The Accused (1988) on Netflix
Sarah Tobias is gang-raped by three men in a local bar while patrons look on and cheer. The case falls to prosecutor Katheryn Murphy, and Sarah wants the onlookers punished too.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb7.1/1043,560 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
Sarah Tobias, a 24-year-old waitress, goes out drinking one night and is gang-raped by three men in a local bar. Katheryn Murphy, the district attorney assigned to the case, finds physical evidence that supports Sarah's account but doubts a jury would believe her, given her past and the way she had flirted with the men earlier. Sarah wants the patrons who cheered the attackers punished as well. The story is inspired by a 1983 gang rape case in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Accused (1988)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Test screenings gave the film the lowest scores in the history of Paramount Pictures, with Sherry Lansing saying “The audience thought that Jodie's character deserved the rape.” Lansing asked for another screening with just women, 18 of the 20 present having experience of rape, and months later it scored one of the studio's highest ever.
- Jodie Foster has said she does not remember shooting the rape scene and completely blacked out, even breaking blood vessels in her right eye from crying; Leo Rossi recalled that Woody Brown, who played one of the rapists, bolted from the set and vomited in his trailer.
- Kelly McGillis was first offered the role of Sarah but declined, citing her personal experience: she had acknowledged surviving a violent attack and rape in 1982 when two men broke into her apartment, and took the role of Murphy instead.
- Jane Fonda was initially attached to play attorney Katheryn Murphy but left the project as she found the script exploitative and poorly written; Ellen Barkin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver, Debra Winger, Meryl Streep and Geena Davis were also considered.
- Kim Basinger, Demi Moore, Jennifer Beals, Meg Tilly and Rosanna Arquette were among numerous actresses offered or considered for the part of Sarah, but all of them rejected the film because of its controversial themes.
- The script originally featured a billiard table, reflecting the real-life incident, but the producers were concerned about being sued, so it was changed to a pinball machine.
