The Accused

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

1988 1h 51m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🔥

93%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 708🍅93%Rotten Tomatoes●65Metacritic★7.1IMDB · 42,857

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Out 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.

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

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Jodie Foster
Sarah Tobias
Kelly McGillis
Kathryn Murphy
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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Writers: Tom Topor, Alan Hoffman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jonathan Kaplan, shot by Ralf D. Bode. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Brad Fiedel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Editor Gerald B. Greenberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis and Bernie Coulson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The first scream was for help. The second is for justice.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0094608 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jonathan Kaplan directs. Ralf D. Bode behind the camera. Brad Fiedel scores. Gerald B. Greenberg cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Jonathan Kaplan, shot by Ralf D. Bode. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Brad Fiedel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Gerald B. Greenberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis and Bernie Coulson carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The first scream was for help. The second is for justice.".
7IMDB entry: tt0094608 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 21 themes, including "rape", "alcohol", "boston, massachusetts", "clothing".

The technical file

Cinematography: Ralf D. Bode
Original score: Brad Fiedel
Editing: Gerald B. Greenberg
Production design: Richard Wilcox
Makeup / hair: Sherry Linder-Gygli
Sound: Gregg Landaker
Stunt coordinator: Kerrie Cullen
Runtime: 111 min · 1h 51m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Accused (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 65/100
IMDB rating: 7.1/10 · 42,857 votes
MPAA: R
US box office: $32,078,318

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 7 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Actress

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jonathan Kaplan

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-30
★ 7/10
We start this film with the image of a young woman, half dressed, running in the rain screaming for help. It turns out she is "Sarah" (Jodie Foster) and after a passer-by takes her to hospital we learn that she has been gang raped in the games room of a bar. Deputy DA "Murphy" (Kelly McGillis) is assigned to the case, and although she believes her client, she is reluctant to prosecute as she doesn't think she can win. Her DA boss "Rudolph" (Carmen Argenziano) insists that they must change the accused three men with something, so they settle on a lesser charge after some plea bargaining. Needless to say, "Sarah" is livid, and tempers really flare when one of the other men from the bar that night, goads her into ramming her car into his. This is the point when the ambitious lawyer has a bit of a volte-face and despite the objections this time of her boss, she initiates a prosecution of the others in the bar for egging on the rapists - criminal solicitation. Can she prove these men are guilty? If so, that will also ensure those who got off lightly will also end up serving full sentences and have the nature of their sexual assaults placed on their criminal records. Foster is impressive here. She offers us a compelling portrayal of a young woman who suffers an heinous assault and struggles for justice. McGillis also delivers well, as does Bernie Coulson - the young "Ken" upon whom much of the chances of conviction rest. The graphically violent scenes towards the end of the trial stages are harrowing, disturbing and effective, and they also provide for an unnervingly nauseating performance from the vocal architect of her assault "Scorpion" (Leo Rossi). The drama is tough to watch, and offers food for thought as to just how victims can ever receive fair treatment in a legal environment that all too frequently takes a "was she asking for it?" approach, and is so oft just automatically stacked against them.

Production companies