The Accused

Time has not been altogether kind to the failings of Jonathan Kaplan's 1988 drama, a socially charged study of a dehumanizing judicial system starring Jodie Foster (in an Oscar-winning role) as Sarah Tobias, a troubled blue-collar rape victim fighting for her dignity, and Kelly McGillis as Kathryn Murphy, an institutionally jaded assistant district attorney, who is reluctant to prosecute, given Sarah's "questionable character." While nobody's looking for balance in a movie this dogmatic, the greasy villains and sleazeball defense attorneys (the male roles aren't just caricatures, they're uniformly performed with a cartoonish amateurism) compromise the film's ability to make its argument. And the reenactment of the rape seems out of place and exploitative, with Kaplan and cinematographer Ralf Bode dropping gritty realism in favor of totally inappropriate titillation. Still, even though The Accused's basic plot has been rehashed on every television show affiliated with Steven Bochco or David E. Kelley, the movie retains its ability to spark debate on both the legal system (which still needs reforming) and the social contract that binds communities together, and Foster and McGillis are excellent. Recommended, with reservations. (D. Fienberg)