In deciding to do this British TV miniseries as a movie, there was an opportunity to take maybe just one of the coincidences that ruin this story out of the script, but instead, it's practically verbatim.
Bill Pullman plays Callum Crane, an excellent attorney who is totally self-involved, arrogant, and amoral. He lives with his wife and her children, whom he doesn't like.
Crane becomes interested in a young secretary, the petite, leggy Sophie (Gabrielle Anwar). One night, they are both at the office late, have drinks together and go to her apartment. He wants to have sex with her, but Sophie realizes it's a mistake. After all, he's her boss and he's married and drunk. Crane doesn't take no for an answer and rapes her.
Sophie is too traumatized to report it or do anything about it, but Crane is bothered by her presence and has her fired. Then he is made a Judge. Sophie sees an opportunity to threaten him with going public if he doesn't resign.
A subplot concerns a young man who, learning he is adopted, goes searching for his father.
The British version, due to the young thugs, is grittier, and let's face an important fact - Bill Pullman is no Michael Kitchen and doesn't come close to realizing this character. He comes off as a bland guy, although an egotistical attorney, who decides to take a desperate action, but we don't see his growing desperation, and we don't see him as someone capable of making the decision he makes or any of the follow-up.
What I found mildly interesting is that Joanna Whalley plays Pullman's wife, and like the character of Sophie, she too is petite and brunette, so you can see the interest -- he's at this point not very involved with his wife.
I've always thought Gabrielle Anwar was a very good actress, and she is excellent here, sexy and more street smart than in the British version where the character was much more naive and fragile.
The ending is different, making it a tiny bit more palatable. The ending of the original was disappointing.
If you're going to see a version of "The Guilty," see the British 1992 version.
Bill Pullman plays Callum Crane, an excellent attorney who is totally self-involved, arrogant, and amoral. He lives with his wife and her children, whom he doesn't like.
Crane becomes interested in a young secretary, the petite, leggy Sophie (Gabrielle Anwar). One night, they are both at the office late, have drinks together and go to her apartment. He wants to have sex with her, but Sophie realizes it's a mistake. After all, he's her boss and he's married and drunk. Crane doesn't take no for an answer and rapes her.
Sophie is too traumatized to report it or do anything about it, but Crane is bothered by her presence and has her fired. Then he is made a Judge. Sophie sees an opportunity to threaten him with going public if he doesn't resign.
A subplot concerns a young man who, learning he is adopted, goes searching for his father.
The British version, due to the young thugs, is grittier, and let's face an important fact - Bill Pullman is no Michael Kitchen and doesn't come close to realizing this character. He comes off as a bland guy, although an egotistical attorney, who decides to take a desperate action, but we don't see his growing desperation, and we don't see him as someone capable of making the decision he makes or any of the follow-up.
What I found mildly interesting is that Joanna Whalley plays Pullman's wife, and like the character of Sophie, she too is petite and brunette, so you can see the interest -- he's at this point not very involved with his wife.
I've always thought Gabrielle Anwar was a very good actress, and she is excellent here, sexy and more street smart than in the British version where the character was much more naive and fragile.
The ending is different, making it a tiny bit more palatable. The ending of the original was disappointing.
If you're going to see a version of "The Guilty," see the British 1992 version.