosa
Peter Appel
Tom Mardirosian
John Reidy
Raul Julia
Robert Katims
John Ottavino
Bradley Whitford
Julia Meade
Joseph Mazzello
Harrison Ford
Kimberleigh Aarn
Elizabeth Williams
Michael Tolan
Victor Truro
Thom Cagle
Rick De Furia
Janis Corsair
Ed Wheeler
Nick Pernice

Adaptation

Based On Novel

Budget

Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Courtroom Scenes
Courtroom Staging
Flashback
Visual Storytelling
Voice-Over

Narrative Structure

Flashback
Nonlinear

Pace

Intricate
Methodical
Slow-Paced

Runtime

Long-Form
Not Specified

Soundtrack

Score By John Williams

Style

Cinematic
Low-Key
Realistic

Time-Period

1990S

Central Conflict

Legal Battle
Moral Dilemma
Murder Accusation

Characters

Coroner
Defense Attorney
Judge
Judge Lyttle
Prosecutor

Ending

Ambiguous
Moral Compromise
Unsolved Murder

Historical Context

Early 1990S

Key Plot Points

Blackmail
Bribery Case
Evidence Disappearance
Missing Evidence
Murder Trial
Murder Weapon Discovery
Rusty'S Arrest

Plot

Corruption
Legal Thriller
Murder Investigation

Setting

Courtroom
Courtrooms
Detroit
Kindle County
Windsor

Shooting Location

Detroit
Kaufman Astoria Studios
New Jersey
Newark
Windsor

Theme

Corruption
Justice
Moral Ambiguity

Genre

Legal Drama
Mystery
Thriller

Audiences

Adults
Legal Drama Enthusiasts
Legal Drama Fans
Thriller Enthusiasts

Titles

Presumed Innocent

Awards

Nominated For Edgar Award

Box Office Success

$221 Million Worldwide

Critical Reception

Positive Reviews
Praised Direction
Strong Performances

Popularity

Popular Thriller
Widely Watched

Ratings

72% Metacritic
86% Rotten Tomatoes

Reception

86% Rotten Tomatoes
Box Office Hit
Box Office Success
Critically Acclaimed

Production Countries

Canada
United States
Usa

Release Year

1990
mowizz ID: 1ce78094-b920-4f4a-8d93-11ec751e69c3
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