The Accused
Sign in to save1988 film by Jonathan Kaplan
Film · TMDB
7.1Out drinking one night after a fight with her boyfriend, three men brutally rape Sarah Tobias in a bar while people watch and cheer. District Attorney Kathryn Murphy takes the case; however, she allows the rapists to receive a mild sentence. A distraught Sarah decides to seek punishment for the men who witnessed and encouraged the rape. To get justice, Sarah must take the stand and revisit the night of her attack.
Released: 1988-10-14111 minDir: Jonathan KaplanCrime, Drama
Cast
- Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias
- Kelly McGillis as Kathryn Murphy
- Bernie Coulson as Ken Joyce
- Leo Rossi as Cliff 'Scorpion' Albrect
- Ann Hearn as Sally Fraser
- Carmen Argenziano as D.A. Paul Rudolph
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Key facts
- Directed by
- Jonathan Kaplan
- Written by
- Tom Topor
- Produced by
- Stanley R. Jaffe Sherry Lansing
- Starring
- Kelly McGillis Jodie Foster
- Cinematography
- Ralf D. Bode
- Edited by
- O. Nicholas Brown Gerald B. Greenberg
- Music by
- Brad Fiedel
- Distributed by
- Paramount Pictures
- Release dates
- October 14, 1988 ( 1988-10-14 ) (United States) February 13, 1989 ( 1989-02-13 ) ( Berlin )
- Running time
- 111 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Budget
Key dates
- Published
- 23 February 1989
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- film
- Genre
- crime film
- Country of origin
- United States
- Original language
- English language
- Director
- Jonathan Kaplan
- Cast member
- Garwin Sanford
- Composer
- Brad Fiedel
- Producer
- Sherry Lansing
- Production company
Article
The Accused is a 1988 American legal drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan and written by Tom Topor, loosely inspired by the 1983 gang rape of Cheryl Araujo in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Starring Kelly McGillis and Jodie Foster, the film follows Sarah Tobias (Foster), a waitress who is gang raped by three men at a local bar. With the help of District Attorney Katheryn Murphy (McGillis), she sets out to prosecute the rapists, as well as the men who encouraged the assault.
The Accused was theatrically released in the United States on October 14, 1988, and was screened at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 1989, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear. The film was highly controversial upon release due to its graphic portrayal of gang rape and was credited as one of the first mainstream films to deal with the horrors of rape and its aftermath on a victim's life. Despite this, it received widespread acclaim from critics, with many praising the performances of the cast and authentic portrayal of its subject matter. The film was chosen by the National Board of Review as the 3rd-best film of the year. Foster's performance marked her breakthrough into adult roles, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.