Attorney Claire Kubik and her woodworker husband Tom had been leading an idyllic life in Marin County, California, with no inkling that their lives were about to be shattered. It happened during a Christmas shopping excursion in San Francisco’s Union Square, where Tom was suddenly captured by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was charged with the 1988 murders of nine unarmed civilians in a village in El Salvador. Claire was shocked to discover that Tom’s real name was Ronald Chapman and that he had been in a covert military operation, serving in the United States Marine Corps, and had been on the run for the past 12 years. She found it difficult to accept this revelation, as it tore away the story she had built about them having a simple, happy life. However, Claire has found strength to face the facts, and is determined to help Tom prove his innocence, regardless of what she may find out about him. She is determined to uncover the truth and save her husband from a life imprisonment.
Tom admits that he was at the scene of the mass murders but he vehemently insists that he had absolutely no role in the gruesome killings. His protests allude to the fact that he has been implicated in the crime to act as a scapegoat and protect Major James Hernandez, the real perpetrator who is now serving as the adjutant of Brigadier General Bill Marks. Tom is determined to forthrightly prove his innocence and is desperately pleading for justice and the truth to come to light, hoping that the local authorities would unearth the real villain and punish them accordingly. Such a happening, he believes, would give him the opportunity to make an authoritative and genuine case for his innocence and exonerate him of all doubts and suspicions that may be harboring in the minds of the public. Only with such a vindication can he reclaim the dignity he deserves and continue to live his life with pride.
First Lieutenant Terence Embry is assigned to defend Tom, but his youth and lack of experience prompt Claire to decide to assist professionally in defending her husband. When she realizes she needs help from someone familiar with the workings of a military court, she hires Charlie Grimes, an embittered former military attorney who has a grudge against the military brass, to assist her. Three of the five key witnesses, who previously testified Tom was guilty, have died under seemingly mysterious circumstances, raising Claire and Charlie’s suspicions. As the trial proceeds, they uncover a massive cover-up perpetrated by one of the military’s highest-ranking officials. Also creating problems are the sudden appearance of a resident of the village where the mass murder took place, who insists Tom was responsible; Embry’s romantic involvement with Claire’s irresponsible sister Jackie; Embry’s drinking in a bar with the prosecutor, which leads Claire to assume that he leaked details about secrets she has uncovered to the prosecution; and Charlie’s falling off the wagon after more than a year of sobriety.
The Salvadorian witness identifies an injured Hernandez as the culprit responsible for a bombing incident prior to the massacre. Claire recovers classified medical files from the FBI as evidence of the cover-up. Claire blackmails Marks by threatening to reveal what she knows about the cover-up and asks him to make the case go away; the next day, the U.S. Defense Department has the case thrown out of court due to ”national security reasons”.
Just as Claire is about to celebrate her victory in court, Charlie discovers the truth: Tom had murdered one of the witnesses in front of his family. The widow who witnessed the act described Tom’s having tossed his gun from one hand to the other (a habit Tom displayed with keys and other objects throughout the film) and his shooting his gun first using one hand, then the other (revealing his ambidexterity). The match between these descriptions also indicated that Tom committed the massacre and also murdered two of the other key witnesses years prior to his arrest. After Tom overhears Claire talking to Charlie on the phone, a short scuffle between Claire and Tom ensues, during which Claire fears for her life. The Salvadorian witness shoots Tom through the window, and the film ends with Charlie and Claire partnering a new law firm.

2002

PG-13

024543051473

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

X

Movie

31%

6.4

2.35:1

115

United States

2002-04-05

MPEG-2

480p

2.35:1

4.7 GB (DVD)

1

1

Colored Snap Case

~$3.99

2025-06-15

2018-02-07 21:08:37