Product Details

• Actors: Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster, Bernie Coulson, Leo Rossi, Ann Hearn
• Directors: Jonathan Kaplan
• Writers: Tom Topor
• Producers: Jack Roe, Sherry Lansing, Stanley R. Jaffe
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: February 13, 1998
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301285085
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,318 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Jodie Foster won her first Oscar for her role in this drama, based on an actual incident. She plays a girl out for a night of fun at a poolroom. Before she knows what's happening, the men she's been flirting with have pinned her down for a gang rape. The story centers on the efforts of a district attorney (Kelly McGillis) to press her case, in spite of a wall of silence by the participants--and then to take the unusual step of going after the witnesses as accomplices. Foster is outstanding as a tough, blue-collar woman who persists in what seems like an unwinnable case, despite the prospect of character assassination for standing up for herself. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unforgettable Learning Experience, March 13, 2004

By 

David Anderson (St. Cloud, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Accused (DVD)

Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis star in the unforgettable 1988 film "The Accused". Its plot of a young woman, Sarah, getting raped and struggling to get past it is emotional through every second. Its hardhitting scenes, namely the rape scene, hold enough power to hit audiences' hearts like nothing else. Such events express truth in the court system about rape cases. It teaches audiences that it's difficult to convict rapists, even with a lot of evidence. The emotional stance of the film is true. The trauma and fears during and after is expressed to the fullest. Every struggle keeps audiences interested in every event, leading to a surprising conclusion. Its certain graphic scenes were necessary to film to show the issue's depth. The details prove that the writers researched rape to its fullest, which deserves them tremendous respect.

Jodie Foster's Oscar winning role (Best Actress) as Sarah is one of her career bests. She performs with every drop of heart and soul that adds to the film's powerful message. Kelly McGillis's role as Sarah's determined lawyer is wonderful. However, she was wrongfully overlooked by the Oscars for Best Actress. As a real-life rape victim, she used her own life experiences as influence for her performance quality. It resulted highly powerful. All other actors, major or minor, also performed their roles wonderfully.

"The Accused" is a great film for everyone to watch. This is sure to touch many viewers for a long time. Afterwards, keep the film playing for a few more seconds after it ends. The rape statistics shown are interesting, yet shocking.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When no means no., April 21, 2006

By 

ADRIENNE MILLER (TENNESSEE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Accused (DVD)

The Accused is a excellent movie about how a woman is treated after being raped. Kelly McGillis and Jodie Foster make a great team. Foster plays a gang-raped survivor looking for justice in hyprocritical world where men are not held responsible for their actions. Foster received a well-deserved Oscar as her fearless performance of Sarah. There is a graphic rape scene towards the closing of the film that is to be expected since the main theme of this film is about the outcomes of a terrible and vicious rape. Unfortanely, females are still considered "damaged goods" when something this hineous occurs. McGillis's character seeks justice from the men who raped her in a downtown bar and even goes after the men who watched and cheered on the rape and did nothing to stop it. A powerful and superb film all around. This film will force you to see the truth and make you want to change the legal system. Not recommend for younger viewers.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Star is Born, November 26, 2005

By 

Movie Mania "DVD Collector" (Southern Calfornia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Accused (DVD)

Jodie Foster became an actress to watch with this movie. This movie is definitely influenced by early Law & Order. First a movie about a crime, then a movie about society's responsibility in the crime.

Jodie Foster is a fiery independent woman who goes to a local bar after a fight with her boyfriend. She has mischief on her mind but when a group of frat boys decide they will not take no for an answer, they rape her on the pinball machine.

She then faces further humiliation of the police and the degradation of trial where she, the victim, is put on trial. After the perpetrators are acquitted, the prosecutor (Kelly McGillis) puts the spectators on trial. This movie says that not only are the people who commit the crime responsible but those who stand by and encourage it to happen.

Tom Topor wrote the outstanding screenplay. He also wrote the play and screen adaptation of Nuts, another great courtroom drama. His heroine is not a clean cut responsible person but a flawed woman trying to make a living and a life. This is more realistic than other films that would have a perfect Sarah.

Jodie Foster gives a well deserved Oscar winning performance. This was her coming out party. She was no longer a child star or a sensation. Kelly McGillis gives her best performance of her career. She also should have been nominated but Foster overshadowed her.