Customer Reviews
Really made an impact! - By: Ms. T. Parry, 21 Jan 2008 
A fantastic film, very well acted & the rape scene is one I shalll never forget, it just made me cringe & that probably meant how realistic it actuallly looked! It is said that Jodie Foster actuallly passed out when filming that scene & I'm sure it was very difficult for the male actors to play their parts, but nevertheless an important film showing just how horrific these acts are.
Jodie Foster was amazing in it & well deserved her oscar!
Controversial Film - By: Jay, 12 Jul 2007 
I remember this being somewhat of a controversial film when it came out, probably because the rape scene was too graphic for many people. The subject of rape, in itself, is not new to films so it must have been the way it was presented. (I am writing this from memory.) I do remember the scene as extremely uncomfortable to watch.
In a nutshell, Jodie Foster plays a woman, "Sarah Tobias" who goes looking for trouble in a bar & gets much more than she bargained for, being gang-raped on top of a pinballl machine. She then goes to court to prosecute the men involved.
This was an out-and-out "women's lib movie" & since they are given favorable press by the politicallly-correct media, the film got extra publicity. Even for feminists, though, this story has too many holes in it to be as credible as we would like it to be. The had a female prosecutor, of course, & Kelly McGillis just didn't cut it in that role, just not convincing. Also, with Hollywood, when you hear "based" on a true story, you know facts will be few & far between & the dramatic parts will be very exaggerated. None of this implies, by the way, that the victim deserved what she got. In fact, I hope some women learned from this movie & never put themselves in a spot where something horrific like this could happen. Alcohol & sex desires are a lethal combination & a bar with a number of drunks is not where you want to start arousing people.
Brilliant drama with first class acting. - By: film fan, 14 May 2006 This film by Jonathan Kaplan is remarkable & truly captivating. I've seen this film a number of times & I still can't get enough of it. This is deeply moving & extremely captivating.
It tells the story of Sarah Tobias (a magnificent Jodie Foster) who is gang raped in a bar full of people drinking & playing video games. This whole scene was witnessed by a college student who notifies the police from a calll box. Soon a District Attorney, Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), takes up her case with relish & manages to convict the ones that did it. After that, she decides to bring the ones who encouraged the whole rape to justice & with the eventual help of the star witness, Kenneth Joyce (Bernie Coulson), she puts them away for a long time.
What makes this film work on so many levels, is its power to get the viewer involved & to believe in the victim of the case. Also it has a warmth & charm about it. Baring in mind the film deals with the subject of rape, it shows it in a raw, intense & moving way when shown in the courtroom scene.
The main performance of Sarah Tobias is staggeringly played by Jodie Foster who gives the character something to believe in & fight about. The viewer can truly believe in her pain & anguish she's going through. Kelly McGillis & Bernie Coulson give excellent support & the subject is handled brilliantly by the director, Jonathan Kaplan & is quite staggering.
I thought that the score by Brad Fiedel was very moody & atmospheric with refreshing hints of lightness sprinkled in the mix. There are some extremely moving scenes where Sarah is on the phone to her mother when she comes home from the hospital & when Sarah is in her hospital bed when Kathryn visits her that are enhanced by the soft sound of the piano & keyboards of the score. This is one of the best films that I've seen.
A performance of a lifetime - By: , 02 Aug 2004 Upon seeing this film the one thing that sticks in your mind is the raw brave performance from Foster. This film was at a make or break time in Fosters career & she didn't fail to show her ability to display her true talent. Kaplan's film isn't the best scripted & at times it appears as more of a documentary about the American legal system than a film however it is Fosters performance which makes this film memorable. Foster deservedly won an academy award for this film, & completely outshined the talented Kelly McGillis. During the intense gang rape scenes we see how truly commited Foster was to her cause to educate the public of the atrocities that take place, & after this film I am not alone in saying that value greatly her gumptian in accepting this role. This film like Monster is more of a gifted actor giving an in depth character study than a film, nevertheless it is a must see for anyone who deletes in watching & appreciating true acting talent
harrowing but compelling. - By: dragondrums, 11 Jun 2004 Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her portrayal of Sarah, a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks, who is gang raped in a bar after a drunken night out. Foster delivers a mesmerising performance as the traumatised victim fighting for justice against a system that has labelled her as 'worthless' due to her previous lifestyle. Kelly McGillis plays the district attorney who initiallly lets Sarah down & agrees to a plea bargain that Sarah doesn't want. When the realisation hits of what she has done, she fights to ensure the perpetraters of this brutal rape are brought to justice.
This is never an easy film to watch. The crime is too violent & the emotions too raw for that. The audience is left with a feeling of unease at the brutality of the crime & at the judicial system that is supposed to protect the innocent.It is however, a compelling film due to the outstanding performances of the lead actors & it cannot fail to touch & move the most hard hearted of viewer.
