Presumed Innocent
1990 Courtroom Drama/Thriller starring Harrison Ford with Raul Julia, Brian Denehey and Bonnie Bedelia in supporting roles. After prosecuting attorney Carolyn Polehmus (Greta Scacchi) is found murdered, deputy prosecutor Rozat 'Rusty' Sabich is assigned to investigate. However Sabich had been having an affair prior to her murder and is deeply conflicted. After he digs too deep and uncovers corruption at the highest levels of the judicial system, Sabich finds himself accused of the murder and must fight to clear his name.
The Film of the Book of the same name by Scott Turow.
Tropes used in Presumed Innocent include:
- Abusive Parents: One of the cases prosecuted by Sabich.
- Book Ends
- Broken Pedestal: Sabich is betrayed by Horgan, his mentor.
- Captain Obvious: Sabich tells his lawyer that he is innocent and quickly regrets it, because the assumption is an implicit rule of the profession.
- Clear My Name
- No Communities Were Harmed; Set in the fictional 'Kindle County' most likely a stand in for Chicago
- The Coroner Doth Protest Too Much: Twisted, the coroner is tainted by the prosecution to present Sabich in a bad light.
- Crusading Lawyer: The young Sabich.
- A Date with Rosie Palms: Alluded by Sabich's frustrated wife
- Destroy the Evidence: The glass and Lipranzer, eager to enforce a Let Off by the Detective.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind
- Femme Fatale: Carolyn
- Friend on the Force: Detective Lipranzer:
- Hello, Attorney!: Carolyn Polhemus, played by a 30-year-old Greta Scacchi.
- Law Procedural
- Make It Look Like an Accident: A variation is the main plot, a cold murder is camouflaged as a date that got violent.
- May-December Romance: Carolyn and Raymond.
- Mistaken Confession
- Motive Misidentification
- Posthumous Character: Carolyn Polehmus
- Really Gets Around: Carolyn Polehmus
- The Reveal
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Sabich's attorney implies to the judge that information about his corruption would be revealed if the trial goes on.
- Sarcastic Confession: Inverted by Sabich. His prosecutor thinks it gets played straight but the judge rebukes him.
- Sex for Services: Manipulative Carolyn uses sex as a tool to advance in her career.
- Spousal Privilege: A plot point. Played with and invoked.
- Your Cheating Heart
- Woman Scorned: Leads to Murder the Hypotenuse