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Jodie Foster is not only one of the most accomplished actresses of her generation, but also has distinction of being one of the very few Hollywood child stars to have even more stellar career as an adult. Transition between those two phases, however, wasn’t smooth and most her roles made while student at Yale University were in subpar or forgettable films. She even contemplated abandoning acting. The turning point came with her Oscar-awarded performance in *The Accused*, 1988 crime drama directed by Jonathan Kaplan.


Script by Tom Topor is loosely based on the real life event that happened in Massachusetts five years earlier – brutal gang rape of young woman named Cheryl Araujo which was perpetrated publicly in the crowded bar with patrons actively cheering the rapists. Her fictional counterpart, played by Jodie Foster, is Sarah Tobias, waitress whose visit to a sleazy bar ends with her being raped by three men. She reports the event to police and the criminal case is handled by Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Murphy (played by Kelly McGillis). Three men are identified and arrested but before the actual trial Murphy is quite aware that Sarah’s chequered past and lifestyle that involves drinking, smoking pot, dressing provocatively and flirting with men might not play well with the jury. So she agrees to plea deal with rapists’ defence attorneys that would send the men to prison, but on reduced charges. Sarah feels betrayed and makes her feelings known to Murphy. An opportunity for her to have a day in court appears when Murphy decides to prosecute Cliff “Scorpion” Albrecht (played by Leo Rossi) and two other men who watched from the rape and encouraged the rapists. Conviction seems unlikely until Kenneth Joyce (played by Bernie Coulson), one of the rapists’ friends who witnessed the events, decides to become a witness for prosecution.


Produced by Sherry Lansing, first woman to lead Hollywood production company (and later, first woman to lead major Hollywood studio as head of Paramount Pictures), *The Accused* was hailed and still enjoys reputation of ground-breaking feminist film. It is often mentioned as first major mainstream Hollywood production to exclusively deal with rather uncomfortable issue of rape and also with aftermath of such crime to victim’s life, especially when she has to relive the experience and suffer slut shaming while trying to seek justice at courts. *The Accused*, however, especially in the beginning, doesn’t look particularly ground-breaking; its approach is very preachy and moralistic, in many ways indistinguishable from 1980s television films that tried to combat various problems of American society at the time. What makes it different is foul language and rather graphic and very uncomfortable rape scene which the director Jonathan Kaplan wisely decided to put near the end, thus allowing audience to prepare for its impact. The greatest asset of the film is, naturally, Jodie Foster who handles her difficult and potentially thankless role with great talent. She portrays Sarah as a woman from the lower strata of society, with little education and who made some questionable choices in life, including those that led to her difficult ordeal; yet, in the end, she is successful in winning audience’s sympathy. Kelly McGillis, who was attracted to the film due to her own real life experiences with sexual assault, is good but not that impressive. Leo Rossi, otherwise dependable character actor is, on the other hand, dealt with the role of over the top villain that makes *The Accused* look a too melodramatic and Hollywood-like. The film was, despite the critics’ accolades, initially unsuccessful at box office and became hit only after Academy Awards ceremony. However, it served its purpose, not only by paving a way for Jodie Foster to continue career but also by providing audience with uncomfortable but well-done film.



RATING: 7/10 (+++)


https://youtu.be/EI7SG2eYUpU




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