Physical Evidence

"If he's innocent, the truth could save him. If he's guilty, the lies could kill her."

1989 1h 39m EN

😐

5.1

MID

★5.1TMDB · 59

ThrillerCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A police officer suspended and now accused of murder is forced to join forces with his court-appointed attorney to assemble the pieces of a deadly puzzle to find the missing link before time runs out.

“If he's innocent, the truth could save him. If he's guilty, the lies could kill her.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Burt Reynolds
Joe Paris
Theresa Russell
Jennifer "Jenny" Hudson
Ned Beatty
James Nicks
Kay Lenz
Deborah Quinn
Ted McGinley
Kyle
Tom O'Brien
Matthew "Matt" Farley
Kenneth Welsh
Harry Norton
Ray Baker
Strickler

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Crichton
Writers: Bill Phillips, Bill Phillips, Steve Ransohoff
Languages: English, Interlingua
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 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 21% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Interlingua.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Crichton, shot by John A. Alonzo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Burt Reynolds and Theresa Russell and Ned Beatty carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "If he's innocent, the truth could save him. If he's guilty, the lies could kill her.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Crichton directs. John A. Alonzo behind the camera. Henry Mancini scores. Glenn Farr cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Interlingua.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 21% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Interlingua.
4Directed by Michael Crichton, shot by John A. Alonzo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Henry Mancini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Glenn Farr shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Burt Reynolds and Theresa Russell and Ned Beatty carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "If he's innocent, the truth could save him. If he's guilty, the lies could kill her.".
9IMDB entry: tt0098093 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: John A. Alonzo
Original score: Henry Mancini
Editing: Glenn Farr
Production design: Dan Yarhi
Costume design: Betsy Cox
Stunt coordinator: Stan Barrett
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $17,000,000
Box office: $3,560,932
Return: 21% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Physical Evidence (1989)

Also by

Michael Crichton

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Community reviews

What people are saying

kevin20192025-06-13
★ 7/10
"Physical Evidence" is much too routine for its own good and even though Joe Paris's liberty is at stake here there is just no real sense of urgency to ensure justice is done. The film isn't helped by the fact it unfolds at an unexciting and pedestrian pace, but even so there is still a lot to enjoy here. The story is not a casual throw away and the sense of mystery and intrigue has been well sustained throughout. The film as a whole is watchable enough even though it has very little of consequence to say for itself and nothing at all to distinguish it from the many other films this particular genre has to offer, although it is an admirably gallant attempt to rise above the mundane.

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