Accused, The

What are the limits of justice? Of social responsibility? The Accused takes a powerful and thought-provoking look at human nature and individual moral conscience, and a judicial process that treats the victim like a criminal. After Sarah Tobias (Jodie Foster) suffers a brutal gang rape in a bar, prosecutor Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.

Kelly McGillis was offered the role of Sarah Tobias, but having survived a violent sexual assault in 1982 by two men who broke into her apartment, she declined the role and instead fought for the part of Kathryn Murphy.

Jodie Foster has since acknowledged that Paramount executives refused to even let her audition at first. ”I’d spent five years in college, and the last time people saw me in a film, I was a chubby teenager.” It was only after Kelly McGillis - then a hot property due to the enormous success of Top Gun (1986) - signed on that Paramount would consider letting Foster play Sarah, since the studio didn’t believe this movie stood a chance if neither of its stars had box-office clout. Foster and McGillis were rumored to have been lovers at the time, and it was at McGillis’ insistence that Foster be given a chance to try out.

Brad Pitt auditioned for the role of Ken Joyce (Bernie Coulson)

Kim Basinger, Madonna, Andie MacDowell, Kim Cattrall, Rosanna Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Daryl Hannah, Diane Lane, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brooke Shields, Kim Richards, Justine Bateman, Demi Moore, Heather Locklear, Ally Sheedy, Meg Tilly, Kristin Davis, Debra Winger and Virginia Madsen were considered for and/or turned down the role of Sarah.

Sigourney Weaver, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis were all reportedly offered the role of Kathryn, but turned it down.

The film is based on the experience of Cheryl Araujo, who survived a violent gang rape on March 6, 1983 at Big Dan’s Tavern in New Bedford, Massachusetts by six men (four of whom were later convicted). The bar lost its liquor license the next day, and was permanently closed two days later.

Upon seeing a pre-screening of the film, Jodie Foster thought her performance as Sarah Tobias was so awful that she immediately began preparing for and taking the GRE’s for graduate school. She was prepared to leave her film career behind and focus on academia...until she won the Academy Award for her performance.

The gang rape scene was highly controversial at the time of the film’s release. It was the longest, most graphic, and most realistic depiction of a sexual assault in cinematic history. It took five days to rehearse and film, and was a difficult experience for all of the cast and crew involved.

Jodie Foster had to console the male actors who were supposed to be raping her; because they kept breaking down and crying during the scene; it was so tramautic fake-raping this character.

Kristin Davis auditioned for the role of Sarah Tobias. This was her first film audition.

1988

R

097360176025

Movie

93

7.1

2018-02-07 21:18:02

1.85:1

111

United States

1988-10-14

1080p

1.85:1

1

4

Snap Case

~$16.00

2025-11-10

2018-02-07 21:18:02